Letter 1

From: Pope Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome To: Theudelinda, Queen of the Lombards Date: ~591 AD Context: Gregory congratulates the Catholic Bavarian queen who has become queen of the Arian Lombards — a crucial diplomatic relationship Gregory will cultivate throughout his pontificate. Gregory, servant of the servants of God, to our daughter in Christ, the most excellent Queen Theudelinda. The reports I have received about your son Adaloald fill me with genuine joy, and I wanted to write to you directly to express it. That God has given you a son — that the succession of the Lombard kingdom is secure — this is a good thing in itself. But what moves me more deeply is the knowledge of your own faith and your determination that your son will be raised in the Catholic faith rather than the Arian tradition of the Lombard people. You are attempting something that will require extraordinary steadiness: to be queen of an Arian kingdom while holding to Catholic orthodoxy, and to use your position to gradually draw that kingdom toward the truth. I do not minimize the difficulty of this. You will face opposition from within the Lombard nobility who regard the Arian tradition as part of their identity, as the faith of their fathers, as something that marks them as distinct from the Romans they conquered. You will need patience, wisdom, and a willingness to advance your goals indirectly and slowly when direct action is not possible. I want you to know that you have in me a consistent supporter. Write to me when you need support or advice. I will pray for you daily. Your father in God, Gregory, bishop of Rome