Albert of Gaul, for Opposing the Roman Superstitions

Enlightened by the heavenly radiance of the doctrine of the apostles, Albert, with voice and pen, had again and again rebuked the errors and superstitions of the Roman church, asserting, namely, that priests or teachers should not be forbidden to marry; that the relics, or bones, of the saints ought not to be venerated; that images should not be worshiped or saluted as a religious service; and that the pope has no right to the primacy (or supremacy) over the church. He condemned the masses for the dead, purgatory, and so on, as [human] inventions. Wicelius adds: He rejected as unnecessary and superstitious the ceremonies, the laying on of hands, the making of the sign of the cross, confirmation, and so on, and, in short, all such things as are practiced in popery for the purpose of confirming infant baptism.

Boniface, the papal legate, therefore accused him to the pope, inventing and spreading many slanders, which were spewed out against him as bitter gall. The pope lost no time, nor sought to delay the matter, but at once condemned him unheard upon these false accusations and the above-mentioned articles, excommunicated him, and sent the sentence of excommunication to that same false accuser, namely, to Boniface, his dear legate, that the latter should publish it against Albert throughout France. Hence it is that the papists number him among the heretics, though they fail to show what heresy it was for which he was condemned and thus shamefully excommunicated; which matter must be gathered from other writers, except for the testimony quoted above from Wicelius, according to A. M.

Having received from the pope the letter containing Albert's excommunication, Boniface not only had it published throughout France, and deposed him from his ministry, but also imprisoned him in the monastery at Fulda, in which imprisonment he probably died of hunger, thirst, and various wants. Compare Wilibald. in vita Bonifacii, Aventin. Annal., book 3. Nauc. Gen. 26, volume 2. Balaeus. Cent. 14, chapters 30 and 31, in the Appendix. Epist. Zach. ad Bonif., volume 2, Concil. Lutsenb. Haigiol. in vita Bon., with A. M., folio 328, column 3; also, J. Gys., edition of 1657, folio 30, columns 2 and 3. [n330-1]