2.13 On the end of the Cluniac scandal and the wisdom of the Lord Matthew.

The venerable Pope Calixtus mentioned above had already left this life behind and had Pope Honorius as his successor, who was in no way his inferior. When he learned of the great troubles of this such great church [the ecclesia cluniacensis] he sent a special legate, the lord Cardinal Peter, to whom he attached the primate of Lyon, Humboldt and condemned with a terrible curse, Pons and all the Pontians, and others he also named.

Next, having chosen a date, he convoked by apostolic letters both parties to come so that he might adjudicate so great a division. Immediately all of ours obeyed and among the innumerable priors of monasteries to whom these letters were addressed was the previously mentioned Matthew [prior of Saint-Martin-des-Champs]. Despite everything he had done, Pons also presented himself with his followers and, on the appointed day, he appealed to present his case before the tribunal. And so, given that he was excommunicated, and that he was outlawed and thus could not canonically present himself before the tribunal, on the appointed day, it was decided that he must first make honourable amends and free himself from the bonds by which he was juridically bound. The pope sent him messengers who commanded on his behalf that he make honourable amends for such great evil he had done. Pons refused with malice and asserted that he could not be bound by any sentence of excommunication pronounced by any man alive. With the exception of Saint Peter in Heaven, he did not grant this right to anyone. The Lord Pope strongly taking umbrage from such a response and subsequently the whole city was troubled by such a response, proclaimed to all that not only was Pons excommunicated but he was declared schismatic. And since, as we said, one under such a sentence could not be admitted before the tribunal, the lord Pope, sending new messengers, demanded whether those who had come which him, wished to make honourable amends which Pons had refused. And they responded that they were ready to obey in accordance with their order. All entered into the Lateran palace with bare feet, acknowledging themselves guilty before all and prostrated themselves on the ground. Once absolved, they made their defence and did not neglect to make any case that could sway the judgement in their favour. On the other side, the venerable Matthew spoke in the name of all and with wisdom revealed the situation bit by bit.

After having heard the parties, the pope rose and withdrew to take counsel from the Roman curia and to investigate the case. He considered the matter at length, and after several hours he returned to his seat and commanded the bishop of Porto to pronounce a sentence reached after much deliberation. This man proclaimed the judgment and here are his own words:

The Holy Roman and Apostolic Church deposes in perpetuity Pons as usurper, sacrilegious, schismatic, excommunicate from all honours or ecclesiastical offices and returns Cluny, it monks and all its belongings to the abbot in charge, who was unjustly harmed.

The sentence once pronounced, united those who had been divided anew and the Cluniac body was healed – this longstanding and such great torment of evil disappeared in an instant.

A few days later the pestilential Roman disease attacked both the victors and the vanquished, and quickly it laid low almost everyone, whether monks or their servants. A month had scarcely passed when it assaulted the lord Pontius and only a few days had passed before it killed him. Since perhaps this brief account about him might be considered useful, I add here the letter sent to me from the aforesaid Pope Honorious of blessed memory about his death:

Bishop Honorius, the servant of the servant of God sends best wishes and apostolic benediction to our beloved son, Peter the abbot of Cluny. Last December, Pontius embarked on the path of all flesh. Though he had not wished to do penance for the evils done at Cluny –despite being frequently enjoined to do so– nonetheless we gave him an honourable burial out of respect for this monastery, whose monk he had been. Given at the Lateran.

And so [Pontius], who had suffered from the Roman disease for some time, finally died. The illness did not spare him, and it burned in me with an unbearable fire for more than half a year. As I believe it, I would not have escaped the fate of my companions had I not the succour of the prayers of my brothers and of the medical treatment offered by a certain wise cleric with great care for my person. At length I recovered thanks to a merciful God, and through His grace that greatest place of religion was restored with miraculous quickness from its own terrible sickness of schism and disorder and returned to its original and in some ways even a better state of religion, reputation and affairs.

I seem to have digressed from my intention. But since I am afraid that the affair would pass out of the memory of succeeding generations, which as it seems to me ought not to be passed over in silence and seems to be of great utility in giving warning to future persons, when on the topic of lord Matthew through whose especial devotion for others so great an evil was struck down, I feared that by remaining silent I would consign to oblivion things needing to be said. Therefore I return my pen to him, and let unfold what remains about him as it happened.