Letter 15

From: Rothari, King of the Lombards To: Pope John IV Date: ~641 AD Context: The greatest of the Lombard kings — an Arian who codified Lombard law — writes to Rome on ecclesiastical matters, showing the pragmatic relationship between the Lombard court and the papacy. Rothari, king of the Lombards, to the most holy Bishop John. I write to you in the spirit of the correspondence that has existed between the Lombard kings and the bishops of Rome for the past three generations, which I regard as useful to both parties even when we do not agree on all things. The specific matter: I have been informed that several bishops in the territory under my governance have been in correspondence with Rome about appointments and canonical matters without informing my court. I want to be clear that I have no objection to this correspondence as such — it is normal for Catholic bishops to be in communication with the Roman see. What I ask is that when such correspondence touches on matters that have civil implications — appointments, property, relations with other kingdoms — my court is informed. This is not a claim to control the church's internal affairs. I govern a diverse kingdom that includes both Arian Lombards and Catholic Romans, and I have found it possible to do so only by maintaining clear boundaries about what is each party's business. The Catholic church's spiritual authority over its own members is real and I respect it. I ask only that it respect the civil authority's legitimate interests in turn. I write in good faith and ask for a response in the same spirit. Rothari, king