Letter 3

From: Desiderius of Cahors, bishop To: Abbo, Bishop of Metz Date: ~640 AD Context: Desiderius writes to the Bishop of Metz seeking practical assistance and collegial support for his cathedral-building project and other episcopal works. To the most holy Lord Abbo, bishop of Metz, from his brother Desiderius of Cahors, greetings in Christ, The friendship between our sees is old, and I write on its strength to ask for help that I could not ask of a stranger. The cathedral of Saint Stephen at Cahors is rising. The foundations are strong, the walls are going up, and the craftsmen we have engaged are producing work of genuine quality. What we lack — and what I write to ask about — is skilled stonecutters for the decorative work on the capitals and the doorways. I have been told that your diocese has craftsmen of exactly this kind who did excellent work on the church you completed some years ago, and I write to ask whether any of them are available for hire and whether you might recommend them. I also want your advice on a matter of bishop governance that I would rather discuss with a trusted colleague than attempt to resolve alone. The details are perhaps too specific for a letter; I hope we can meet at the next assembly. But briefly: the monasteries in my diocese are in various states of observance, ranging from genuine spiritual depth to something that bears the external form of monastic life without much of its substance. I am trying to improve the situation and I want to hear how you have handled similar circumstances. Your brother in Christ and colleague in the episcopate, Desiderius