 | Boniface(The Apostle Of the Germans) (672-754) 
1.
| The date and place of his birth are not certain. He was born in England (at Devon) around 672. He was of a noble English family and his name was Winfrid (or Wynfrith). Boniface was the name given to him by the pope, who sent him on a mission to the Germanic peoples. From his earliest years, Winfrid showed great ability and received a sound religious education. His parents intended him for secular pursuits, but, inspired with higher ideals by missionary monks who visited his home, Winfrid felt himself called to a religious state. After much difficulty, he obtained his father's permission to join the Benedictines. Under the direction of saintly Abbots, he was trained in piety and learning and rapidly advanced in sanctity and knowledge, excelling especially in the profound understanding of scriptures, of which he gives evidence in his letters. He was also well educated in history, grammar, rhetoric, and poetry. He made his profession as a member of the Benedictine Order and was placed in charge of the monastic school. At the age of thirty he was ordained priest. Through his abbot the fame of Winfrid's learning soon reached high civil and ecclesiastical circles. He also had great success as a preacher. With every prospect of a great career and the highest dignities in his own country, he had no desire for human glory, for the thought of bringing the light of the Gospel to the Old Saxons in Germany, had taken possession of his mind. After many requests Winfrid at last obtained the permission of his abbot.
1a.
| Historical situation at the time of Boniface’s mission.
In his missionary journeys among the Germanic people, Winfrid met many complex political situations that he had to solve before continuing his mission. The main new arising problem was the emergence of the Frank people as the leading European power. The Germanic people were practically under Franks’ control. The great Frank leader Charles Martel (686-741) (“Martel” means “hammer”), succeeded in reuniting the Frankish realm and expanding the Frankish rule all over the Germanic peoples. He was thus unifying under his rule the Franks and the Germans. When the Muslims tried later to invade Spain and Europe in 732, Charles Martel was the only powerful leader that could defeat the Muslim army at Tours. The battle of Tours has traditionally been characterized as an action saving Europe from the Muslim expansionism that had conquered most of Spain. There were no further Muslim invasions of European territory, and Charles's victory has often been regarded as decisive for world history.
The victory against the Muslims raised Charles Martel’s image as the defender of Christianity and Western culture. He is the founder of the Carolingian dynasty, which became the main driving force behind the birth of a new Europe. He is the grandfather of Charlemagne, who in the year 800 would be crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by pope Leo III on Christmas Day in Rome. The Carolingian dynasty aimed at creating a Christian Roman Empire. Under the Carolingian dynasty, Christianity became once again the religion of the State. The Carolingian dynasty is also associated with the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of the arts and education in the West. While the Church and Christian missionaries enjoyed the protection of the Carolingians, they were the target of hatred and revenge of all the political enemies of the Carolingians.
We must place Boniface’s mission withing this historical background in order to understand it better.
The Carolingians supported the missionary efforts of Saint Boniface and other missionaries in the hope of consolidating their military victories.
| 1b.
| When Boniface in 716 set out from England for the mission in Frisia (Germany), intending to convert the Frisians by preaching to them in their own language (his own Anglo-Saxon language being similar to Frisian), his efforts were frustrated by the war then being carried on between Charles Martel and Radbod, king of the Frisians.
Boniface decided to return temporarily to England.
Towards the end of 717 the Abbot of the monastery where Boniface was staying died, and Boniface was elected to succeed him, but he declined and induced the local Bishop Daniel to influence the monks to elect another. Boniface was left free to follow out his missionary intentions, but before going back to his apostolic work, he wished to visit Rome and to obtain from the pope the apostolic mission and the necessary faculties. Bishop Daniel gave him an open letter of recommendation to kings, princes, bishops, abbots, and priests, and a private letter to the pope. On Boniface’s arrival in Rome, in the fall of 718, Pope Gregory II received him kindly, praised his resolutions, and having satisfied himself in various conferences as to the orthodoxy of Boniface, his morals, and the purity of his motives, on 15 May 719, he gave him full authority to preach the Gospel to the Germans to the right of the Rhine, ordering him at the same time to adhere to the Roman practice in the administration of the Sacrament of Baptism, and to consult with the Holy See in case of difficulties.
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| 2.
| Boniface’s missionary journey to the Germans.
Having received instructions from the pope to make his first missionary journey through the German territory only a tour of inspection, Boniface traveled through various Germanic regions, where previous missionaries (among others the outstanding St Kilian and St. Willibrord) had spent all their energies for spreading Jesus’ Gospel. In many regions, Boniface found a flourishing Church with Churches and monasteries built all over the place. Boniface found other regions, however, in a bad condition: St. Kilian had laboured with energy, but without success; later in 689 he was martyred together with his companions. Some Christian dukes, who had tried to spread Christianity, had been murdered by Germanic tribes as well. Great numbers of these rebellious subjects had lapsed either into their traditional religions, or into a mixture of Christianity and traditional religions. Boniface tried to enkindle a missionary spirit in the priests and to make the people live up to the pure precepts of the Christian religion. Though he had some conversions, he did not meet however with the success which he had anticipated.
2a.
| On his way to the court of Charles Martel, possibly to ensure his support, Boniface received news of the death of the Frisian King Radbod, who had persecuted the Church. Boniface decided to go to Friesland. Here he spent three years under the aged St. Willibrord, travelling about with tireless energy and preaching fearlessly as he went. Multitudes of Christians who had fallen away during the persecution of Radbod were brought to repentance and thousands accepted the Faith. Many of the converts were brought together to lead a religious life under the Rule of St. Benedict. St. Willibrord, feeling the weight of his years, wished to make Boniface his assistant and successor in the See of Utrecht. Boniface refused, giving as his main reason that the pope had sent him for missionary work. He therefore left and continued his journeys throughout German territory, preaching and establishing Christian communities everywhere. Boniface kept a constant communication with the pope. He sent one of his disciples, Bynnan, with a letter to Gregory recounting his labors of the past years and asking for further directions. Bynnan promptly executed his commission and soon returned with the pope’s answer, expressing satisfaction with what had been done and a desire to confer with Boniface personally. Boniface accordingly set out for Rome. He was warmly welcomed by the pope, who questioned him carefully, made him take the usual oath of allegiance, received from him a profession of faith, and on 30 November, 722, consecrated him a regional bishop. Pope Gregory then sent Boniface back with letters to the Germanic people, demanding obedience for their new bishop. A letter was also addressed to Charles Martel asking his protection. Boniface himself had received a set of ecclesiastical canons for his guidance.
| 2b.
| Boniface returned to Germany and a short time later, he performed a very daring and symbolic gesture. To show the Germanic tribes how utterly powerless were the gods in whom they placed their confidence, Boniface felled the oak sacred to the thunder-god Thor, at Geismar, near Fritzlar. He had a chapel built out of the wood and dedicated it to the prince of the Apostles. The people were astonished that no thunderbolt from the hand of Thor destroyed the offender, and many were converted. The fall of this oak marked the fall of Germanic traditional religion and the reinforcement of Christianity. Nevertheless, the difficulties that confronted Boniface were very great. Christianity had indeed made great progress, but it had become mixed up with heretical tenets and pagan customs. This was due to a great extent to some Celtic missionaries, several of whom had never been ordained, while others had been raised to the priesthood by non-Catholic bishops, though all performed priestly functions. These taught doctrines and made use of ceremonies at variance with the teaching and use of the Roman Church, especially in regard to the celebration of Easter, the conferring of baptism, celibacy, the papal and episcopal authority. Besides, many were wanting in education, some scarcely able to read or write, and equally ready to hold services for the Christians and to offer sacrifices to the idols in pagan temples. All this caused Boniface great anxiety and suffering as may be seen from his letters to England. He overcame all, thanks to his episcopal dignity and to his own spirituality.
| 2c.
| Boniface never lacked the support of the people. Besides the support of the pope and of Charles Martel, Boniface had many friends among ordinary believers, who came from other parts of Europe and helped him not only by their prayers, but also by material aid. Many valuable books, ecclesiastical articles and the like were sent to him with words of encouragement. Numbers of laymen and laywomen went to Germany at different times to be his helpers. With these, and others recruited elsewhere in Germany, Boniface continued his labors. The number of the faithful increased wonderfully, including many of the nobility and the educated of the country. These assisted him in the building of churches and chapels. Boniface took care to have institutions in which religious life would be fostered. He built the first monastery for women and appointed pious women who had come to help him, Thecla, Lioba and Walburga as “abbess” in three different monasteries.
| 2d.
| Pope Gregory II died 11 February, 731, and was succeeded on 18 March by Gregory III. Boniface hastened to send a delegation to the new pontiff, to pay his respects and to assure him of his fidelity. The answer to this seems to be lost. In 732 Boniface wrote again and stated among other things that the work was becoming too much for one man. Gregory III congratulated him on his success and praised his zeal, in recognition sending him the pallium, and making him an archbishop, but still without a fixed see. He gave him instructions to appoint bishops wherever he thought it necessary.
| 2e.
| In 738 Boniface made his third journey to Rome, intending to resign his office and devote himself exclusively to the mission among the Saxons. He was accompanied by a number of his disciples, who were to see true Christian life in the centre of Christianity. Gregory III received him graciously and was rejoiced at the result of Boniface's labor, but would not allow him to resign. Boniface remained in Rome for about a year and then returned to his mission invested with the authority of a legate of the Holy See.
| 2f.
| One important feature of Boniface’s Church reform were the many national synods he convened in Germany. The first synod was held in 742 and many others followed. Church discipline was The main topic of these synods was to strengthen the faith of the faithful and the discipline of the Church: subjection of the clergy to the bishop of the diocese and forbidding the clergy to take any active part in wars, to carry arms, or to hunt. Very strict regulations were made against carnal sins on the part of priests and religious. The Rule of St. Benedict was made a norm for religious. Laws were also enacted concerning marriage within the forbidden degrees of kindred. Various synods condemned erroneous doctrines within the Church or unusual rituals, which were tainted with superstitions.
| 2g.
| In 747, Charles Martel’s first son Carloman withdrew from politics and became a monk. The second son Pepin was left the sole leader of the Franks. Both Pepin and the new pope Pope Stephen II continued to support Boniface’s mission in Germany.
Boniface spent the rest of his life in confirming what he had achieved in Germany. He did much for true religious life in the monasteries, especially at Fulda, which had been established under his supervision and into which Boniface returned yearly to train the monks and to spend some days in prayer and meditation. The monastery of Fulda was the spiritual symbol of Boniface.
| 2h.
| When Boniface saw that all things had been properly taken care of, he took up the work he had dreamed of in early youth: the conversion of the Frisians. With royal consent, and with that of the pope previously given, Boniface in 754 resigned from all ecclesiastical offices and again commenced a missionary tour, and labored with success among the Frisians. Returning in the following year, he ordered the new converts to assemble for confirmation at Dorkum on the River Borne. A group of Germanic tribals fell upon them and murdered Boniface and fifty-two companions. It was 5 June, 755. Soon afterwards, the Christians, who had scattered at the approach of the assailants, returned and found the body of the martyr and beside him the bloodstained copy of St. Ambrose on the “Advantage of Death”.
| 2i.
| The body was first taken to the Churches where Boniface had worked as a missionary. Later, according to a wish expressed by the saint himself during his lifetime, Boniface’s body was transferred to the Abbey of Fulda. His grave soon became a sanctuary, to which the faithful came in crowds especially on his feast day.
England is supposed to have been the first place where his martyrdom was celebrated on a fixed day. Other countries followed. On 11 June, 1874, Pope Pius IX extended the celebration to the entire world. Brewers, tailors, and file-cutters have chosen St. Boniface as their patron, also various cities in Germany.
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| 3.
| Conclusion
Boniface administering Baptism and being martyred.
(incicion from a liturgical book at Fulda monatery)
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Two characteristics stand out in St Boniface’s life: his Christian orthodoxy and his fidelity to the pope of Rome.
How absolutely necessary this orthodoxy and fidelity were is borne out by the conditions he found on his first missionary journey in 719 at the request of Pope Gregory II. Paganism was a way of life. The Christianity he found had either lapsed into paganism or was mixed with error and superstition. The clergy were mainly responsible for these latter conditions since they were in many instances uneducated, lax and questionably obedient to their bishops. In particular instances their very ordination was questionable.
These are the conditions that Boniface was to report in 722 on his first return visit to Rome. The pope instructed him to reform the German Church. The pope sent letters of recommendation to religious and civil leaders. Boniface later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human viewpoint, without a letter of safe-conduct from Charles Martel, the powerful Frankish ruler, grandfather of Charlemagne. Boniface was finally made a regional bishop and authorized to organize the whole German Church. He was eminently successful. In the Frankish kingdom, he met great problems because of lay interference in bishops’ elections, the worldliness of the clergy and lack of papal control.
During a final mission to the Frisians, he and 52 companions were massacred while he was preparing converts for Confirmation.
In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, he had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent. He introduced Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education.
3a.
| Boniface was a great missionary of the Germanic people and a great reformer of the Church in Germany. These two qualities, a fervent missionary “to the nations” and a determined reformer of the Church, were the driving forces of Boniface’s life, until his death. The manner of his martyrdom is very eloquent: he was murdered by a group of Germanic tribals while he was confirming the baptized. Boniface offered his ministry both to those who did not believe yet and to those who believed but did not live up to that faith.
| 3b.
| Boniface lived in a moment of deep transformation in European history. The Western Roman Empire was disappearing and new nations were emerging fighting among themselves for supremacy. Boniface carried out his mission among the Germanic people, under the protection of the powerful Franks:
first of Charles Martel, who although was in practice king of the Franks, never took the title, always believing that king is the one who rules not the one who has the title. His son Pepin kept the same political and religious line. He defended the Church, in which he saw a guarantee of European unity. Before his death, Boniface could see the rising of the new star Charlemagne (742-814), son of Pepin. Charlemagne was king of the Franks (768), then he conquered Italy (774) and finally in Rome was crowned “Imperator Romanorum” (emperor of the Romans). This extraordinary event took place in Rome on Christmas day in 800. Pope Leo III was presiding the solemn ceremony, which was presaging the revival of the Roman imperial tradition in the West in the form of the Holy Roman Empire.
By his foreign conquests and internal reforms, Charlemagne helped define Western Europe and the Middle Ages. Charlemagne, besides being a great political and military leader, was also a great promoter of art and religion. His rule is associated with the Carolingian Renaissance. Charlemagne continued the policy of his father towards the papacy and became its protector, removing the Lombards (ho were threatening the pope, from power in Italy, and waging war on the Saracens who menaced his realm in Spain. He also campaigned against the Saxons, whom he subjected to his rule and religion after a protracted war. By converting them to Christianity, he integrated them into his realm.
Today Charlemagne is regarded as the founding father of both France and Germany and sometimes is called father of Europe, as he was the first ruler of a united Western Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire. Boniface, and many other missionaries at that time, were sowing the seed of a new spiritual civilization, which would play a vital role in the history of mankind.
| 3c.
| We possess a rich collection of letters written by Boniface to the pope, to England, to friends etc, or written by the pope or other personalities to him. Through this correspondence, we can follow intimately the progress of his missionary work in Germany and understand those facets of his character which emerge most clearly in the execution of his plans. The more homely and affectionate side of his nature appears in his letters to nuns and other lay helpers. His preoccupation with the education of his disciples and faithful are clearly stated in his letters to abbots and bishops in England; while the difficulties of conversion, of organization, of church reform and many other matters are the subject of his letters to the Popes. Nowhere else in this period do we find so vivid a picture of the discouraging conditions amongst which the missionaries laboured and died. But in spite of the moral degradation of the Frankish clergy whom he strove to reform, in spite also of the poverty, dangers, ostracism and opposition which he met, there is no echo in these letters of discouragement, self-pity or weariness. We see him forging patiently and with complete confidence the instruments by which Europe was to be converted-the establishment of convents and monasteries, the foundation of bishoprics, centres of education and schools, submitting all to the ever-watchful guidance of the Popes, to whose devoted and constant service he had pledged himself at the outset of his missionary career. Other writings of St. Boniface which have been preserved are: “Poems and Riddles”, “Poenitentiale”, “Compendium of the Latin Language”, “Compendium of Latin Prosody”. |
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