Letter 11

From: Arioald, King of the Lombards To: Pope Honorius I Date: ~627 AD Context: The Lombard king responds to papal concerns about the church in his kingdom. Arioald, king, to the most holy Bishop Honorius. I have received your letter about Bishop Probus, and I want to respond honestly. The situation is more complicated than your letter suggests, and I think you know that. Probus was indeed associated with the political faction of my predecessor's court. In a kingdom where the transition of power always involves navigating factions, the question of what to do with individuals associated with the losing side is not simply a question of canonical justice. It is also a question of political stability. That said: I am not in the business of persecuting bishops for political reasons when there is no ecclesiastical cause. I will arrange for the matter to be reviewed by a synod of bishops within my territory, and I will commit to accepting their judgment. I want to say something else. I am not hostile to the Catholic church, despite what some of your correspondents may have told you. My wife's faith, and the faith of the community she has built, commands my respect even if it is not my own. I have no intention of persecuting Catholics. What I need from the church is what I need from all the institutions in my kingdom: that they function within boundaries, that they do not become vehicles for political opposition to my authority, and that they serve the people under my governance rather than serving their own institutional interests. This seems to me a reasonable expectation. Arioald, king of the Lombards