Patriarch John of Aquileia writes to Lombard King Agilulf, complaining that the ill-ordained Candidianus was consecrated as the bishop of Grado by the three Istrian bishops who were violently forced to do so by the “Greeks” (the Romans, that is, the Byzantines), and he beseeches the king not to allow such consecrations to continue following Candidianus' death.
Qualis autem unitas dicitur facta, ubi spata, ubi claustra carcerum, ubi flagella fustium, et ubi longa exsilia crudeliumque pęnarum discrimina parabantur? Et miseri sufraganei ęcclesię nostrę, scilicet espiscopi Histrię, cum summa vi et necessitate a Gradensi castro Ravennam compulsione districtissima ducebantur Grecorum, necnon inibi loquendi licentia negabatur. Atque Candidianus inutilis, qui se ob sui sceleris immanitatem praefatę sanctę recordationis a domno Severo decessori nostro sub anathematis interpositione obligatus est, ne ad potiorem gradum umquam accederet, quoniam ad se eique corde faventibus in predicto Gradensi castro, adulterium matri Ęcclesię improbe ingerens, ordinatur episcopus. Et Petrus, Providentius seu Agnellus, episcopi Histrię qui adhuc fidem sanctam tenebant et Candidiano necdum consentiebant, de ęcclesiis suis a militibus tracti et cum gravi iniuria et contumeliis ad eum venire compulsi sunt. Sia enim recte ei consentientes essent, voluntarie illi consentire debuerant, non autem per vim.b
Laborate et agite, quatinus et fides catholica vestris augeatur temporibus et in Gradensi castro, postquam infelix Candidianus de hoc seculo ad ęterna supplicia transmigravit, altera iniqua ordinatio ibi minime celebretur nec populus ille amplius tribuletur. Et vere, si hoc, Domino auxiliante, egeritis, quod primum est: Christus Deus pietati vestrę erit bonorum omnium retributor.
a) ex sic corr. B. b) seq. et post pauca sic add. B.
Cf. the transcript of the Synod of Mantua of 827.
The response of the Lombard-backed patriarch of Aquileia at the news of a competing, Byzantine-backed patriarch of the same ecclesiastical province being ordained. See this document for more information.
Published here.