Privilegium Monasterii Sancti Germani

Privilege of the Monastery of Saint Germanus, Bishop of Paris, or a Charter by which Germanus, Bishop of Paris, Grants Immunities to the Parisian Basilica of the Holy Cross and of Saint Vincent. (From the work of Brequigny, *Diplomata, chartae, epistolae et alia monumenta ad res Francicas pertinentia*.) August 566.—To the lord apostolic men, holy and in Christ brothers, all future bishops of the city of Paris, enriched by celestial visitation, Germanus, a sinner. It is not unknown to all what kind and how great was the most glorious King Childebert, of blessed memory, concerning monasteries and churches, and toward God-fearing men; his supreme benevolence bestowed abundant benefits upon many, and perpetual stability to our immunity. For he considered that, if he were to reserve these temporal things for reaping, far greater things would be granted to him by God, if for his sake... (Thus in Bulliard) he were to found churches and temples, and sustain the neediness of the poor, and offer small things for great, and obtain celestial things for earthly ones. Whence also to us, for the merit of his burial, he commanded that some things be considered by him, and, having been considered, he ceded them.

Therefore, this illustrious prince built in Paris a basilica in honor of the Holy Cross and of the Lord Vincent, and of the other saints, as a single structure, and arranged his own burial there, and decreed by the page of his will that we should have the abundance of his generosity, and established the merit of having it in a place of such order. But while the page of his will and the faith of his heart flourished temporarily under human frailty, with the cunning of certain persons acting so that eternal blessedness would not be granted to him, and the written document would not take effect, and at the same time the abbot and the appointed congregation would not receive it, and would perish from lack of food and clothing, the memory of him admonished me, and for love of him such security terrified me, together with the affection of piety and charity; for he, after God, while he survived, was our immunity and security, peace and recovery, and separation from all civic business. We, however, consulting his piety in this matter, and striving to establish the will of the other kings, wish the charity of your fraternal love to be in agreement with us; so that the most celebrated honor of that holy place and the memory of the said glorious prince may shine in that same place for all times, and that church may have an abbot from its own congregation, who under the governance of the kings, through successions, may provide for that same place; and let every bishop of Paris be alien to that place, so that henceforth he may have no power in all things pertaining to it.

of the entire place; and at the same time we decree that no metropolitan or any of his suffragans shall presume to enter there for the purpose of any ordination, unless he has been called by the abbot of that same place to celebrate the mystery of sanctity, or to consecrate churches, or to perform the blessings of clerics or monks; which duty he must in no way refuse. Moreover, whatever from the present day, both from my time and from that of all my successors, the bishops residing in the see of Paris, or from God-fearing princes of that same people, in estates, villas, fields, in gold or silver, has been delegated or donated, I wish, I ask, I adjure that it be held in its entirety. I have also decreed by this charter of immunity and cession that my above-mentioned basilica shall remain without the obligation of records. And because this was not the custom before, and has now been granted to me by kings and princes, I did not wish to omit the will of your piety in this writing, but I request that it be strengthened and confirmed in all things by you, so that it may remain valid henceforth. And if there should ever be anyone who, at any time, attempts to act against this decision of mine, which I, for the sake of firmness, with the counsel and persuasion of the metropolitan and the other bishops, have decreed to write down, or perhaps the place...

or seeks to violate it, first of all, from the thresholds of the holy churches by all bishops and priests of God, both of the present time and of the future, let him be excommunicated, and estranged from peace, and in the future judgment let him feel the judgment of me and of my lords the metropolitans or bishops present over him, in whose honor this document has been made, and let him be anathema maranatha. Moreover, so that this charter may obtain a firmer fullness, I have wished to confirm it by the subscriptions of the provincial lord bishops and of my brother priests and deacons. Done in the city of Paris, on the twelfth day before the Kalends of September, in the year of King Charibert. I, Germanus the sinner, have read and subscribed this charter of grant and immunity made by me, on the day above. Nicetius, bishop of Lyon, in the name of Christ, at the request of my apostolic lord and brother Germanus the bishop, and of the lady Queen Ulthrogotha, and of the ladies Chrodesita and Chroberga, I have read this constitution, namely to be perpetually preserved from the present time by the successors of the lord bishop Germanus, and I have confirmed it with the subscription of my hand on the noted day. Pretextatus, bishop of Chalon, I have gladly received for reading the deliberation comprehended above, at the request and in the presence of the lord bishop Germanus, and I have subscribed on the noted day.

Felix, bishop of Aurelianum, in accordance with the consent and deliberation of the lord Germanus, which is to remain in perpetuity, subscribed on the noted day. Eufronius, bishop of Nivernum, at the request of the lord apostolic Germanus the bishop, read through this deliberation and subscribed on the noted day. Domicianus, bishop of Carnotum, in accordance with the consent and deliberation of my brother Germanus the bishop, consented and subscribed on the noted day. Donnolus, bishop of Cenomanum, consented and subscribed on the noted day. Caletricus, a sinner, in accordance with the consent and deliberation of the lord Germanus the bishop, consented and subscribed on the noted day. Victurius, a sinner, in accordance with this deliberation, with Germanus my brother present and making the request, consented and subscribed on the noted day. Leodebaudus, a sinner, consented and subscribed on the noted day. I, the notary amanuensis, under the command of the lord Germanus the bishop, wrote and subscribed this privilege of cession.