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An ornamental headpiece depicts a central floral arrangement in a basket, flanked by scrolling vines, leaves, and various fruits or flowers in symmetrical baskets on the sides.

Abbreviated Statement of Facts

Regarding the Cause of Abbot ANSELM of the Monastery of Saint Michael near Bamberg, of the Order of Saint Benedict, Concerning Spiritual Matters.

a

See Letters A & C.

Letters F, G, H.

Letters L, M, N, O, P.

See Letters D & E.

No. I.

No. L.

The Imperial Abbey of Saint Michael, along with the Bishopric of Bamberg itself, venerates the same founder: Saint Henry, who was elected from Duke of Bavaria to King of Germany, and later crowned Emperor at Rome by the Supreme Pontiff BENEDICT VIII. Saint Henry deserved much from the universal Church, the Roman Church in particular, and the entire Roman Empire. Around the year of Christ 1015, he committed this newly founded abbey to the care of noble and proven Benedictine Fathers of the Congregation of Cluny, who lived under a stricter observance. He intended it to be entirely independent of the jurisdiction of the Most High Bishop of Bamberg, and free in both spiritual and temporal matters. This same abbey was further protected by the special guardianship not only of Saint Peter, but also of the Roman Emperors, up to and including Charles VI. Indeed, out of veneration and grateful recognition of their holy Emperor, they considered it the greatest wickedness to disturb such a holy foundation of their own founder, even in a small way. Instead, they labored zealously, seizing every opportunity to preserve it stably in its flourishing state. Prominent in this zeal was Saint Otto, born Count of Andechs in Bavaria, the eighth Bishop of Bamberg and Apostle of the Pomeranians. Through his apostolic work, and through the noble Bavarian Abbot Wolfram, the collapsed discipline was happily restored. Through his singular munificence, the buildings and the church itself, which had been much ruined by an earthquake, were rebuilt. Furthermore, this holy bishop incorporated and donated to the aforementioned abbey the Provostry of Saint Faith, which he had founded from his own goods on monastery land for seven Benedictine priests and two lay brothers, in honor of the Lord and Saint Faith, Virgin and Martyr. In a word, the entire Angelic Mountain of Monks was so laden with benefits by Saint Otto that he is rightly and deservedly proclaimed a second, secondary founder. Yet, he did not on this account claim any jurisdiction over the abbey or its daughter, the Provostry of Saint Faith, for himself or his successors, the Bishops. The monastery remained, as it had been before, immediately subject to the Holy See, and an annual tribute of two hundred florins was paid to the Apostolic Chamber. See Abbot Tamburinus in his Catalog of Immediate Monasteries. Elected abbots also received their confirmation from the Holy See until the year 1463. Around that time, with the vigorous cooperation of the Most High Bishop of Bamberg, George of Schaumberg, the Imperial Abbey was incorporated into the Bursfelde Congregation. This was done primarily so that, for the sake of preserving the abbey forever, the restored discipline could be more easily maintained in its flourishing state. Thus, the Abbey of Saint Michael remained exempt from the year of its foundation, 1015, until the year 1675, that is, for seven hundred years without any interruption.

Who would believe it possible that this exemption, so firmly established in law and possession, could be called into question or thoroughly subverted by anyone, especially by the Most High Bishops of Bamberg? Nevertheless, it was done. And such an illustrious abbey, during those troubled times that plunged all of Germany into a most miserable state, was even