0742- Bonifacius - To Pope Zacharias

Boniface to Pope Zacharias On His Accession to the Papacy (742)

To our beloved lord Zacharias !ho bears the insi"nia of the supre#e pontificate Boniface a servant of the
servants of $od%
&e confess 'ather and (ord that after !e had learned throu"h #essen"ers that your predecessor $re"ory of
holy #e#ory had departed this life nothin" "ave us "reater co#fort and happiness than the )no!led"e that $od
had appointed *our Holiness to enforce the canonical decrees and "overn the Apostolic +ee% ,neelin" at your
feet !e earnestly be" that as !e have been devoted servants and hu#ble disciples to your predecessors in the
+ee of Peter !e #ay li)e!ise be counted obedient servants under canon la! of *our Holiness%
-t is our fir# resolution to preserve the .atholic faith and the unity of the .hurch of /o#e and - shall continue
to ur"e as #any hearers and disciples as $od shall "rant #e on this #ission to render obedience to the Apostolic
+ee%
&e #ust also infor# you Holy 'ather that o!in" to the conversion of the $er#an people !e have consecrated
three bishops and divided the province into three dioceses% &e hu#bly desire you to confir# and establish as
bishoprics both by your authority and in !ritin" the three to!ns or cities in !hich they !ere consecrated% &e
have established one episcopal see in &ur0bur" another in Burabur" and a third in 1rfurt for#erly a city of
barbarous heathens% These three places !e ur"ently be" you to uphold and confir# by a charter e#bodyin" the
authority of the Holy +ee so that $od !illin" there #ay be in $er#any three 2334 episcopal sees founded and
established by +aint Peter5s !ord and the Apostolic +ee5s co##and !hich neither present nor future "enerations
!ill presu#e to chan"e in defiance of the authority of the Apostolic +ee%
Be it )no!n to you also Holy 'ather that .arlo#an 1#peror of the 'ran)s su##oned #e to his presence and
desired #e to convo)e a synod in that part of the 'ran)ish )in"do# !hich is under his 6urisdiction% He pro#ised
#e that he !ould refor# and re7establish ecclesiastical discipline%7 !hich for the past si8ty or seventy years has
been co#pletely disre"arded and despised% -f he is truly !illin" under divine inspiration to put his plan into
e8ecution - should li)e to have the advice and the instructions of the Apostolic +ee% Accordin" to their elders
the 'ran)s have not held a council for #ore than ei"hty years9 they have had no archbishop nor have they
established or restored in any place the canon la! of the .hurch% The episcopal sees !hich are in the cities have
been "iven for the #ost part into the possession of avaricious lay#en or e8ploited by adulterous and un!orthy
clerics for !orldly uses% -f - a# to underta)e this tas) at your biddin" and on the invitation of the 1#peror - #ust
have at once !ith the appropriate ecclesiastical sanctions both the co##and and the decision of the Apostolic
+ee%
+hould - discover a#on" these #en certain deacons as they are called !ho have spent their lives since
childhood in debauchery adultery and every )ind of uncleanness : !ho have received the diaconate !ith this
reputation and !ho even no! !hen they have four or five or even #ore concubines in their beds at ni"ht are
bra0en enou"h to call the#selves deacons and read out the $ospel; !ho enter the priesthood continue in the
sa#e career of vice and declare that they have the ri"ht to e8ercise the priestly functions of #a)in" intercession
for the people and offerin" <ass and !ho to #a)e #atters !orse are pro#oted despite their reputations to
hi"her offices and are eventually no#inated and consecrated bishops #ay - in such cases have a !ritten and
authoritative state#ent re"ardin" the procedure to be follo!ed so that they #ay be convicted as cri#inals and
conde#ned by apostolic authority= A#on" the# are bishops !ho deny the char"es of 2>??4 fornication and
adultery but !ho nevertheless are shiftless drun)ards addicted to the chase !ho #arch ar#ed into battle and
shed !ith their o!n hands the blood of .hristians and heathens ali)e% +ince - a# reco"nised as the servant and
le"ate of the Apostolic +ee #y decisions here and your decisions in /o#e ou"ht to be in co#plete a"ree#ent
!hen - send #essen"ers to receive your 6ud"#ent%
-n another #atter also - #ust crave your advice and per#ission% *our predecessor of holy #e#ory bade #e in
your presence and hearin" to appoint a certain priest as #y successor to rule this diocese after #y death% -f this
be the !ill of $od - concur% But no! - have #y doubts !hether it is feasible for in the #eanti#e a brother of
that priest has #urdered the du)e5s uncle and at the #o#ent - see no possibility of settlin" the @uarrel%
- be" you therefore to "ive #e your authority to act on the advice of #y collea"ues re"ardin" the choice of a
successor so that in co##on !e #ay do !hat is #ost advanta"eous for $od the .hurch and the safe"uard of
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the faith% <ay - have your per#ission to act in this #atter as $od shall inspire #e for !ithout defyin" the
!ishes of the du)e the for#er choice see#s i#possible%
- have further to see) your advice Holy 'ather in connection !ith a perple8in" and scandalous report that has
lately reached our ears% -t has "reatly disturbed us and filled the bishops of the .hurch !ith sha#e% A certain
lay#an of hi"h ran) ca#e to us and asserted that $re"ory of blessed #e#ory Pontiff of the Apostolic +ee had
"ranted hi# per#ission to #arry his uncle5s !ido!% This !o#an had previously #arried her o!n cousin and
deserted hi# durin" his lifeti#e% +he is )no!n to be related in the third de"ree to the #an !ho !ishes to #arry
her and !ho no! declares that the necessary per#ission has been "ranted% 'urther#ore before her first #arria"e
she had #ade a sole#n vo! of chastity and after ta)in" the veil thre! it aside%
'or this #arria"e the #an states that he has per#ission fro# the Holy +ee% This !e cannot accept as true% 'or at
a +ynod of the .hurch beyond the sea !here - !as born and bred na#ely 2>?>4 the +ynod of (ondon
convo)ed by the disciples of +aint $re"ory the archbishops Au"ustine (aurence Austus and <ellitus such a
#arria"e !as declared on the authority of Holy +cripture to be a heinous cri#e an incestuous and e8ecrable
union and a da#nable s#% 'or this reason - be" you Holy 'ather to state the truth of the #atter so that it #ay
not "ive rise to scandals dissensions and ne! errors a#on" the cler"y and the faithful%
Because the sensual and i"norant Alle#anians Bavarians and 'ran)s see that so#e of these abuses !hich !e
conde#n are rife in /o#e they thin) that the priests there allo! the# and on that account they reproach us and
ta)e bad e8a#ple% They say that in /o#e near the church of +aint Peter they have seen thron"s of people
paradin" the streets at the be"innin" of Aanuary of each year shoutin" and sin"in" son"s in pa"an fashion
loadin" tables !ith food and drin) fro# #ornin" tin ni"ht and that durin" that ti#e no #an is !illin" to lend his
nei"hbour fire or tools or anythin" useful fro# his o!n house% They recount also that they have seen !o#en
!earin" pa"an a#ulets and bracelets on their ar#s and le"s and offerin" the# for sale% All such abuses !itnessed
by sensual and i"norant people brin" reproach upon us here and frustrate our !or) of preachin" and teachin"% Of
such #atters the Apostle says reprovin"ly; : *ou have be"un to observe special days and #onths special seasons
and years% - a# an8ious over you; has all the labour - have spent on you been useless= :
And +aint Au"ustine says; :The #an !ho puts his faith in such nonsense as incantations fortune7tellers
soothsayers a#ulets or prophecies of any sort even thou"h he fasts and prays and runs continually to church
"ivin" al#s and doin" all )inds of penances "ains nothin" as lon" as he clin"s to such sacrile"ious practices%:
-f *our Holiness !ould put an end to these heathen custo#s in /o#e it !ould redound to your credit besides
pro#otin" the success of our teachin" of the faith%
'ran)ish bishops and priests !hose reputation as adulterers and fornicators !as notorious !hose children born
durin" their episcopate or priesthood are livin" !itnesses to their "uilt no! declare on their return fro# /o#e
that the /o#an Pontiff has "ranted the# full per#ission to e8ercise their offices in the .hurch% 2>?24 Our ans!er
to the# is that !e have never heard of the Apostolic +ee "ivin" 6ud"#ent contrary to the canonical decrees%
All these #atters beloved #aster !e brin" to in order that !e #ay "ive these #en an authoritative r !e under
your "uidance and instruction overco#e an these ravenin" !olves and prevent the sheep fro# bein" astray%
'inally !e are sendin" you so#e s#all "ifts a !ar# ru" and little silver and "old% Thou"h they are too triflin"
to be offered to *our Holiness they co#e as a to)en of our affection and our devoted obedience%
<ay $od protect *our Holiness and #ay you en6oy health and lon" life in .hrist%
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