Ancient Testimonies to Presbyterial Succession

A Chat GPT Translation of The Life of St. Willehad and St. Liudgeri

For the first time, I wanted to provide an English translation of some of the relevant evidence Arthur Piepkorn cites that presbyterial succession was an accepted mode of succession in the early church.

Section 5 of “the life of St. Willehad” read as follows:

Post haec vero gloriosissimus Francorum rex Karolus, qui iam multocienes in gente Saxonum elaboraverat, quo ad fidem christianae religionis converterentur — illi adversi semper cordis suscipiam fidem saepe descerentes, pristinis magis implicabantur erroribus — audita fama viri Dei, ad se venire accelerari praecepit. Quem ut ad se venientem honorifice ac reverenter suscipiens, eius cohabulationi ab eo cum gratanter lubenter animam attendebat, probatumque sanctis moribus ac fidei non fictae constantia, misit in partes Saxoniae ad pagum qui dicitur Wigmodia, quo initia absit cottidie regali et ecclesias instrueret, et populis doctrinam sanctae praedicationis pandere inciperet, atque viam salutis aeternae liberet cunctis illius habitantibus nunciater. Quod ille ministerium devote susceptum officiosissime peregit, ac pertinaciam cunctam in circuitu diocesim, multos ad fidem Christi evangelizandum convertit, ita ut in secundo anno tam Saxones quam et Fresones in circuitu commorantes, omnes se pariter fidem promittere christiano. Hoc itaque factum est anno incarnationis Domini 781ᵒ, regni vero memoriali principis Karoli 14ᵒ, qui tamen necdum imperiali fuerat apice sublimatus. Postea rex per manus reverentissimi Leonis apostolici imperatorem Romae consecratum anno regni eius 34ᵒ catholicæ Europae consistens Christi venerata partem et gratulabunda suscepit ecclesia. Siquidem imperialis potestas, quae post Constantinum piumissimum augustum apud Graecos in Constantinopolitana hactenus residebat sede, cum deficientibus iam ibi viris regalis prosapiae, feminae magis administrarent rem publicam, imperatoribus ipsis per electionem Romani populi et maxima episcoporum auctoritate Dei servorum conlocis, ad Francorum translata est in dominium; quoniam ipse et de eadem supra caput imperii fuerat, et multas alias provincias pro Deo videbatur tenere provincias; ob quod ut iter caesareae dignitatis esset appellatus. Praefato itaque regni eius tempore, servus Dei Willehadus per Wigmodiam circumquaque circulos conscendere et presbyteros super eas ordinare, qui liberis populis monitae salutis, ac baptismi conferrent gratiam.

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English Translation:

After this, the most glorious king of the Franks, Charles (Charlemagne), who had already labored many times among the Saxons to convert them to the Christian faith—though they often rebelled with stubborn hearts and returned to their former errors—heard of the reputation of the man of God (Wilheald), and ordered that he be quickly brought to him. When Wilheald came, Charles received him with honor and reverence. Recognizing his proven sanctity, steadfastness of faith, and genuine constancy, he sent him into the region of Saxony, to a place called Wigmodia, to begin founding churches daily under royal authority and to teach the people the doctrine of sacred preaching, so that he might open to them the path of eternal salvation.

This ministry, which Wilheald received with devotion, he diligently fulfilled, evangelizing many in the surrounding diocese and converting them to the faith of Christ. By the second year, both Saxons and Frisians dwelling in the surrounding regions had all alike professed the Christian faith. This occurred in the year of our Lord’s Incarnation 781, in the 14th year of King Charles’s reign, although he had not yet been elevated to imperial rank.

Later, the king was consecrated emperor in Rome by the hands of the most reverend apostolic Leo, in the 34th year of his reign. The Church, venerating Christ throughout Catholic Europe, received him with honor and joy. Indeed, the imperial power, which had resided since the time of the most devout emperor Constantine in Constantinople among the Greeks, was at that time transferred to the dominion of the Franks—since, with no royal heirs remaining there, women had begun to administer the empire. Thus, the Roman people, with the highest authority of bishops, placed the imperial title upon Charles, because he ruled the lands more justly and seemed to be governing many provinces for God. Hence he was called by the title of imperial majesty.

During this time of his reign, the servant of God, Wilheald, traveled throughout the territory of Wigmodia, ordaining priests over various districts, so that they might preach the message of salvation to the free peoples and confer the grace of baptism.

Now, so far, one might argue that Willehad only ordained presbyters during the imperial rule of Charles, which happened in his 34th year. However, the biography makes it clear that this wasn’t what was going on. Willehad was operative at the beginning in 781, and we find that he was only ordained a bishop in 787. Section 6 picks up with the words “ the next year”, which means its statements about Willehad were situated within 781. Hence, it was not the case that Willehad waited until after 787 until he ordained priests, but did so already.

This makes good sense of his life. Hence, in section 8, we read:

Post haec autem iterum venerandus Domini sacerdos Willehadus regem adiit Karolum, qui tunc forte in castello consederat Saxoniae Eresburh, praeponens voluntatis suae devotissimam in praeparatione evangelii pacis affectionem, atque ipsum in hoc aequissimam requirens praeceptionem. Qui pro consolatione laboris ac praesidio subsequenter eius, dedit ei in beneficium quandam cellam in Francia quae appellatur Iustina, praecepitque ei, ut iterum pro nomine Christi coeptam repeteret parrochiam. Quod ille gratanter ac religiose suscipiens, rursus venit Wigmodiam, et fidem Domini publice ac strenue gentibus praedicabat. Ecclesias quoque destructas restauravit, probatasque personas qui populis monita salutis darent, singulis quibusque locis praeesse disposuit. Sicque ipso anno, divino ordinante instinctu, gens Saxonum fidem christianitatis quam amiserat denuo recepit. Sed et totius illi mali auctor, incorrigenter perfidiae Widukindus, eodem anno regi se subdens Karolo, baptismi est gratia consecratus. Sicque ad tempus sedata sunt mala, quae illius fuerant ingesta pernitie.

Post haec vero cum omnia pacifica viderentur, et sub leni iugo Christi Saxonum ferocia licet coacta iam mitiscerent colla, memoratus praeexcellentissimus princeps in Wormatia positus civitate, servum Dei Willehadum consecrari fecit episcopum, tertio Idus Iulii, constituitque eum pastorem atque rectorem super Wigmodia, et Laras, et Riustri, et Asterga, necnon Nordendi, ac Wanga, ut inibi auctoritate episcopali et praeeset populis, et uti coeperat doctrina salutari operibusque eximiis, speculator desuper intentus, prodesse studeret. Sicque ipse primus in eadem dioecesi sedem obtinuit pontificalem. Quod tamen ob id tam diu prolongatum fuerat, quia gens credulitati divinae resistens, cum presbyteros aliquoties secum manere vix compulsa sineret, episcopali auctoritate primine regi paebatur. Hac itaque causa, septem annis prius in eadem presbyter est demoratus parrochiam, vocatus tamen episcopus, et secundum quod poterat cuncta potestate praesidentis ordinans. Percepta vero consecratione pontificali, coepit in omnibus etiam devotius se agere, et virtutum studia quae prius exercuerat, multiplicius augmentando cumularet.

After this, the venerable priest of the Lord, Willehad, again approached King Charles, who was then staying in a fortress in Saxony called Eresburh. Willehad expressed the most devout desire of his will to prepare the gospel of peace, and sought the king’s most just command in this matter. To console his labors and support his ongoing ministry, Charles granted him a certain cell in Francia as a benefice, called Iustina, and instructed him to return again to the parish he had begun for the name of Christ.

Willehad received this order gratefully and devoutly, and returned once again to Wigmodia, where he publicly and energetically preached the faith of the Lord to the peoples. He also restored destroyed churches and appointed approved men to lead in each locality, that they might offer the people guidance in salvation. And thus, in that very year, under divine direction, the Saxon people once again received the Christian faith they had previously rejected. Even Widukind, the unrepentant instigator of all that evil, submitted to King Charles in that same year and was baptized, receiving the grace of consecration. So the evils brought about by his rebellion were, for a time, calmed.

Later, when all seemed peaceful, and the fierceness of the Saxons—though previously subdued by force—had begun to yield under the gentle yoke of Christ, the aforementioned most noble prince, then residing in the city of Worms, had the servant of God Willehad consecrated bishop on the third day before the Ides of July. He appointed him as pastor and overseer over Wigmodia, as well as over Laras, Rüstringen, Asterga, Nordendi, and Wanga. There, with episcopal authority, he was to govern the people and continue—as he had already begun—to assist them with sound teaching and excellent works, acting as a vigilant shepherd.

Thus Willehad became the first to hold episcopal office in that diocese. This had previously been delayed for some time, since the people, resisting divine faith, had scarcely permitted priests to remain among them, even under compulsion; as a result, ecclesiastical authority was initially placed under the control of the king. For this reason, Willehad had already remained for seven years as a presbyter in that parish, being called a bishop, and exercising all the power of governance that he could. But once he received episcopal consecration, he began to act with even greater devotion in all things, multiplying and increasing the works of virtue he had previously practiced.

Hence, part of Willehad exercising governance in the absence of a bishop involved “appointing approved men to lead” having returned again to Wigmodia. This, as we saw from section 5, involved ordaining presbyters.

In the Life of St. Liudgeri, we read the following narrative:

Interea, per dispositionem misericordis Dei, Saxones conversi sunt ad Dominum, et rex Karolus eundem virum Dei Liutgerum pastorem in occidentali parte Saxonum constituit. Cuius parrochiae sedes est principalis in pago Sudergoe, in loco cuius vocabulum est Mimigerneford, ubi Domino ipse honestum construxit monasterium sub regula canonica Domino famulantium. Itaque, more solito, cum omni aviditate et sollicitudine rudibus Saxonum populis studebat in doctrina prodesse, erutisque idolatriae spinis, verbum Dei diligenter per loca singula serere, ecclesias construere, et per eas singulos ordinare presbyteros, quos verbi Dei cooperatores sibi ipsi nutriverat. Cupiebat igitur in coepto evangelizandi opere multis subvenire gentibus, sed tamen pontificalem gradum humiliter declinare; idcirco suos frequenter petiit alumnos, ut aliquis ex eis pro eo episcopalem susciperet ordinem. Cui cum Hildibaldus episcopus persuaderet, ut episcopus ordinari debuisset, illud apostolicum ei respondit, dicens: “Oportet episcopum irreprehensibilem esse.” At ille, ut erat humilis et viro Dei amicissimus, cum gemitu dixit hoc in se minime fuisse completum. Tandem consensu omnium superatus, et magis Dei dispositione coactus, acquievit, ne plurimorum consilio, immo Dei voluntati, contrarius esse videretur.

And so, as was his custom, with great zeal and care, he labored to benefit the unlearned Saxon people through teaching. Uprooting the thorns of idolatry, he diligently sowed the word of God in every place, built churches, and in them ordained individual priests whom he himself had raised up as co-workers in the word of God. Therefore, he longed to assist many peoples through his evangelizing efforts, yet he humbly sought to avoid episcopal rank. For this reason, he frequently asked his disciples that one of them might take on the episcopal office in his place.

When Bishop Hildibald urged him that he ought to be ordained bishop, he replied with the apostolic saying: “A bishop must be irreproachable.” But, being humble and a dear friend of God, he said with a sigh that this had not been fulfilled in him. At last, overwhelmed by the agreement of all—and more so compelled by God’s will—he consented, lest he be seen as resisting not only the counsel of many, but indeed the will of God.

Note that no one says the ordinations Liudgeri performed were invalid. That doesn’t even come into anyone’s mind.

What we have, then, is a clear snapshot of the fact that presbyterial ordinations were not de facto considered invalid. And hence, any claim to apostolic succession that requires a strict line of Bishops risks affirming that almost none of us have valid orders, since we cannot prove such a thing—especially since presbyterial ordinations were considered valid at this time.