A probably partly authentic papal letter of privilege issued by Pope John IV in 640/2 grants special rights to a now-unidentifiable women's monastery in Gaul, possibly at or near Sens (northern Gaul), dedicated to *Mary (mother of Christ, S00033), *Columba (virgin and martyr of Sens, S01862), *Agatha (virgin and martyr of Catania, S00794), and other unnamed martyrs. Written in Latin at Rome.
E06972
Documentary texts - Charter or diploma
Documentary texts - Letter
Privilege of Pope John IV (JE †2044; JH ?3311) (excerpts)
Dilectissimis fratribus, coepiscopis per Gallearum prouintiis constitutis Iohannis, seruus seruorum Dei [...] Quoniam igitur Chlodoveus rex, excellentissimus filius noster, princeps Francorum, pia et religiosa deuotione perspicuus, suis nos scriptis postulasse dinoscitur et apostolicae sedis, caput omnium ecclesiarum, priuilegium monasterio beate genetricis et semper uirginis Mariae, uel sanctae Columbe atque sanctae Agathe seu aliorum sanctorum martyrum, in loco qui nuncupatur ill., super pago ill., quod uiri magnifici ill., pia deuotione dediti, nutu et aspiratione diuina construxisse noscuntur; in quo decreuerunt, ut puellae, Dei sacre uirgines, in sanctis studiis et uenerabilibus diuturnis meditationibus assiduis uitam piam atque contemplatiuam sub retrusione exercere uideantur [...] dum profectu cuncta usque ad fines terre et oceani maris terminum sup beati Petri principis apostolorum ditione consistant [...] Ergo [...] postulata concessimus, intercedentibus omnibus episcopis, et contestatione euidentissima decernimus, tam uicinis quam procul a predicto monasterio constitutis: nihil audeant usurpare...
'To his most beloved brothers, his fellow-bishops situated in the provinces of Gaul, John, servant of the servants of God... Since therefore our most excellent son King Clovis (II), prince of the Franks, famous in his pious and religious devotion, is known to have asked us and the apostolic see, head of all the churches, by letters for a privilege for the monastery of the blessed Mary, mother and ever-virgin, and of Saint Columba and Saint Agatha and other holy martyrs, which is in the place called A, over the pagus B, which the magnificent men C, given to pious devotion, with God's will and inspiration, are known to have constructed; in which they decreed that girls - holy virgins of God - are to be seen to undertake in seclusion the pious and contemplative life in their assiduous holy studies and their venerable daily meditations... (And) since indeed everything up to the ends of the earth and the boundary of the ocean of the sea exists under the authority of the blessed Peter, prince of the apostles... Therefore... we grant what has been asked, and with our most clear assertion we decree, interceding with all bishops, whether situated near or far from that aforesaid monastery, that none should dare to usurp anything...'
Text: Zeumer 1886, 498-500.
Translation: B. Savill.
Cult building - monastic
Places Named after SaintMonastery
Non Liturgical ActivityAwarding privileges to cult centres
Construction of cult buildings
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Ecclesiastics - Popes
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Monarchs and their family
Theorising on SanctityConsiderations about the hierarchy of saints
Using saints to assert ecclesiastical/political status
Source
This privilege survives only as a formula in the 9th century Collectio of Saint-Denis (Paris, BnF, Lat. 2777): its original beneficiary is unknown. The authenticity of this document has been long contested, but Anton has argued for its broad underlying trustworthiness.Discussion
The presence of the virgin and martyr Columba among the monastery's dedicatees may suggest that the original beneficiary of this privilege was located somewhere in the region of Sens, although this is by no means certain.For apparently contemporary privileges with very similar formulations, see E06971 (Bobbio), E06973 (Luxeuil) and E06974 (Rebais).
Bibliography
Edition:Zeumer, K., Collectio sancti Dionysii, in: Formulae Merowingici et Karolini aevi (Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Leges V; Hannover, 1886), 493-511.
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).
Anton, H.H., "Der Liber Diurnus in angeblichen und verfälschten Papstprivilegien der früheren Mittelalters," in Fälschungen im Mittlelalter: Internationaler Kongreß der Monumenta Germaniae Historica, München, 16.-19. September 1986, 5 vols (Hannover, 1988), vol. 3, 115-142.
Benjamin Savill
13/10/2022
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00033 | Mary, Mother of Christ | Maria | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00060 | Martyrs, unnamed or name lost | martyres | Certain | S00794 | Agatha, virgin and martyr of Catania | Agatha | Certain | S01862 | Columba, virgin and martyr of Sens | Columba | Certain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Benjamin Savill, Cult of Saints, E06972 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E06972