Lindsay Rudge PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

As Claussen notes, this sermon typically formed part of a libellus of Caesarius’
ten sermons to monks, which were very widely circulated. The earliest extant manuscript
of it dates to the end of the seventh century and originated at St Médard of Soissons; 148
other eighth-century copies belonged to St Bertin 149 and St Gall. 150 Although none of the
eighth-century manuscripts can be placed in Metz, a later copy, Metz, Bibliothèque
Municipale, ms. 134, written at the end of the eighth century, at least suggests that the
clerics of Metz had access to this material at a marginally later stage. 151
The second aspect of Chrodegang’s involvement in reform was his participation
in and direction of several councils, in association with Pippin III. The location of these
councils at the Frankish court, rather than in Metz or in Austrasia, shows that these
councils were intended to have general applicability throughout Pippin’s kingdom. But
again, how much influence did this legislation have over the dedicated women in Francia
as a whole?
The first synod with which Chrodegang is associated is the council of Verneuil
(755), held at Pippin’s palace of the same name. 152 This council was convened with the
explicit aim of reform. Its prologue notes that Pippin has gathered ‘almost all of the
bishops of Gaul’ (‘universos paene Galliarum episcopos’) to reinstate the former norms
of the Church which were no longer adhered to. 153 The council has several things to say
on the subject of religious women. Both nuns and monks are to live according to ‘a rule’,
and will ultimately be excommunicated if they refuse. 154 Nuns and monks who have
veiled or tonsured themselves are either to live ‘regulariter’ in a monastery or ‘sub
ordine canonica’ under the supervision of a bishop. 155 Clearly, not all dedicated women
148
Now Brussels, Bibl. Royale., ms. 9850-52.
149
Saint-Omer, Bibl. Munic., ms. 33bis., discussed by Morin in CCSL, Sermones I, xxxiii-xxxix.
150
St-Gall, Bibl. Munic., ms. 194.
151
Claussen, Reform, 179.
152
Although Chrodegang’s presence is not explicitly attested at the synod, Claussen has made a convincing
case for the bishop’s presence there due among other things to textual links between the prologues of the
council and of the Regula canonicorum. See Claussen, Reform, 47-8.
153
Conc. Vernense (755) MGH Capit. I, 33.
154
Conc. Vernense (755) MGH Capit. I, 34. Canon 5: Ut monasteria, quam virorum quam puellarum,
secundum ordinem regulariter vivant…
155 Conc. Vern. cap. 11.
208