To Queen Brunhild, on Her Foundations at Autun and Church Affairs in Gaul

Gregory to Brunhild, and so on. [a]

Among your other excellent qualities, this one holds first place above the rest: that amid the waves of this world, which with their stormy troubles so often throw the minds of rulers into confusion, you bring your heart back to love of the worship of God and to providing for the quiet of the venerable places, as though no other care troubled you. And since conduct of this kind in those who hold power is usually a great defense to their subjects, we declare the nation of the Franks happy above other nations, for it has been counted worthy to have a queen endowed with all good qualities like these. We learned from what your letter told us that you have built the church of Saint Martin on the outskirts of Autun, and a monastery for handmaids of God, and also a hospital in the same city. We rejoiced greatly at this, and gave thanks to Almighty God, who stirs the sincerity of your heart to do these things. So, in order that we may be counted in some measure sharers in your good deeds, we have granted privileges to those places, as you wished, for the quiet and protection of those who live in them. We have not let ourselves put off in the least our welcome of your excellency’s wishes. [b]

Further, greeting you first of all with a father’s love, we let you know that, as you wrote to us, we have given a private interview to our illustrious sons, your servants and envoys, Burgoaldus and Varmaricarius; and they have set out for us in detail everything they said they had been charged with. In time to come we will take care to let your excellency know whatever is done about these matters. For our part, whatever is possible, whatever is profitable and tends to settle peace between you and the state, we desire with the utmost devotion, under God, to see accomplished.

As to Mennas, our most reverend brother and fellow bishop: we inquired into what had been said about him and found him in no way to blame. He cleared himself on oath before the most sacred body of the blessed apostle Peter, and so proved himself untouched by what had been alleged against his good name. We have therefore let him return to his post, cleared and acquitted. For just as it would have been right, had he been guilty in any respect, for us to punish his fault according to the canons, so it was not right, when he had innocence on his side, for us to keep him any longer or distress him in any way. [d]

Moreover, there is a certain bishop who, as the magnificent men we mentioned have told us, is kept by an illness of the head from carrying out his office. About him we have written to our brother and fellow bishop Aetherius that, if he has intervals free from this illness, he should make a petition, declaring that he is not able to fill his own place and asking that another be ordained to his church. For while a bishop is living whom sickness, and not his own fault, withdraws from administering his office, the sacred canons by no means allow another to be ordained in his place. But if he never recovers the use of a sound mind, a person should be sought who is adorned with a good life and conduct, able both to take charge of souls and to look after the cases and interests of the same church with wholesome control; and he should be such as may succeed to the bishop’s place if he outlives him. And if there are any to be promoted to a sacred order, or to any ministry of the clergy, we have ordered that the matter be reserved for, and reported to, our most reverend brother Aetherius whom we mentioned, provided it belongs to his diocese, so that after inquiry has been made, if the persons are subject to no fault that the sacred canons condemn, he himself may ordain them. Let your excellency’s care, then, join itself to our orders, so that the interests of the church, which you have so deeply at heart, may suffer no damage, and so that an increase of reward may come to your excellency’s good deeds. [e]

We were also asked about a certain bigamist, whether he might be admitted to a sacred order, and according to the rule of the canons we have altogether forbidden it. For God forbid that in your times, in which you do so many devout and religious things, you should allow anything to be done against the ordinances of the church. [f]

Moreover, these magnificent men, our sons, handed us a written memorandum, and among other things asked what they said they had been charged by your order to ask: that we should send into Gaul such a person as may, when a synod has been assembled, correct, under the guidance of Almighty God, whatever has been done against the most sacred canons. In this we recognize the care of your glory, how you take thought for the life of the soul and for the stability of your kingdom. For, fearing our Redeemer and keeping his commands in every way, you act in this case too so that the government of your kingdom may long endure, and that after long courses of years you too may pass from an earthly to a heavenly kingdom. At a fitting time, if what we have said should please God, we will take care to fulfill your excellency’s venerable wishes. We, then, have taken care to order everything as you wish for the protection of the places your excellency wrote to us about. But so that our decrees may not at some time be suppressed by the governors of those places, on the ground that they find themselves forbidden to do certain things, this same ordinance must be entered among the public records, so that it may be kept in your royal archives as well as in ours.

May Almighty God always keep your excellency in his fear, and so fulfill your wishes, and those of our sons the most excellent kings, your grandsons, through the intercession of the blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, to whom you commend them, as to grant you lasting joy in their continued welfare, as you desire. Given in the month of November, in the sixth indiction. [g]