History of the FranksGregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
History
History of the Franks
Gregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
France -- Church history -- To 987; France -- History -- To 987; Franks -- History -- To 768
Having taken cognizance of so many capital crimes and of a wickedness
that was not restrained but continually increased, we told them that
they should beg the abbess for pardon for their sin and restore what
they had wrongfully taken. But they were unwilling to do this but
talked rather of killing her, a design they admitted in public. Then
we opened and read the canons, and it seemed most just that until
they made a suitable repentance they should be excommunicated and
the abbess should continue permanently in her place. This is what we
suggest should be done in accordance with your command, as far as
the interests of the church are concerned, having read the canons
and having made no distinction of persons. For the rest, as to the
property of the monastery and the deeds given by the kings your
kinsmen which have been stolen, and which they say they have but
disregard our orders and fail to return, it belongs to your piety,
your power and royal authority to compel them to be returned to their
place, in order that your reward and that of the previous kings may
continue for ever. Do not permit them to return or think of returning
again to the place which they so impiously and sacrilegiously
destroyed, lest worse may come. With the aid of the Lord let all be
wholly restored and returned to God under the catholic kings; let
religion lose nothing; let the decision of the fathers and the canons
be maintained and be of profit to us for worship and bring you gain.
May Christ the Lord support and guide you, may He bestow on you a
long reign and the blessed life.
17. After this when the decision was made known and they were
excommunicated and the abbess restored to the monastery, they went
to king Childebert, adding crime to crime, naming forsooth certain
persons to the king who not only lived in adultery with the abbess
but also sent messengers daily to his enemy Fredegunda. On hearing
this the king sent men to bring them in chains. But when they were
examined and no wrongdoing was found, they were let go.
[18. Attempt on the life of Childebert. 19. Bishop Egidius is removed
from office. 20. Basina and Chrodield are pardoned. 21. Waddo’s sons
are punished. 22. Death of Childeric.]
23. In this year there was such a light shed over the earth in the
night that one would think it mid-day; moreover balls of fire were
frequently noticed at night speeding across the sky and lighting the
world. There was doubt about Easter for the reason that Victor wrote
in his cycle that Easter came on the fifteenth day of the moon. But
to prevent Christians from celebrating this festival at the same time
of the moon as the Jews, he added: “But the Latins [place it] on the
twenty-second of the moon.” For this reason many in Gaul celebrated
on the fifteenth of the moon but we celebrated on the twenty-second.
We made careful inquiry but the springs in Spain which are filled by
a divine power were filled at our Easter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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