To his venerable and beloved apostolic lord and Pope Stephen, Boniface, a humble legate or messenger in Germany of the Catholic and Apostolic Church, sends greetings of love in Christ.
In the time of Sergius [687-701], Pontiff of the Apostolic See, there came to the shrine of the Apostles a Saxon priest of great holiness and self-denial, by name Willibrord, called also Clement. The aforementioned Pope consecrated him bishop and sent him to preach to the heathen Frisians by the shores of the western sea. For fifty years he preached to the Frisian people, converted a great part of them to the faith of Christ, destroyed their temples, and holy places, and built churches, establishing an episcopal see with a church in honour of the Holy Saviour in a fortified place called Utrecht. In that see and in the church which he had built he continued, preaching up to his feeble old age. He also appointed an auxiliary bishop as his substitute to carry on his ministry and at the close of his long life entered into the peace of God.
Then Carloman, King of the Franks, entrusted the see to me to appoint a bishop and consecrate him. This I did.
But now the Bishop of Cologne claims the see of Bishop Clement consecrated by Pope Sergius, for himself, and declares that it belongs to him on account of the ruins of a certain little church destroyed by the heathen. This Willibrord discovered razed to the ground within the fortress of Utrecht, rebuilt it from the foundations with his own labour, and consecrated it in honour of St. Martin. He insists that the Castle of Utrecht, together with the ruined church, was given by Dagobert, formerly King of the Franks, to the diocese of Cologne on condition that the Bishop of Cologne should convert the Frisians to the Christian faith and be their pastor. But this he did not do. He did not preach to the Frisians nor convert them to Christianity. The Frisian people remained pagans until Sergius, Pontiff of the Roman See., sent Willibrord as bishop and teacher to them. He it was who converted them to the faith of Christ.
Now the Bishop of Cologne wishes to annex this see of the missionary Willibrord so that there shall be no episcopal see under the Roman Pontiff for the Frisian mission. I answered him according to my conviction that the order of the Apostolic See,
the consecration by Pope Sergius, and the mission of Willibrord ought to be far stronger reasons for the establishment of an episcopal see under the Roman Pontiff for the Frisian mission, a great part. of them being still pagans, than the broken foundations of a little ruined church which had been trampled on by Pagans and abandoned by the neglect of the bishops. He, however, does not agree with this.
May it please Your Paternity to give judgment for me. If my answer to the Bishop of Cologne is right and acceptable to you, confirm it by your authority so that the authority of Sergius, and the see itself may be permanently established. It would be a great help to us if you would be willing to send me from the archives Of your Church a copy of the instructions [written] by Sergius to Bishop Willibrord, who was consecrated by him, so that by the authority of Your Holiness I may be able to convince and Ovecome my opponents. If, however, some wiser course presents itself to Your Holiness, please send me your advice so that I may act accordingly.
(Tangl, 109)
To his venerable and beloved apostolic lord and Pope Stephen, Boniface, a humble legate or messenger in Germany of the Catholic and Apostolic Church, sends greetings of love in Christ.
In the time of Sergius [687-701], Pontiff of the Apostolic See, there came to the shrine of the Apostles a Saxon priest of great holiness and self-denial, by name Willibrord, called also Clement. The aforementioned Pope consecrated him bishop and sent him to preach to the heathen Frisians by the shores of the western sea. For fifty years he preached to the Frisian people, converted a great part of them to the faith of Christ, destroyed their temples, and holy places, and built churches, establishing an episcopal see with a church in honour of the Holy Saviour in a fortified place called Utrecht. In that see and in the church which he had built he continued, preaching up to his feeble old age. He also appointed an auxiliary bishop as his substitute to carry on his ministry and at the close of his long life entered into the peace of God.
Then Carloman, King of the Franks, entrusted the see to me to appoint a bishop and consecrate him. This I did.
But now the Bishop of Cologne claims the see of Bishop Clement consecrated by Pope Sergius, for himself, and declares that it belongs to him on account of the ruins of a certain little church destroyed by the heathen. This Willibrord discovered razed to the ground within the fortress of Utrecht, rebuilt it from the foundations with his own labour, and consecrated it in honour of St. Martin. He insists that the Castle of Utrecht, together with the ruined church, was given by Dagobert, formerly King of the Franks, to the diocese of Cologne on condition that the Bishop of Cologne should convert the Frisians to the Christian faith and be their pastor. But this he did not do. He did not preach to the Frisians nor convert them to Christianity. The Frisian people remained pagans until Sergius, Pontiff of the Roman See., sent Willibrord as bishop and teacher to them. He it was who converted them to the faith of Christ.
Now the Bishop of Cologne wishes to annex this see of the missionary Willibrord so that there shall be no episcopal see under the Roman Pontiff for the Frisian mission. I answered him according to my conviction that the order of the Apostolic See,
the consecration by Pope Sergius, and the mission of Willibrord ought to be far stronger reasons for the establishment of an episcopal see under the Roman Pontiff for the Frisian mission, a great part. of them being still pagans, than the broken foundations of a little ruined church which had been trampled on by Pagans and abandoned by the neglect of the bishops. He, however, does not agree with this.
May it please Your Paternity to give judgment for me. If my answer to the Bishop of Cologne is right and acceptable to you, confirm it by your authority so that the authority of Sergius, and the see itself may be permanently established. It would be a great help to us if you would be willing to send me from the archives Of your Church a copy of the instructions [written] by Sergius to Bishop Willibrord, who was consecrated by him, so that by the authority of Your Holiness I may be able to convince and Ovecome my opponents. If, however, some wiser course presents itself to Your Holiness, please send me your advice so that I may act accordingly.
(Tangl, 109)
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To his venerable and beloved apostolic lord and Pope Stephen, Boniface, a humble legate or messenger in Germany of the Catholic and Apostolic Church, sends greetings of love in Christ.
In the time of Sergius [687-701], Pontiff of the Apostolic See, there came to the shrine of the Apostles a Saxon priest of great holiness and self-denial, by name Willibrord, called also Clement. The aforementioned Pope consecrated him bishop and sent him to preach to the heathen Frisians by the shores of the western sea. For fifty years he preached to the Frisian people, converted a great part of them to the faith of Christ, destroyed their temples, and holy places, and built churches, establishing an episcopal see with a church in honour of the Holy Saviour in a fortified place called Utrecht. In that see and in the church which he had built he continued, preaching up to his feeble old age. He also appointed an auxiliary bishop as his substitute to carry on his ministry and at the close of his long life entered into the peace of God.
Then Carloman, King of the Franks, entrusted the see to me to appoint a bishop and consecrate him. This I did.
But now the Bishop of Cologne claims the see of Bishop Clement consecrated by Pope Sergius, for himself, and declares that it belongs to him on account of the ruins of a certain little church destroyed by the heathen. This Willibrord discovered razed to the ground within the fortress of Utrecht, rebuilt it from the foundations with his own labour, and consecrated it in honour of St. Martin. He insists that the Castle of Utrecht, together with the ruined church, was given by Dagobert, formerly King of the Franks, to the diocese of Cologne on condition that the Bishop of Cologne should convert the Frisians to the Christian faith and be their pastor. But this he did not do. He did not preach to the Frisians nor convert them to Christianity. The Frisian people remained pagans until Sergius, Pontiff of the Roman See., sent Willibrord as bishop and teacher to them. He it was who converted them to the faith of Christ.
Now the Bishop of Cologne wishes to annex this see of the missionary Willibrord so that there shall be no episcopal see under the Roman Pontiff for the Frisian mission. I answered him according to my conviction that the order of the Apostolic See,
the consecration by Pope Sergius, and the mission of Willibrord ought to be far stronger reasons for the establishment of an episcopal see under the Roman Pontiff for the Frisian mission, a great part. of them being still pagans, than the broken foundations of a little ruined church which had been trampled on by Pagans and abandoned by the neglect of the bishops. He, however, does not agree with this.
May it please Your Paternity to give judgment for me. If my answer to the Bishop of Cologne is right and acceptable to you, confirm it by your authority so that the authority of Sergius, and the see itself may be permanently established. It would be a great help to us if you would be willing to send me from the archives Of your Church a copy of the instructions [written] by Sergius to Bishop Willibrord, who was consecrated by him, so that by the authority of Your Holiness I may be able to convince and Ovecome my opponents. If, however, some wiser course presents itself to Your Holiness, please send me your advice so that I may act accordingly.
(Tangl, 109)
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.