A probably partly authentic papal letter of privilege issued by Pope Agatho grants special rights to the monastery at Chertsey (near London), whose oratory is dedicated to *Peter (the Apostle, S00036). Written in Latin at Rome, 678/81.
E06970
Documentary texts - Charter or diploma
Documentary texts - Letter
Privilege of Pope Agatho (JE †2115; JH †3488) (excerpts)
[D]ilectissimo nobis Erkenuualdo episcopo nunc abbati Certeseg Agato episcopus, seruus seruorum Dei. [...] statuimus atque decernimus uenerabile monasterium, quod appellatur Certesya situm in regione Surreya iuxta fluuium quod appellatur Tamisa, in quo et oratorium in nomine beati Petri apotolorum principis dedicatum est, a tua reuerencia in omnibus dispensari, sub tuitionem ac regulam huius apostolice sedis [...]
'To our most beloved bishop Earconwald, now abbot of Chertsey. Agatho, bishop, servant of the servants of God ... We state and decree that the venerable monastery, which is called Chertsey, situated in the region of Surrey next to the river which is called the Thames, in which there is an oratory dedicated in the name of the blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, which is to be administered by your reverence in all things, is under the protection and rule of this apostolic see ...'
Text: Kelly 2015, Appendix 1a, pp. 171-3.
Translation: B. Savill.
Cult building - monastic
Cult building - oratory
Places Named after SaintMonastery
Non Liturgical ActivityAwarding privileges to cult centres
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - Popes
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - abbots
Source
This privilege survives in a single copy of the mid-13th century, where it is missing its dating clause. Long considered a forgery, it has received more enthusiastic treatment from scholars since the technical study of Anton (1975), which argued for its status as a probably essentially authentic text, albeit now in a highly corrupted form.Discussion
For Earconwald and his monastery at Chertsey, see the entry for the comparable Anglo-Saxon charter issued in his name (E05896).Bibliography
Edition:Kelly, S.E., Charters of Chertsey Abbey (Oxford, 2015).
Further reading:
Anton, H.H., Studien zu den Klosterprivilegien der Päpste im frühen Mittelalter unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Privilegierung von St. Maurice d'Agaune (Berlin and New York, 1975).
Benjamin Savill
22/10/2018
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Benjamin Savill, Cult of Saints, E06970 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E06970