From Gregory I to Etherius
Overview
This mission, sent by Pope Gregory the Great, is considered a pivotal moment in the spread of Christianity during the Early Middle Ages. Most of what we know about the mission comes from Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Within his work, Bede documents several papal letters that are crucial for understanding the political and social climate of pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon England.
On their way to Kent, Augustine and his fellow monks became disheartened and decided to turn back. After being admonished by Pope Gregory the Great, Augustine was entrusted with a letter to Etherius to bolster the mission to Kent. However, Bede erroneously identifies Etherius as the archbishop of Arles. Scholars Judith McClure and Roger Collins clarify that Etherius was actually the bishop of Lyons. They also note that Bede uses the Anglo-Saxon term “archbishop,” whereas the Frankish equivalent would have been “metropolitan bishop.”
Additionally, the letter mentions a man named Candidus that accompanied Augustine to Lyons. Cadidus was sent by Gregory to become Rector of the Patrimony of estates owned by the Church in Southern France.
Related Topics
Further Research & References
Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Translated and edited by Judith McClure and Roger Collins. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of Christianity. Vol. 1, Beginnings to 1500. New York City, NY: Harper & Row Publishers Inc., 1975.
Southern, R. W. Western Society and the Church in The Middle Ages, New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1970.