FRANZELIN
242
FRANZELIN
abolished the Duchy of Alamannia. They also under-
took the great work of reforming the Prankish Church,
into which several generations of civil wars had in-
troduced great disorders. National councils convoked,
by their efforts, in Austrasia (at Estinnes, or Lestinnes)
and Neustria (at Soissons) the work of which was
completed by a large council attended by the bishops
of both coimtries, were largely instrumental in restor-
ing order and discipline in the Church, in eliminating
abuses and in rooting out superstition. St. Boniface,
the soul of this great work, after having, to some ex-
tent, created the Church of Germany, had also the
glory of regenerating the Prankish Church. While
deeply absorbed in this twofold task of defending the
kingdom and reforming the Church, the two brothers
thought of reinstating a Merovingian king (743), al-
though for six years the nation had existed without
one. It would seem that they were led to do this by
the necessity of removing one of the objections that
could be made to their authority, at a time when it
was assailed on all sides and when they were treated
as usurpers. Under these circumstances they placed
upon the throne Childeric III, the last Merovingian
king.
When the task common to both brothers was nearly accomplished, Carloman, yielding to the inclination he had always felt for the religious life, relinquished all his states in favour of Pepin and retired to a cloister on Mt. Soracte near Rome (7-17). Pepin, who thus remained alone at the head of the vast Prankish mon- archy, reaped all the fruit of their combined labours. It was easy for him to subdue a last revolt by Grifon, who perished in Italy. Afterwards he enjoyed a few years of peace, a rare privilege in those stormy times. Having now become undisputed master of the greatest nation of Europe, and confident of being able to trans- mit intact to his sons the power he had received from his father, Pepin considered the question whether the time had not come to assume the name to which his sovereign authority entitled him. Such a step could hardly be objected to when he was virtually king. Since the Merovingian who occupied the throne was there only at Pepin's will, it was surely Pepin's priv- ilege to remove him. Einhard describes the character of the royalty of the last Merovingians whom the princes of Pepin's family tolerated or replaced upon the throne. "This king to whom nothing royal had been left save the title of king, sat upon the throne and, with long hair and unkempt beard, played the part of master. He gave audience to the ambassadors who came from various countries and issued replies that had been dictated to him, as if coming from him- self. In reality, outside of a hollow name and a doubt- ful pension paid him at the will of the mayor of the palace, he had nothing for his own save a small farm yielding a meagre income, and here he lived with a small number of serfs. When he went out, he rode in an ox-cart driven by a rustic driver. In this vehicle he annually attended the Champs de Mai. The mayor of the palace alone controlled public affairs." This description, it is true, is somewhat of a caricature, and there is evidence in public charters that the position of the Merovingian kings was not as insecure as Ein- hard says. Nevertheless, it expresses well the marked contrast between the humiliating position of the king and the exalted, powerful standing of the mayor of the palace. It ran be understood, therefore, that in 751, Pepin and the Prankish nobles might well discuss the question as to whether he should assume the kingly crown. The question had a moral side, namely, whether it was lawful to assume a title which seemed to belong to another. It was decided to appeal for a solution to the sovereign pontiff, recognized by all as the custodian and interpreter of the moral law. A Prankish embassy left for Rome and submitted the question to Pope Zachary. The hitter's reply was given in the form of a declaration of principles admir-
ably embodying Catholic doctrine on this important
point: ut melius esset", said the pope, "ilium regem
vocari, qui potestatem haberet, quam ilium qui sine
regali potestate maneret" [it were better for him to be
called king who holds the power than the one who re-
mains (king in name) without the regal power]. Re-
assured by this decision, Pepin hesitTated no longer,
and had himself proclaimed king at Soissons in 751.
Childeric III was sent to end his days in a cloister.
The nature of the authority with which Pepin was in-
vested was emphasized for the first time among the
Franks, by the coronation ceremony, which imparted a
religious nature to his power and imprinted upon him
a sacred character. It has been said, but without proof,
that St. Boniface attended the coronation. In this
way, after having exercised the royal power almost
uninterruptedly for over a century, the descendants of
Arnulf and Pepin finally assumed the title of sover-
eignty, and the Carlovingian dynasty replaced that of
the Merovingians on the Prankish throne.
Gregory of Todrs, Hisloria Francorum (53S-94); the seventh-century chronicle attributed to a certain Frkdegarius, and its eighth-century continuation: these, with the LibeT His- toriw and the lives of the Merovingian saints are included in the Man. Germ. Hist.: Script, rer. Merov., I, II, IV; the Lex Salica, often edited, e. g. Hessels and Kern, The Lex Salica (London, 18S0).
Modern Works. — Richter. .\nruilen des frankischen Reichs ini Zcitoltcr der Mcrovingcr (Halle. 1873); Schultze, Das ni^roviyifjische Frankenrcich (Stuttgart, 1896), in Zwiedewedk- Sudenhorst, Bihliothek deutscher Geschichte, II; Prou, La Gaule merovingienne (Paris, s. d.); Bayet and Pfister in La- vissE, Histoire de France, II; Vacandard, Vie de saint Ouen (Paris. 1902). GODEFROI KuRTH.
Franzelin, Johann B.iptist. cardinal and theolo- gian; h. at Aldein, in the Tyrol, 15 April, 1816; d. at Rome, 11 Dec, 1886. Despite their poverty, his par- ents sent him at an early age to the neighbouring Franciscan college at Bolzano. In 1S34 he entered the Society of Jesus at Graz, and after some years spent in higher studies and teaching in Austrian Poland, be- gan in 1S45 his course of theology in the Roman col- lege of the Society, where he also acted as assistant in Hebrew, in which he was especially proficient. Driven from Rome by the Revolution of 1848, he went succes- sively to England, Belgium, anfl France, where he was ordained in 1849. In 1850 he returned to the Roinan college as assistant professor of dogma, and lecturer on Arabic, Syriac, and Chaldean. In 1S53 he became prefect of studies in the German college and in 1857 professor of dogmatic theology in the Roman college, where he remained for nineteen years, winning for himself by his lectures and publications a foremost place among the theologians of that time. During this period he acted as consultor to several Roman Congre- gations, and aided in the preliminaries of the Vatican Council, in which he afterwards served as papal theo- logian. In 1876, despite his sincere and strenuous pro- tests, he was raised to the cardinalate by Pius IX. This dignity made almost no change in his scrupu- lously simple and laborious life. He continued his use of poor garments; occupied but two bare rooms in the Jesuit novitiate of Sant' Andrea; rose every morning at four and spent the time till seven in devotional exer- cises, always hearing Mass after saying his own; fasted every Saturday, and towards the end of his days Fri- days also, besides using other forms of corporal penance.
Though of delicate health, Franzelin had always been a constant and most laborious worker, never allowing himself any recreation during his long years of poor health, severe toil, and painful scruples, save the short recreation after dinner and supper. As a cardinal his sole departure from strict adherence to Jesuit rule was to omit this daily recreation. More- over, though constantly engaged as Prefect of the Congregation of Indulgences and Relics, and consul- tor of several other Congregations, he steadily refused the aid of a secretary. His entire income as a cardinal
