Editing Lullus (section)

==Monk to archbishop==
Lullus was born in Wessex around AD 710.<ref name=athelstan>[http://www.athelstanmuseum.org.uk/people_saint_lullus.html "Saint Lullus", Athelstan Museum]</ref> He was a monk in the Benedictine monastery of [[Malmesbury Abbey]] in [[Wiltshire]]. His earlier name may have been "Rehdgerus" (possible in a multitude of spellings including Ratkar, Hredgar, Raedgar, etc.).<ref>{{cite book|last=Böhmer|first=Johann Friedrich|editor1-first=C.|editor1-last=Will|year=1877|title=Regesta archiepiscoporum Maguntinensium. Regesten zur Geschichte der Mainzer Erbischöfe von Bonifatius bis Uriel von Gemmingen (742?-1514)|location= Innsbruck|chapter=2. Lullus. 754 or 755-786|pages=xiv-xv}}</ref> During a pilgrimage to Rome in 737, he met Saint Boniface and decided to join him in his missionary work in northern Germany. In 738, Lullus joined the Benedictine monastery of [[Fritzlar]], founded by Boniface in 732. There, his teacher was abbot Saint [[Wigbert]], who had also come from England.

In 741, [[Charles Martel]] died, and in this year the most important phase of Boniface's career started, with Lullus as his closest assistant. Many of the biographical facts about Lullus derive from the [[Saint Boniface#Correspondence|Boniface Correspondence]]: he is attested as a deacon in 745-46, as Boniface's archdeacon in 746-47, and as priest in 751, though he was probably ordained before that. The correspondence evidences that Lullus was trusted enough to be Boniface's messenger (he went to Rome twice on his behalf), including in the secret negotiations over Boniface's successor at [[Mainz]]. Lullus exchanged letters (and gifts) with [[Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet]] and [[Leoba]], among others. Since he was the youngest of  Boniface's associates and was not yet tied to a specific place, he grew to be his closest associate. Moreover, a study by [[Michael Tangl]], cited by [[Theodor Schieffer]], suggests that Boniface, whose eyesight had begun to fail him early in the 740s, may have used Lullus's services in reading and writing the letters that were such an important part of his work. Tangl suspects that Lullus likely cooperated with Boniface on some of the most important letters.<ref name=schieffer>{{cite journal|first=Theodor|last=Schieffer|authorlink=Theodor Schieffer|title=Angelsachsen und Franken: II. Erzbischof Lul und die Anfänge des Mainzer Sprengels|pages=1431–1539|journal=Abhandlungen der Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaftlichen Klass|year=1950|volume=20|language=de}}</ref>

King [[Pippin the Younger|Pippin]] confirmed him in 753 as bishop of Mainz, and in 754 he became archbishop, as Saint Boniface resigned and appointed Lullus his successor.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02656a.htm Mershman, Francis. "St. Boniface." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 24 Feb. 2013]</ref><ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/210/6/051.html "St. Boniface, Archbishop of Mentz, Apostle of Germany and Martyr"], ''Butler's Lives of the Saints''</ref> Lullus became the first regular archbishop of Mainz when [[Pope Adrian I]] granted him the pallium in about 781. He then greatly expanded his bishopric by absorbing those of [[Büraburg]] (near Fritzlar) and [[Erfurt]].