Ad Theodoricum Regem Relatio Episcoporum

We give thanks to God, who both guides and tempers the hearts of kings with the hand of piety, when from Him it comes that your clemency, out of His love, has shown to us through the most moderate precepts sent by your exalted servants, the chief officers Gudila and Dedeulphus. For thus the Lord of heaven makes gentle the princes whom He loves; and the appeased Divinity ordains that they obey His commands in all matters, as it is written, with God saying, “You can do nothing without me” (John 15), which is certainly to be understood in a good sense. Therefore, with all our affection and obedience, we wished to comply with your command, and we sent four times to the pope, who was being accused, with our priests from the second synod, so that he would come to judgment. But he determined that he could not at all submit to our audacity, declaring: “First, when you came to Rome, I hastened to your assembly without any hesitation, and I submitted the privilege to my will and to the king’s, and I gave authority to the synod; as ecclesiastical discipline holds, I demanded the restoration of churches according to rule, but no one was sent to me by you. Then, when I came with my clergy, I was cruelly slain. Further, I do not entrust myself to your examination: it is in the power of God and of the lord king to decide what he may ordain concerning me.

After the bishops, however, we sent to him the illustrious man Arigernus, the chief of your household, to whom he gave a response which he reports in his own submission; and yet we inform your most serene lordship that nothing which we could do has been left undone by us, nor can we bring him unwilling to our disputation. Appeals of all bishops have been entrusted to him by the canons; and when he himself appeals, what is to be done? since we can neither pronounce sentence in his absence, nor assign a place to one who is contumacious, who proclaims that he has appeared before the judges; especially because this is a new matter, and there is no known precedent for a pontiff of this see being heard before us. We wished to do what remained: to restore peace to the city, in accordance with your command and will, which is both friendly to our purpose and fitting for the blessedness of your times. For we both lament and shudder at the confusion of so great a city. We have sent a second time to the most august senate and our colleagues, beseeching them with the words of the Apostle, who admonishes: "What is of you, having peace with all, do not avenge yourselves, dearest ones, but give place to wrath." It is also written: "Vengeance for me, I will repay, says the Lord" (Rom. 12). Nor have we been lacking in admonition to the clergy, whom we wish to assist according to the rule. And since they have also scorned this salutary warning, it will therefore be for your imperial authority, by the will of God, to look to the restoration of the Church, the peace of the city of Rome and the provinces.

Now we ask that you, as a pious lord, come to the aid of our infirmities and our dignity; for secular cunning is more than the simplicity of priests can bear, and we can no longer endure the deaths of our men and the dangers to our own persons. But grant us by your most welcome command that we may be allowed to return to our churches, for after these matters which we have laid before you, there is nothing that can be arranged by us. And in another hand: We wish you good health, lord prince.