The Fall of The Carolingians -Part I

Good morning, 

Charlemagne died in 814. His only son to make it into adulthood was Loius the Pious, who Charlemagne tasked with governing Aquataine. In 813, Charlemagne, through no action of the Papacy, crowned Loius Co-Empereror. Louis the Pious had three children, one of whom was by Judith, his second wife. This was Charles the Bald; Charles the Bald's older half brothers were Loithar I and Loius the German. Louis the Pious decided that his father's empire ( Charlemagne ) would be split among his 3 sons. Charlemagne the Bald would have West Francia, Lothar I would have the central regions encompassing ( from South to North) The Kingdom of Italy, Provence, Burgundy, and the North Sea coast. Loithar, out of Loius the Pious' issue was given the title Emperor and again " King of Italy." The two titles for a thousand went hand-in-hand, as an individual who was "King of Italy" could easily lay claim to "Emeperor" by virtue of his title " King of Italy." The Treaty of Verdun formally governed these things. The kingdom that Charlemagne conquered was preserved - despite Lious the Pious' wishes- in whole and ruled one of his heirs until Guy of Spoletto recieved the Imeperatus Augustus in the 891 ( See below). 

Loius the Pious' children did not see eye to and unfortunately fought hand to hand over whether or not to break up Charlemagne's lands. Lothar I wanted no part of splitting them. Many clerics of Alcuin's thought process agreed: they viewed the Charlegmagne's empire as the vehicle through which notions of Roman concepts of order and " Symphonia."

 Louis II, upon his father's Lothair's I death, recieved with a co-ruler the title's King of Italy and Emperor. He died in 875, and the title's of " King of Italy" and Emperor went to his uncle, Charles the Bald, at the behest of Pope John VIII. Loius the German, Charles' brother, invaded Italy in hopes to seize the crown, but was not able. Charles the Bald died two years later. The crown next went to Charles the Fat, Charles the Bald's nephew, son of Louis the German. 

Time to breath, lol! The remmenants and dispersment of Charlemagne's Empire to the rise of Odo's grandson Hugh Capet is some of the most complex history ever.

The Apostle to the North

In the 6th Century, Saint Columbanus did much to iniate the conversion of the Franks, which was fueled by the baptism of Clovis in the 4th. Saint Boniface continued this missionary work with the Germans. These two greats did not talk with the Saxons ( whose  conversion process was discussed yesterday) nor with the Nordic people. Credit cannot be given enough to the monastics for this growth. In the 9th Century ( 800s), Christianity reached these groups, primarily through the work of Saint Ansgar. Ansgar, whose mother died early in his life, was sent to the monastary of the venerable Corbie Abbey. Corbie was noted for its library and Scriptorum, and its abbot had the right to mint coins. The Abbey was closed under the dastardly French Revolution, and it's library moved. I am attaching a link to the life of Ansgar, as well as a picture of the still-standing abbey church. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansgar

de Capitulatio de Partibus Saxonae

Greetings, 

Many gloss of the First Millennium of Christian Europe in deference to a study of the High Middle Ages ( 1100-1300). The High Middle Ages were indeed glorious, as it saw the Christianization of Aristotle, as well as the re-implimentation in Western Europe of a proper understanding of The Sciences and The Arts. 

Charlemagne very well could have reunited East and West, as a marriage was sought between the first emperor of the West ( Charlemagne) and Irene, Empress of the East. The talks broke, as well they should have if authentic matrimonal love did not exist between the two. This is an aside. Charlemagne's efforts to defeat The Saxons (760s-804) also saw a forced conversion of that people to Christianity. This was codified in the "Capitulatio de Partibus Saxoniae." Saxons were to convert; if they did not, death was the consequence. Alcuin, the great monk and cleric of Charlemagne's court, strongly fought against this action when it came time to battle the Avars. This is all evidenced in Richard Fletcher's book concerning the conversion of Western Europe. 

Pope Benedict XVI noted the teachings of Christianity are suggestions. The freedom to act according to one's conscience not only amplifies the inherent dignity of each human because he/she is a human, but also is present in the very Paschal ( Greek for " saving") actions of Christ. In the Garden, He sweeted blood because He did not want to die. He made the choice: " Fiat voluntatas Tua," or " Thy will be done." Holy Alcuin, pray for us.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulatio_de_partibus_Saxoniae

Libri Carolini

Libri Carolini - Wikipedia

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libri_Carolini

The Iconoclast Contresversy cannot be overlooked for several reasons. Firstly, the Holy Doctrine that images can and should be venerated gives conclusion to the Eastern Orthodox view that all that is needed for full Divine Revelation to Man is contained within the Seven Eccumenical Councils. Secondly, the Iconoclast debate ( 700s-900s) laid the framework a for Ceasaro-Papist governance ( bamm Charlemagne was crowned Emporor of the West, and it started, lol) in Western Europe ( Cesaro-Papists viewed the Pope's role was to pray and the Emperor's role was to achieve The Church's Mission on Earth). The Eastern Roman Empire was always this way. #gobyzantinelife

The Libri Carolini was Charlemagne's response to Second Nicea ( where Saint  Theodora declared the above- mentioned Iconoclasm "anathema sit", lol."). In it, he said, " No", to Second Nicea and "No" to Rome, who had already agreed with Theodora in the East. This info is valuable because many who study European History today assume that, " Oh, Rome has always governed Western European Theology." No, the Franks quickly set up a life where they were to make their own doctrine, lol. And this actually congrues more with traditional teaching on the degree of power a bishop holds- he is seen as the " Corporate Sole" of The Diocese.

So, France in the 800s was fiercely Iconoclast. Rome was not. The Libri Carolini, according to Dr. John Rao, contain a lot of negative things about Greek-speaking Christians. This, is a beginning of the Great Schism, sadly. It was so, so not about The Filoque, I agrue.