Letter 13

From: Queen Gundeperga of the Lombards To: Pope Honorius I Date: ~635 AD Context: The Lombard queen writes to the pope in distress about the political situation — she has been imprisoned by her husband on suspicion of political disloyalty. Gundeperga, queen, to the most holy Father Honorius. I write to you in great distress, and I beg your pastoral care. I have been confined to a convent by my husband, King Arioald, on charges that I believe are false. I will not burden you with the details of the political situation — you will have heard various accounts and I suspect you are not sure what to believe — but I want you to know that my faith is intact and my commitment to the Catholic cause in this kingdom has never wavered. What I ask: not intervention in the political dispute, which is beyond your direct authority, but the pastoral presence of someone who speaks in Rome's name. I am isolated. The clergy available to me are not free to speak candidly; they are under observation. I need someone who can hear my confession, offer the sacraments, and carry word to Rome of my actual condition. I also want to ask: please do not abandon the Catholic interests in the Lombard court simply because my position has become complicated. The work that Theudelinda began is not finished. There are Catholic communities here that need Rome's attention. Whatever happens to me personally, please do not let that work lapse. I put myself in God's hands, and in yours. Gundeperga, queen