This document provides the conclusion of a Master's thesis about St. Boniface's mission to Rome and relationship with the papacy in the 8th century. It summarizes that Boniface held many titles over his lifetime reflecting his accomplishments, including his ethnicity as an Anglo-Saxon and his vocation as a missionary. These two factors of being an Anglo-Saxon and a missionary were integral to allowing him to achieve so much, including spreading Christianity across Germany and organizing the church.

1. Daniela
Szary
The
following
is
the
Conclusion
portion
of
my
Master
in
Philosophy
in
Medieval
History
thesis
from
Trinity
College
Dublin
Ireland,
2009,
entitled
“St.
Boniface’s
Mission
to
Rome:
His
Relationship
to
the
Papacy
in
the
Eighth
Century”.
Conclusion
When
studying
the
experiences,
accomplishments
and
relationships
that
made
up
the
life
of
Boniface,
it
becomes
increasingly
clear
that
he
was
a
man
distinguished
by
many
different
titles.
These
titles
attributed
to
him
during
his
life
and
after
his
life
included
everything
from
his
ethnicity
to
his
profession:
he
was
an
Anglo-­‐Saxon,
a
monk,
a
priest,
a
teacher,
a
missionary,
a
bishop,
an
archbishop,
a
church
organizer
and
reformer,
and
finally
a
martyr
and
a
saint.
These
were
the
titles
attributed
to
his
medieval
identity
and
although
some
of
these
titles
are
considered
obvious
–
as
an
Anglo-­‐Saxon
and
a
monk,
it
was
his
relentless
desire
to
become
a
missionary
on
the
European
continent
that
ultimately
exhilarated
him
to
subsequently
earn
the
more
prestigious
titles
of
bishop,
followed
by
archbishop,
church
organizer
and
reformer,
and
finally
–
albeit
unintentionally,
though
respective
to
his
achievements
and
experiences,
a
martyr
and
canonized
saint.
Most
of
these
titles;
however,
were
ascribed
to
him
either
during,
or
shortly
after,
he
was
alive
and
although
these
titles
are
still
important
and
prominent
designations
that
will
always
be
a
part
of
his
identity,
historians
throughout
the
twentieth
century
have
gifted
Boniface
with
countless
other
titles
in
recognition
of
his
other
evangelical
and
professional
achievements
and
experiences.
According
to
Addison,
Boniface
was
“the
greatest
of
all
medieval
missionaries”,
Fletcher
refers
to
him
as
“the
apostle
of
Germany”,
George
Greenway
recognizes
him
as
“a
man
of
letters”,
Mayr-­‐Harting
thinks
of
Boniface
as
“a
mirror
of
English
history”
and
according
to
Timothy
Reuter
and
the
title
of
his
work,
Boniface
was
“The
Greatest
Englishman”.
To
each
of
these
titles
historians
have
given
reasonable
arguments
as
to
why
they
feel
Boniface
has
earned
them.
Yet,
while
each
title
essentially
influences
one
to
perceive
Boniface
from
one
particular
perspective
–
either
as
a
man
of
letters,
an
apostle
of
Germany,
or
the
greatest
medieval
missionary
based
solely
on
his
achievements,
the
most
basic
and
simplistic
title
attributed
to
Boniface
that
is
often
overlooked
specifically
because
of
it
is
so
evidently
obvious,
is
the
title
of
his
ethnicity
combined
with
the
title
of
his
vocation,
“Boniface,
Anglo-­‐Saxon
Missionary”.
Although
certainly
apparent,
the
simplicity
of
this
title
focuses
precisely
on
the
two
distinct
features
and
reasons
why
Boniface
was
able
to
achieve
so
much
in
his
life,
go
on
to
earn
other
titles
and
designations,
and
finally,
be
awarded
a
variety
of
other
prestigious
designations
thousands
of
years
later
by
twentieth
century
historians.
When
studying
the
life
of
Boniface
in
regard
to
the
relationships
he
had,
the
decisions
he
made,
and
the
ways
in
which
he
chose
to
act,
it
cannot
be
stressed
enough
that
his
lifestyle
on
the
European
continent
reflected
the
spirit,
faith
and
temper
of
his
Anglo-­‐Saxon
race
and
upbringing.
According
to
Addison,
as
an
Anglo-­‐Saxon,
Boniface
shared
with
his
people
that
same
spirit
for
adventure
and
eagerness
to
overcome
difficulties.
If
Boniface
wanted
to
remain
a
monk,
he
would
have
never
left
Exeter,
but
his
vigorous
manhood
inspired
by
the
culture
of
his
people
demanded
a
strenuous
life
and
his
desire
to
spread
the
Gospel
abroad
overcame
all
of
his
other
longings
and
ambitions.
Nor
was
his
firm
resolution
deflected
by
the
failure
of
his
first
attempt
when
he
went
to
the
continent
landing
in
Frisia
in
716
at
a
time
of
insurrection
against
the
Frankish
domination
and
of
the
persecution
of
Christianity,
and
forced
to
return
to
England.
More
than
that,
the
custom
of
his
time
and
the
habits
of
its
thought
made
it
natural
that
he
would
find
an
outlet
for
his
active
religious
devotion
in
distant
and
dangerous
parts,
where
in
conformity
with
the
monastic
ideal,
he
could
literally
and
physically
forsake
his
friends,

2. relatives
and
country
for
the
sake
of
the
Lord.
The
only
natural
outlet
to
satisfy
this
need
was
to
take
up
the
lifestyle
of
a
missionary.
While
other
influential
Anglo-­‐Saxons
such
as
Wilifrid
or
Willibrord
where
embarking
on
similar
journeys,
Boniface
enthusiastically
craved
to
do
the
same.
There
is
evidence
from
Boniface’s
career
as
a
monk
in
England
that
he
was
stirred
from
beginning
to
end
by
the
passionate
longing
to
win
pagans
to
the
knowledge
of
Christ
and
bring
them
into
His
church.
In
the
words
of
Addison,
“…the
pursuit
of
this
enterprise
was
not
incidental
for
Boniface,
it
was
central”
for
it
was
typical
of
the
Anglo-­‐Saxon
spirit
to
venture
into
the
unknown
without
fear.
The
venerable
Bede
notes
that
this
evangelical
behaviour
was
common
amongst
the
English
of
this
period.
Bede
reveals
that
the
Britons
had
never
preached
the
Gospel
to
the
English
who
came
to
live
amongst
them.
The
English,
on
the
other
hand,
as
soon
as
they
received
the
Good
Word
were
anxious
to
share
the
gift
with
others
–
a
feature
typical
of
the
English
race.
In
the
words
of
Frank
Barlow,
“It
is
no
belittlement
to
Boniface
to
say
that
he
was
very
much
a
man
of
his
time,
for
they
were,
after
all,
glorious
times”.
Bede
thought
that
the
age
of
Theodore
and
Hadrian,
in
which
Boniface
spent
his
youth,
was
a
golden
age.
“Never,”
he
wrote,
“had
there
been
such
happy
times
since
the
English
first
came
to
Britain:
with
brave
Christian
kings,
they
were
a
terror
to
all
the
barbarian
nations;
the
hopes
of
all
men
were
set
on
the
joys
of
the
heavenly
kingdom
of
which
they
had
only
recently
heard;
and
all
who
wished
to
be
instructed
in
the
Holy
Writ
had
teachers
ready
at
hand”.
Anglo-­‐Saxons,
a
race
culturally
identified
as
a
brave
and
warring
people
with
kings
remembered
as
fearless
Christians
and
terrors
to
all
the
barbarian
nations
to
look
back
to
as
inspiration;
it
is
no
wonder
why
the
spirit
to
evangelize
the
continent
and
to
be
a
warrior
–
not
of
the
sword,
but
of
faith
was
so
strong
in
Boniface.
It
was
in
his
blood,
it
was
in
his
nature.
The
chance
to
preach
the
Good
News
to
the
continental
heathens
was
an
opportunity
too
important
to
miss
and
so,
in
718,
Boniface
left
England
to
pursue
his
dream
as
a
missionary
for
Christ
with
relentless
determination.
Boniface
was
quite
conscious
of
what
he
left
behind
in
England,
the
life
of
a
pilgrim
was
a
self-­‐chosen
exile
by
him
and
to
help
cope,
he
sometimes
referred
to
himself
in
Latin
as
exul-­‐Germanicus.
Through
this
self-­‐ascribed
reference,
Boniface
ensured
that
he
never
forgot
where
he
came
from
nor
lost
touch
with
England,
the
native
country
that
raised
him.
He
wrote
to
his
English
friends
constantly
and
grateful
to
the
high
standing
and
reputation
he
had
earned
in
England
before
his
departure,
he
was
able
to
call
upon
aid
from
home
with
confidence
and
success.
His
compatriots
joined
him
overseas
in
his
work
and
with
his
English
companions
surrounding
him,
an
English
colony
in
Germany
began
to
grow
and
rudiments
of
ancient
civilization
which
had
been
brought
to
England
directly
from
the
Mediterranean
with
Christianity,
now,
came
back
to
the
continent.
When
Boniface
arrived
on
the
continent
he
also
brought
with
him
the
other
aspect
of
his
identity,
the
special
faith
shared
amongst
the
Anglo-­‐Saxons.
Like
all
other
Anglo-­‐Saxons
from
this
time,
the
highly
influential
cult
of
St.
Peter
was
most
dominant
in
England
and
consequently,
Boniface
like
other
Anglo-­‐
Saxons,
considered
the
pope
as
truly
being
the
heir
and
representative
of
St.
Peter.
As
Johannes
Haller
notes,
“the
pope
was
not
just
the
chief
among
the
judge
of
his
fellow
bishops,
but
the
guarantor
and
mediator
of
temporal
and
eternal
salvation
for
all.”
No
other
bishop
could
compete
with
this
fullness
of
power;
the
pope
in
Rome
was,
with
his
unlimited
power
over
all
souls
from
the
beggar
to
the
king,
the
lord
of
Christendom.
When
Boniface
sought
papal-­‐benediction
in
718,
he
brought
this
belief
with
him
to
the
continent,
a
belief
based
entirely
on
the
special
relationship
Anglo-­‐Saxons
had
with
St.
Peter.
This
understanding
of
St.
Peter
was
central
to
the
Anglo-­‐Saxons,
for
all
the
English
missionaries
during
this
period
who
travelled
to
Rome
were
not
thinking
of
the
authority
of
the
papacy,
but
of
St.
Peter.
The
hands
that
blessed
Boniface
and
sent
him
on
his
mission
in
719
might
be
the
hands
of
Pope
Gregory
II,
but
the
blessing
was
that
of
St.
Peter’s.
Even
Boniface’s
biographer
describes
Boniface’s
journey
to

3. Rome
as
one
directed
to
the
Church
of
St.
Peter;
“Afterwards
they
went
with
deep
joy
to
the
Church
of
St.
Peter,
chief
of
the
Apostles,
and
many
of
them
offered
up
gifts,
begging
absolution
for
their
sins.”
After
receiving
papal-­‐benediction,
Boniface
continued
to
conduct
himself
as
representative
not
of
the
pope,
but
of
Peter.
When
he
preached
to
the
pagans
he
encountered,
he
preached
with
the
authority
of
Peter.
When
he
wrote
to
Rome
asking
for
advice
in
his
work,
the
advice
he
received
was
not
of
Pope
Gregory’s
or
his
successor,
Pope
Zacharias’
but
of
St.
Peter’s.
The
commands
which
Boniface
promised
to
obey
in
Germany
were
those
of
Peter
himself,
and
the
oath
which
he
took
was
taken
directly
“to
you
St.
Peter
and
to
your
vicar.”
Even
the
pallium
which
he
and
the
other
archbishops
received
as
a
sign
of
their
authority
had
lain
on
the
tomb
of
St.
Peter
and
brought
with
it
the
touch
of
the
Apostles.
Like
any
other
Anglo-­‐Saxon
from
this
period,
this
understanding
and
respect
for
the
pope,
Rome
and
Peter
was
central
to
Boniface’s
faith
and
was
reflected
in
every
decision
he
made.
Whether
or
not
Boniface
was
the
greatest
medieval
missionary,
or
a
man
remembered
as
being
great
solely
because
of
the
countless
letters
he
wrote
during
a
time
of
vast
illiteracy,
Boniface
was,
above
everything
else,
a
perfect
example
of
English
spirituality
and
a
man
who
shared
the
temper
and
faith
of
his
race.
He
was
not
a
man
of
new
ideas,
but
of
firm
belief,
of
enterprise
and
action.
He
was
convinced
of
the
truth
of
his
faith
as
the
basis
of
salvation
and
impelled
by
the
desire
to
communicate
this
light
to
others
who
were
still
in
pagan
darkness.
His
life
on
the
continent
forever
personified
the
characteristics
of
his
race
and
his
choices
were
inescapably
influenced
by
the
lifestyle
and
experiences
he
received
at
home
in
England
during
the
seventh
and
eighth
centuries.
From
the
stories
he
heard,
to
the
special
Christian
traditions
alive
in
the
English
Church,
to
the
subjects
he
studied
in
his
monasteries
in
England,
Boniface’s
actions
reflected
the
spirituality
and
faith
of
his
people.
The
fact
that
he
continually
kept
a
very
close
connection
with
his
native
country
through
constant
correspondences,
or
how
he
gathered
a
following
of
Englishmen
and
women
to
create
a
strong
English
colony
in
Germany,
reveals
the
character
of
a
man
who
enjoyed
the
company
and
familiarity
of
his
own
people.
By
maintaining
close
contact
with
England,
or
surrounding
himself
with
English
clerics,
monks
or
nuns,
Boniface’s
decisions
would
continue
to
be
influenced
by
the
character
of
his
race.
If
we
are
to
appreciate
Boniface
as
being
one
of
the
greatest
medieval
missionaries,
then
we
must
appreciate
Boniface
as
being
an
Anglo-­‐Saxon
first,
and
a
missionary
second,
whose
actions
and
achievements
on
the
European
continent
were
influenced
and
reflective
of
the
society
that
raised
him,
England.