Letter 10

From: Desiderius of Cahors, bishop To: Sulpicius, Bishop of Bourges Date: ~650 AD Context: Desiderius writes to a fellow bishop on ecclesiastical matters in the Frankish church in the late period of his episcopal career. To the most holy Lord Sulpicius, bishop of Bourges, from his brother Desiderius of Cahors, greetings in Christ, I am, I confess, somewhat in awe of your tenure at Bourges. The metropolitan see of Aquitaine has always carried a weight of responsibility that makes my own position at Cahors seem relatively modest, and the way you have borne that weight — with consistency, with learning, with what appears from a distance to be genuine equanimity — is something I have watched with admiration. I write on a practical matter that touches both our dioceses. The pilgrim route that passes through both our territories has, according to reports reaching me, been in a state of disrepair in the sections between our sees. The hospices along the way are understaffed, some of the bridges are dangerous, and the quality of the pastoral care available to travelers who fall ill has been uneven. The maintenance of the pilgrim routes is, I think, a shared responsibility of the bishops through whose territories they pass, and I want to propose that we coordinate our efforts. A letter to the counts whose jurisdictions include the relevant stretches of road, backed by our joint authority, might produce more effect than either of us acting separately. Would you join me in this? Your brother in Christ, Desiderius of Cahors