Ideo ego dixi; papa Vigila: St. Columbanus’s Letter to Pope Boniface

Abstract

The publication introduces the first Russian translation of St. Columbanus’s letter to pope Boniface IV also known as Epistula V. St. Columbanus (c. 550–615) was one of the most prominent Irish missionaries on the Continent and founder of several monasteries across Burgundy and Northern Italy. He also maintained a keen interest in the ecclesiastical matters, which induced him to write letters to such figures as popes and bishops. The letter being published here has been written c. 613 on the subject of the Aquileian schism in Northern Italy — a conflict which came as an aftermath of the Three Chapters Controversy. Several churches of the region refused to condemn the three chapters as pope Vigilius was forced to do and broke off the communion with Rome. Columbanus, writing by request of king Agilulf, himself an Arian, made an attempt to solve the conflict by asking both parties to make concessions, and first of all to make the pope renounce the «shameful» position of pope Vigilius. Although this attempt was not successful, the letter, with its content and form, still stands as a remarkable document of the epoch which can provide valuable information about the schism in Northern Italy itself as well as Columbanus’s own views concerning this question