Michael Contained: The Carolingian Cultus
John Charles Arnold
On October 25, 745, Pope Zacharias (r. 741–752) met in Rome with seven bishops and seventeen priests to consider the case of a “false priest,” “heretic,” “schismatic,” “pseudo-prophet” named Aldebert. The “Apostle Germans” St. Boniface (c. 670–754) had furnished Synod 745 dossier materials establish guilt this problematic “Gaulish” bishop. In lengthy cover letter read before synod incorporated within its preserved protocol, accused Aldebert, among other things, possessing “sacrilegious prayer” (oratio sacrilegia) that “conjured” (coniuro) angels Uriel, Raguel, Tubuel, Michael, Adinus, Tubuas, Sabaoc, Simiel. Hearing invocation seemingly fantastical names, members cried out great consternation that, aside from were fact “demons” whom Aldebert “admitted” “under pretext angels.” pronounced anathema on ordered his writings burned, declared angelic names Gabriel, Raphael only ones be known by “divine (i e., scriptural) authority.” To utter nonscriptural allowed for covert introduction demons thus constituted extremely dangerous crime sacrilege.1
Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks