During the time when Pope Leo III (the Great) reigned over Christendom (795-816), Emperor Constantine VI10 (780-795), Leo IV´s father, reigned in Byzantium and John was patriarch of Jerusalem, Karl accepted the title of Emperor of Rome11.
This unsettled Leo III because the seat of the emperor had been in Constantinople until Rome withdrew it and gave it to the Frankish emperor who became Karl the Great, or Charlemagne. When he became aware of the Greek Emperor’s concern that he would take away the empire, Charlemagne sent a written message to Byzantium clarifying his peaceful intentions. This began a lasting friendship between the two royal courts.
Shortly thereafter it came to pass that the Christian lands were overrun by heathens, resulting in the need for the patriarch John, accompanied by Priest John of Naples and Head Priest David of Jerusalem to flee to Constantinople. They sought this city because Constantine had previously rescued Palestine from the heathens seven times. This time, however, Constantine saw from the stories of the refugees that the heathen numbers were three times what they had been before, so he was unsure of what to do.
Constantine pleaded with God for support and help, and in the night a handsome boy appeared to him. The boy told him to ask Karl, king of the Franks (later Charlemagne) to take part on a crusade. The boy then became a real-life elderly knight who, though with back somewhat bent and with a long, bleached and flattened beard, had a fresh, glowing skin and eyes that shone like stars. He stood before the Emperor, bareheaded and clad in handsome armor, leaning on a powerful spear from whose point lightning occasionally flashed. “See!”, said the heavenly messenger, “This one was chosen and consecrated by God. Consider yourself what he, under the protection of the Lord, will be able to do.”
As soon as the Emperor awoke he had the patriarchs compose a letter to Charlemagne, afterwards adding a few words in which he told of the unmistakable message of God’s will. Accompanied by the two Jews Isaac and Samuel, John of Naples and David of Jerusalem were given the task of delivering the letter.
They met with Charlemagne in Paris and accomplished their mission. Charlemagne was ready immediately to heed the request, and ordered Archbishop Turpin to present the letter to all the people. This was done, and all who were present demanded with a loud cry that Charlemagne search for the enemies of God.
The King sent messengers throughout his realm requiring all men capable of wielding a weapon to take part on the expedition or suffer a hard penalty. The result was a powerful gathering of men under his banner such as the king had never before seen.
He and his expedition came to Palestine, arriving at a large forest full of griffins, bears, lions and tigers. Although there was no signpost showing the way, Charlemagne nonetheless braved entry into the forest hoping to pass through in a day’s travel. But night was approaching and there was no end to the forest. He gave the order to pitch his tent while his people camped around him in the open.
Charlemagne kept watch and prayed his psalms, and when he came to the passage “make me to go in the path of thy commandments…” , a bird in a tree above him began to twitter so loudly that the whole army awoke. The king continued his prayers, speaking the verse:
“Lead my soul out of confinement in order to confess your name… .”
The Emperor dressed himself, and as soon as the army was ready the bird flew ahead along an old climbing path that they followed until they reached the old march route. Since that day, according to pilgrims of the route, the birds in the forest are gifted with man’s speech.
The size of the army that the Greek emperor sent to the crusade is not known, but it is known that Charlemagne drove the heathens out and freed God’s land. Afterward he visited Jerusalem and returned through Constantinople where he was greeted with the highest honors. Before he continued on he was honored with great gifts, gold, jewels and costly raiment. But to the Greek emperor’s regret Charlemagne refused all this but was finally convinced to accept some reliquaries. To prepare himself as worthy of the honor he along with his entire force then fasted for three days.
On the agreed day Charlemagne confessed to his father confessor Ebroinus and then went into the cathedral. Bishop Daniel of Naples opened the reliquary in which Jesus’ crown of thorns was kept. Immediately a pleasant scent spread through the whole church, which gleamed with a wonderful light. Charlemagne threw himself to the floor and asked God to repeat the miracles that had taken place during the crucifixion. A heavenly dew settled on the crown’s thorns, from which suddenly sprang beautiful blooms.
Daniel then cut some of these blooms and laid them in a box that Charlemagne had brought. In the meantime a new scent spread that healed all in the church who were infirm. When the box was full, Daniel handed it to the king, who instead shook the blooms into a white glove and handed the box back for Daniel to cut again blooms for himself. As Charlemagne took the filled glove he made ready a second one so he could give the first to Ebroinus. But as both could barely see for tears, Charlemagne let loose of the glove before Ebroinus took hold of it. The glove remained floating in the air as though held by an unseen hand.
Soon thereafter another miracle occurred; the blooms changed into heavenly manna and the scent spread from the cathedral through the whole city. All of the people came, exclaiming loudly “Here is Easter! Here is His resurrection!” Three hundred infirm were healed.
Charlemagne then received a piece of Christ’s cross, a nail, Christ’s sweatband, a blouse12 from Christ’s mother and a hand of St. Simeon the Righteous13. Should anyone wonder why these reliquaries were in Constantinople and not Jerusalem, they should know that these were moved to protect them from the heathens.
Charlemagne then departed Constantinople for home. En route there were a number of miracles. For example, in a castle where Charlemagne stayed for six months a dead person was resurrected. The reliquaries were then taken to Aachen, where innumerable sick were healed. Pope Leo, Charlemagne, Bishop Achilleus of Alexandria and Bishop Theophilus of Antioch all agreed that on June 12 each year the reliquaries should be honored in a tribute celebration. Charlemagne later gave the shirt of Mary to Chartres and the manna to St. Denis. In Aachen Charlemagne had built the magnificent Cathedral of St. Mary, called Maria Rotunda.
10This reference should be to Constantine V who was emperor from 718 – 775.
11Charlemagne was named Holy Roman emperor in 800 by Leo III. The patriarch of Jerusalem at that time was not John but George. Charlemagne reigned until his death in 814.
12Various sources say that these relics were differently distributed, and only the collar of Mary’s blouse was given to Charlemagne
13St. Simeon, or Simeon the Righteous, held Christ during the Jewish Pidyon Ha’Ben (Redemption of the Firstborn Son) ceremony that is performed no sooner than 30 days after the birth of the firstborn baby boy.