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Cum ex apostolatus officio Nobis, meritis licet imparibus, divinitus credito, cura Dominici gregis Nobis immineat generalis, et exinde teneamur pro fideli illius custodia, et salubri directione, more vigilis Pastoris, assidue vigilare, et attentius providere, ut qui hac aetate, peccatis exigentibus, propriae prudentiae innitentes scientius, et perniciosius solito contra orthodoxae fidei disciplinam insurgunt, et superstitiosis, ac fictitiis adinventionibus sacrarum Scripturarum intelligentiam pervertentes, Catholicae Ecclesiae unitatem et inconsutilem Domini tunicam scindere moliuntur, ab ovili Christi repellantur, nec magisterium erroris continuent, qui discipuli veritatis esse contemnunt.
1. Nos considerantes rem huiusmodi adeo gravem, et periculosam esse, ut Romanus Pontifex, qui Dei, et Domini Nostri Iesu Christ vices gerit in terris, et super gentes, et regna plenitudinem obtinet potestatis, omnesque iudicat, a nemine in hoc saeculo iudicandus, possit, si deprehendatur a fide devius, redargui, et quod ubi maius intenditur periculum, ibi est plenius, et diligentius consulendum, ne pseudoprophetae, aut alii etiam saecularem iurisdictionem habentes, simplicium animas miserabiliter illaqueent, innumerabilesque populos eorum in spiritualibus, aut temporalibus curae, et regimini commissos, secum in perditionem, et damnationis interitum trahant, nec aliquando contingat Nos abominationem desolationis, quae dicta est a Daniele Propheta, in loco sancto videre, cupientes, quantum cum Deo possumus, pro nostro munere Pastorali vulpes vineam Domini demoliri satagentes capere, et lupos ab ovilibus arcere, ne canes muti videamur nequeuntes latrare, et perdamur cum malis agricolis, ac mercenario comparemur.
2. Habita super his cum venerabilibus fratribus nostris S. R. E. Cardinalibus deliberatione matura, de eorum consilio, et unanimi assensu omnes, et singulas excommunicationis, suspensionis, et interdicti, ac privationis, et quasvis alias sententias, censuras, et poenas a quibusvis Romanis Pontificibus Praedecessoribus nostris, aut pro talibus habitis, etiam per eorum literas extravagantes, seu sacris Conciliis ab Ecclesia Dei receptis, vel Sanctorum Patrum decretis, et statutis, aut sacris Canonibus, ac Constitutionibus, et Ordinationibus Apostolicis contra haereticos, aut schismaticos quomodolibet latas, et promulgatas, Apostolica auctoritate approbamus, et innovamus, ac perpetuo observari, et in viridi observantia,
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(i) si forsan in ea non sint, reponi, et esse debere, necnon quoscumque, qui hactenus a fide Catholica deviasse, aut in aliquam haeresim incidisse, seu schisma incurrisse, aut excitasse, seu commisisse comprehensi, aut confessi, vel convicti fuerint,
(ii) seu (quod Deus pro sua clementia, et in omnes bonitate avertere dignetur) in posterum deviabunt, seu in haeresim incident, aut schisma incurrent, vel excitabunt,
(iii)seu committent, et deviasse, seu incidisse, aut incurrisse, vel excitasse, seu commisisse deprehendentur, aut confitebuntur, seu convincentur, cuiuscumque status, gradus, ordinis, conditionis, et praeminentiae existant, etiamsi Episcopali, Archiepiscopali, Patriarchali, Primatiali, aut alia maiori dignitate Ecclesiastica, seu Cardinalatus honore, et Apostolicae Sedis ubivis locorum, tam perpetuae quam temporalis Legationis munere, vel mundana etiam Comitali, Baronali, Marchionali, Ducali, Regia, et Imperiali auctoritate, seu excellentia praefulgeant, et eorum quemlibet sententias, censuras, poenas praedictas incurrere volumus atque decernimus.
3. Et nihilominus considerantes dignum esse, ut qui virtutis amore a malis non abstinent, metu poenarum ab illis deterreantur, et quod Episcopi, Archiepiscopi, Patriarchae, Primates, Cardinales, Legati, Comites, Barones, Marchiones, Duces, Reges, et Imperatores, (qui alios docere, et illis bono exemplo, ut in fide Catholica contineantur), esse debent, praevaricando gravius ceteris peccant, cum non solum seipsos perdant, verum etiam alios innumerabiles populos eorum curae, et regimini creditos, seu alias eis subditos, secum in perditionem, et puteum interitus trahant, de similibus consilio, et assensu, hac nostra in perpetuum valitura constitutione, in odium tanti criminis, quo nullum in Ecclesia Dei maius, aut perniciosius esse potest, de Apostolicae potestatis plenitudine sancimus, statuimus, decernimus, et definimus, quod sententiis, censuris, et poenis praedictis in suo robore, et efficacia remanentibus, ac effectum suum sortientibus,
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(i) omnes, et singuli Episcopi, Archiepiscopi, Patriarchae, Primates, Cardinales, Legati, Comites, Barones, Marchiones, Duces, Reges, et Imperatores, qui hactenus,
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(a) ut praefertur, deviasse, aut in haeresim incidisse, seu schisma incurrisse, excitasse,
(b) vel commisisse deprehensi, aut confessi, vel convicti fuerint, et in posterum deviabunt, aut in haeresim incident, seu schisma incurrent, vel excitabunt, aut committent, et deviasse, seu in haeresim incidisse, vel schisma incurrisse, aut excitasse, seu commisisse deprehendentur, aut confitebuntur, seu convincentur,
(c) cum in hoc inexcusabiliores ceteris reddantur, ultra sententias, censuras, et poenas praedictas, sint etiam eo ipso, absque aliquo iuris, aut facti ministerio, suis Ordinibus, et Cathedralibus etiam Metropolitan. Patriarchalibus, et Primatialibus Ecclesiis, ac Cardinalatus honore, et cuiusvis Legationis munere, necnon voce activa, et passiva, omnique auctoritate, ac Monasteriis, beneficiis, et officiis Ecclesiasticis, cum cura, et sine cura, saecularibus, et quorumvis Ordinum regularibus, quae ex quibusvis concessionibus, et dispensationibus Apostolicis in titulum, commendam, et administrationem,
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(ii) aut alias quomodolibet obtinuerint, et in quibus, vel ad quae ius aliquod habuerint, necnon quibusvis fructibus, redditibus, et proventibus annuis super similibus fructibus, redditibus, et proventibus eis reservatis, et assignatis, Comitatibus quoque, Baroniis, Marchionatibus, Ducatibus, Regnis, et Imperio penitus, et in totum, perpetuo privati, et ad illa de cetero inhabiles, et incapaces, habeanturque pro relapsis, et subversis in omnibus, et per omnia, perinde ac si prius haeresim huiusmodi in iudicio publice abiurassent, nec ullo umquam tempore ad eorum pristinum statum, aut Cathedrales, Metropolitanas, Patriarchales, et Primatiales Ecclesias, seu Cardinalatus, vel alium honorem, aut quamvis aliam maiorem, vel minorem dignitatem, seu vocem activam, vel passivam, aut auctoritatem, seu Monasteria, et beneficia, vel Comitatus, Baronias, Marchionatus, Ducatus, Regna, et Imperium restitui, reponi, reintegrari, aut rehabilitari possint, quinimmo saecularis relinquantur arbitrio potestatis animadversione debita puniendi, nisi apparentibus in eis verae poenitentiae indiciis, et condignae poenitentiae fructibus, ex ipsius Sedis benignitate, et clementia in aliquo Monasterio, aut alio Regulari loco ad peragendum perpetuam in pane doloris, et aquae moestitiae poenitentiam retrudendi fuerint.
(iii) Quodque pro talibus ab omnibus cuiuscumque status, gradus, ordinis, conditionis, et praeeminentiae existentibus, ac quacumque etiam Episcopali, Archiepiscopali, Patriarchali, et Primatiali, aut alia maiori Ecclesiastica dignitate, et etiam Cardinalatus honore, seu mundana, etiam Comitali, Baronali, Marchionali, Ducali, Regia, et Imperiali auctoritate, excellentia pollentibus haberi, tractari, et reputari, et ut tales evitari, omnique humanitatis solatio destitui debeant.
4. Et qui iuspatronatus, aut nominandi personas idoneas ad Cathedrales, etiam Metropolitanas, et Patriarchales, ac Primatiales Ecclesias, seu Monasteria, vel alia beneficia Ecclesiastica per privationem huiusmodi vacantia habere praetenderint, ne illa diutinae vacationis exponantur incommodis, sed de servitute haereticorum erepta personis concedantur idoneis, quae illarum populos in semitas iustitiae fideliter dirigant, teneantur ad Ecclesias, Monasteria, et beneficia huiusmodi alias personas idoneas infra tempus a iure, vel ex eorum concordatis, seu compactatis cum dicta Sede initis statutum, Nobis seu pro tempore existenti Romano Pontifici praesentare, alioquin tempore huiusmodi elapso plena, et libera Ecclesiarum, Monasteriorum, et beneficiorum praedictorum dispositio ad Nos, et Romanum Pontificem praedictum eo ipso pleno iure devolvatur.
5. Et insuper qui ipsos sic deprehensos, aut confessos, vel convictos scienter quomodolibet receptare, vel defendere, aut eis favere, vel credere, seu eorum dogmata dogmatizare praesumpserint,
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(i) sententiam excommunicationis eo ipso incurrant,
(ii) efficianturque infames,
(iii) nec voce, persona, scriptis, vel nuncio, aut procuratore aliquo ad publica, seu privata officia, aut consilia, seu Synodum, vel Concilium generale, vel provinciale, nec conclave Cardinalium, aut aliquam fidelium congregationem, seu electionem alicuius,
(iv) aut testimonium perhibendum admittantur, nec admitti possint.
(v) Sint etiam intestabiles, nec ad haereditatis successionem accedant, nullus praeterea cogatur eis super aliquo negotio respondere.
(vi) Quod si forsan Iudices extiterint, eorum sententiae nullam obtineant firmitatem,
(vii) nec aliquae causae ad eorum audientiam deducantur,
(viii) et si fuerint Advocati, eorum patrocinium nullatenus recipiatur,
(ix) si vero Tabelliones extiterint, instrumenta confecta per eos nullius sint penitus roboris, vel momenti.
(x) Et insuper clerici omnibus, et singulis Ecclesiis, etiam Cathedralibus, Metropolitan. Patriarchalibus, et Primatialibus, ac dignitatibus, Monasteriis, beneficiis, et officiis Ecclesiasticis,
(xi) etiam, ut praefertur, qualificatis per eos quomodolibet obtentis, et tam ipsi, quam laici, etiam, ut praemittitur qualificati, et dignitatibus praedictis praediti quibuscumque Regnis, Ducatibus, Dominiis, Feudis,
(xii) et bonis temporalibus per eos possessis privati existant eo ipso, Regnaque, Ducatus, Dominia, Feuda, et bona huiusmodi publicentur, et publica sint, efficianturque iuris, et proprietatis eorum, qui illa primo occupaverint, si in sinceritate fidei, et unitate S. R. E. ac sub nostra, et successorum nostrorum Romanorum Pontificum canonice intrantium obedientia fuerint.
6. Adiicientes quod si ullo umquam tempore apparuerit aliquem Episcopum, etiam pro Archiepiscopo, seu Patriarcha, vel Primate se gerentem, aut praedictae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem, etiam ut praefertur, Legatum, seu etiam Romanum Pontificem ante eius promotionem, vel in Cardinalem, seu Romanum Pontificem assumptionem a fide Catholica deviasse, aut in aliquam haeresim incidisse,
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(i) promotio, seu assumptio de eo etiam in concordia, et de unanimi omnium Cardinalium assensu facta, nulla, irrita,
(ii) et inanis existat, nec per susceptionem muneris, consecrationis, aut subsecutam regiminis, et administrationis possessionem, seu quasi, vel ipsius Romani Pontificis inthronizationem, aut adorationem, seu ei praestitam ab omnibus obedientiam, et cuiusvis temporis in praemissis cursum, convaluisse dici, aut convalescere possit,
(iii) nec pro legitima in aliqua sui parte habeatur,
(iv) nullamque talibus in Episcopos, seu Archiepiscopos, vel Patriarchas aut Primates promotis, seu in Cardinales, vel Romanum Pontificem assumptis, in spiritualibus, vel temporalibus administrandi facultatem tribuisse,
(v) aut tribuere censeatur, sed omnia, et singula per eos quomodolibet dicta, facta, gesta, et administrata, ac inde secuta quaecumque viribus careant, et nullam prorsus firmitatem, nec ius alicui tribuant,
(vi) sintque ipsi sic promoti, et assumpti, eo ipso absque aliqua desuper facienda declaratione, omni dignitate, loco, honore, titulo, auctoritate, officio, et potestate privati, liceatque omnibus, et singulis sic promotis, et assumptis, si a fide antea non deviassent, nec haeretici fuissent, neque schisma incurrissent, aut excitassent, vel commisissent.
7. Subditis personis, tam clericis saecularibus, et regularibus, quam etiam laicis, necnon Cardinalibus, etiam qui electioni ipsius Pontificis antea a fide devii, aut haeretici, seu schismatici interfuerint, seu alias consenserint, et ei obedientiam praestiterint, eumque adoraverint,
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ac Castellanis, Praefectis, Capitaneis, et Officialibus etiam Almae Urbis nostrae, et totius Status Ecclesiastici, etiam eisdem sic promotis, vel assumptis homagio, seu iuramento, vel cautione obligatis, et obnoxiis, ab ipsorum sic promotorum, vel assumptorum obedientia, et devotione impune quandocumque cedere, eosque ut magos, ethnicos, publicanos, et haeresiarchas evitare, eisdem subditis personis fidelitati, et obedientiae futurorum Episcoporum, Archiepiscoporum, Patriarcharum, Primatum, Cardinalium, et Romani Pontificis canonice intrantis nihilominus adstrictis remanentibus, et ad maiorem ipsorum sic promotorum, et assumptorum, si eorum regimen, et administrationem continuare voluerint, confusionem, contra eosdem sic promotos, et assumptos, auxilium brachii saecularis implorare, nec propterea ab ipsorum sic promotorum, et assumptorum fidelitate, et obedientia, praemissorum occasione recedentes, tamquam tunicae Domini scissores aliquarum censurarum, seu poenarum ultioni subiaceant.
8. Non obstantibus constitutionibus, et ordinationibus Apostolicis, necnon privilegiis, indultis, et literis Apostolicis eisdem Episcopis, Archiepiscopis, Patriarchis, Primatibus, et Cardinalibus, ac quibusvis aliis sub quibuscumque tenoribus, et formis, ac cum quibusvis clausulis, et decretis, etiam Motu proprio, et ex certa scientia, ac de Apostolicae potestatis plenitudine, seu etiam consistorialiter, aut alias quomodolicet concessis, et etiam iteratis vicibus approbatis, et innovatis, ac etiam in corpore iuris clausis, necnon quibusvis capitulis conclavis, etiam iuramento, aut confirmatione Apostolica, vel quavis firmitate alia roboratis, et per nos ipsos iuratis. Quibus omnibus eorum tenores praesentibus pro expressis, ac de verbo ad verbum insertis habentes, illis alias in suo robore permansuris, hac vice dumtaxat specialiter, et expresse derogamus, ceterisque contrariis quibuscumque.
9. Ut autem praesentes literae ad omnium quorum interest notitiam deducantur, volumus eas, seu earum transumptum (cui manu notarii publici subscripto, et sigillo alicuius personae in dignitate ecclesiastica constitutae munito, plenam fidem adhiberi debere decernimus) in Basilicae Principis Apostolorum de Urbe, et Cancellariae Apostolicae valuis, atque in acie Campi Florae per aliquos ex cursoribus nostris publicari, et affigi, earumque copiam inibi affixam dimitti, publicationemque affixionem, et copiae affixae dimissionem huiusmodi sufficere, et pro solemni, et legitima haberi, nec aliam publicationem requiri, aut expectari debere.
10. Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostrae approbationis, innovationis, sanctionis, statuti, derogationis, voluntatum, decretorum infringere, vel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis autem hoc attentare praesumpserit, indignationem Omnipotentis Dei, ac beatorum Petri, et Pauli Apostolorum eius se noverit incursurum.
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Datum Romae apud Sanctum Petrum, Anno Incarnationis Dominicae 1559. 15. Kal. Martii, Pontificatus nostri anno 4.
† Ego Paulus Catholicae Ecclesiae Episcopus. SS.
Notae: Confirmatur haec constitutio a Pio V in eius bulla Inter multiplices.
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Promulgated February 15, 1559
To All Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops.
by
POPE PAUL IV (23 May 1555 – 18 August 59)
( Gian Pietro Carafa )
( The renewal of whatever judgments and punishments promulgated against heretics and schismatics in whatever manner whatsoever; and the imposition of other punishments on prelates and princes of whatever degree and dignity who are guilty of heretical or schismatic perversity. )
Paul, Bishop, servant of the servants of God, for a perpetual remembrance hereof.
Since the duty of the Apostolic Office has been divinely entrusted to Us, although We are unworthy of it, the general care of the flock of the Lord is upon Us, and thence, for the sake of the faithful custody and healthy direction of it, in the manner of a vigilant pastor, to carefully watch and attentively provide so that those who in this age, sins demanding, relying upon their own prudence, rise up against the discipline of the orthodox faith, more knowledgeably and perniciously than usual, and by perverting the meaning of the Sacred Scriptures with superstitions and false innovations, contrive to tear the unity of the Catholic Church and the seamless robe of the Lord asunder, must be thrown out of the sheepfold of Christ, lest they continue a magisterium of error, who despise to be disciples of the truth.
1. We, considering these same things to be very grave and dangerous, that the Roman Pontiff, who rules the offices of God and our Lord Jesus Christ on earth and who holds the fullness of power over kingdoms and kings, and who judges all, and by no one at this time is judged, must, if found deviating from the Faith, be confuted, and that, where the greater the danger is intended, there it must be more fully and diligently reflected, lest pseudo prophets and others even having secular jurisdiction should wretchedly entrap simple souls and thereby drag innumerable peoples who are committed to their care and rule in spiritual and temporal matters with them into perdition and the ruin of eternal damnation, nor at some time should the abomination of desolation, which was spoken by Daniel the prophet as he was standing in the holy place, reach Us; desiring, as much as possible with God to do what We can, for the sake of Our Pastoral duty, to seize the foxes, who sow destruction in the vineyard of the Lord, and to keep the wolves at a distance from the sheepfold, lest We seem mute dogs, unable to bark, and be destroyed with the evil farmer or like the hireling.
2. We reviewed these things with mature deliberation with Our venerable brethren the cardinals of the holy Roman Church and who after their consultation and unanimous consent, all and each and any other sentences, censures and penalties of excommunication, of suspension and of prohibition and privation, by any Roman Pontiff, Our predecessors or by any held in place of such, also through letters having gone abroad, or by the holy Councils accepted by the Church of God, or by decrees and statutes of the Holy Fathers, or by the sacred canons and Apostolic Constitutions and ordinances against heretics or schismatics in whatever matter borne and promulgated, with Apostolic Authority, We approve of and renew with the fullest vigor that they may be uninterruptedly observed and to be filled with new vigor if perhaps they lack any vigor; and indeed whosoever who has deviated at all from the Catholic Faith or who has fallen into some heresy or has incurred or has incited or committed schism will, upon being caught or confessed or convicted or (may God in His mercy and goodness deign to avert this) will deviate at any time in the future or who will fall into heresy or who will incur or incite or commit schism at any time in the future, and who will at any time in the future have deviated or fallen into or have incurred or incited or committed or will be caught or will confess or will be convicted, of whatever state, degree, order, condition and preeminence, even if they be with episcopal, archepiscopal, patriarchal, primatial or other major ecclesiastical dignity or the honor of cardinalate and anywhere of the places of the Apostolic See, both perpetual and temporal, with the office of legate or secular, even though they may be distinguished with the authority of excellence of a count, baron, earl, duke, king or emperor and We will and determine that anyone whosoever of them to incur the aforesaid sentences, censures and penalties.
3. And nonetheless, considering it to be worthy that those who for the love of virtue do not abstain from evils, by fear of penalties may be deterred from them and that bishops, archbishops, patriarchs, primates, cardinals, legates, counts, barons, earls, dukes, kings and emperors, who teach others and who must be, by good example to them, so that they may keep them in the Catholic Faith, by double dealing, sin more gravely than others, since they not only lose themselves, but also drag with them into perdition and into the pit of destruction innumerable other souls, entrusted to their care and rule or others subject to them, with the counsel and assent concerning similar things, with this Our Constitution to be valid in perpetuity, in hatred of so great a crime, that which none in the Church of God could be greater or more evil, from the fullness of Our Apostolic Power, We decree, establish, determine and appoint that, with the aforesaid sentences, censures, and penalties remaining in their full strength and efficacy, and receiving its effect, all and each bishops, archbishops, patriarchs, primates, cardinals, legates, counts, barons, earls, dukes, kings and emperors, who so far as is brought to light, have deviated or fallen into heresy, or incurred, excited or committed schism will have been caught, or will have confessed, or will have been convicted, and who in the future will deviate or fall into heresy or incur or excite or commit schism and have deviated or fallen or excited or committed schism either having committed, being caught, or confessing or are convicted, since in this those that are more inexcusable than others are delivered, beyond the sentences, censures and penalties already mentioned, may they also by the vary fact itself of commission, be without any office of law or of deed, authority, and cathedrals, even of metropolitans, patriarchs and primates and the honor of cardinalate and the function of any legate, and indeed active and passive voice and every authority and monasteries, benefices, and ecclesiastical offices, with care and without care, seculars and regulars of whatsoever order, which, from whatever concessions and Apostolic dispensations, in title, in benefice and administration or others in whatsoever matter they will have obtained and in which they may have some right, and indeed with any fruits, compensation and revenue reserved and assigned to them, and also deprived completely and totally of counties, baronies, earldoms, duchies, kingdoms, and power, and with respect to those things concerning the rest unfit and incapable, and that they must be held as lapsed and subversives among all and through all things, just as if they had abjured publicly previously the heresy in this manner in a trial; nor ever at any time can they be reestablished, replaced, requisitioned or rehabilitated to their earlier state or cathedrals, to churches of metropolitans, of patriarchs, and of primates or to the cardinalate or to other honors or to as great as you please other major or minor dignity or to active or passive voice, or to authority, or to monasteries and to benefices or to counties to baronies, to earldoms, duchies, kingdoms, and empire; nay, rather may they be left to the judgment of the secular power, to be punished by due punishment, unless there do appear in them the signs of true repentance and the fruits of very worthy repentance and from the mildness and clemency of this very See, they will have been thrust back to a complete perpetual penance in some monastery or other regular place in the bread of grief and the water of sadness, Whereas, as such, by everyone existing in whatsoever state, degree, order, condition and preeminence, and strong in any office even of a bishop, of an archbishop or a patriarch and a primate or greater ecclesiastical office and also with the honor of a cardinalate or secular authority and excellence even of a count, a baron, a duke, a king or emperor, they must be held, tested and reputed and, as such, must be avoided and deprived of every human solace.
4. And whosoever will have pretended to have the right of patronage or of nominating suitable persons to cathedrals, even to churches of metropolitans, and of patriarchs and of primates or to monasteries or other ecclesiastical benefices, through privation by a vacancy of this kind, in order that they might not expose those places to the inconveniences of a long vacancy, but, snatched from the slavery of heretics, they may be granted to suitable persons who must direct the people of those places faithfully in the narrow path of justice, must be held, for the churches, monasteries, and benefices of this kind to present other suitable persons at that time, by law or from their agreements or compacts with the aforementioned see, established by Us or the then existing Roman Pontiff at that time, otherwise, the time of such a vacancy continuing, the full and free disposition of the churches, monasteries, and aforementioned benefices devolve upon Us or the aforementioned Roman Pontiff by that very fact with full right.
5. And in addition, those who knowingly in whatsoever manner presume to harbor or defend or to support or to believe in or to teach the doctrines of those thus seized or confessed or convicted, incur the sentence of excommunication by that very fact, are made infamous, nor are they to be admitted, nor could they be admitted neither by voice, by person, by writings, nor by a messenger or by some agent to public or private functions or to council or synod, general or provincial, nor to a conclave of cardinals or some congregation of the faithful or election of someone or to bring forward testimony; they are moreover disqualified from being witnesses, nor are they eligible to receive an inheritance; no one, moreover, is to be compelled to answer them concerning some business. If, by chance, they were judges, their opinions possess no force, nor can any of their cases be brought to them for a hearing; and if they will have been lawyers, their actions in court can in no way be accepted; if, indeed, they were recorders (clerks), the public records made through their work is totally without any power and moment. And in addition the clerics for each and all churches, even for cathedrals, for the churches of metropolitans, of patriarchs, and of primates and for dignities, monasteries, benefices, and ecclesiastical functions, even as shown, qualified, obtained in some manner through them, and both these and the lay persons, even, as shown qualified and furnished with the mentioned dignities, with whatever kingdoms, duchies, powers, fiefs, and temporal goods possessed through them are deprived of them by that very fact; the kingdoms, duchies, powers, fiefs and goods of this kind are to be confiscated and of that confiscated must be made of proper use, who first occupied them, if they will have been in sincerity of faith and in unity of the holy Roman Church, and under Our obedience and that of Our Roman Pontiffs who succeed Us properly.
6. Adding that if at any time it will be found that some bishop, even conducting himself as an archbishop or patriarch or already mentioned cardinal of the Roman Church, even, as shown, a legate, or even a Roman Pontiff, before his promotion or assumption as cardinal or as Roman Pontiff had deviated from the Catholic Faith or fallen into some heresy, before his promotion or assumption as Cardinal or as Roman Pontiff, that promotion or assumption concerning him, even if made in concord and from the unanimous assent of all the cardinals, is null, void and worthless; not by the reception of consecration, not by the ensuing possession of the office and administration, or as if, either the enthronement or homage of the Roman Pontiff, or the obedience given to him by all, and the length of whatever time in the future, can be said to have recovered power or to be able to recover power, nor can (the assumption or promotion) be considered as legitimate in any part of it, and for those who are promoted as bishops or archbishops or patriarchs or assumed as primates, or as cardinals or even as Roman Pontiff, no faculty of administration in spiritual or temporal matters may be thought to have been attributed or to attribute, but may all things and each thing in any way said, done, effected and administered and then followed up in any way through them lack power and they are not able to attribute any further power nor right to anyone; and they themselves who are thus promoted and assumed by that very fact, without any further declaration to be made, are deprived of every dignity, place, honor, title, authority, function and power; and yet it is permitted to all and each so promoted and assumed, if they have not deviated from the Faith before nor have been heretics, nor have incurred or excited or committed schism.
7. It is fit to subject persons, both to secular priests and to priests that are members of a religious order as well as to laymen and also to cardinals, even to those who by the election of this pontiff formerly deviated from the Faith or who will have been heretics or schismatics in the interim, or who will have conspired with others and will have manifested obedience to him, and will have honored him, and to the garrison of a fortress, to the prefects, to the captains and officers, even to Our nourishing city and to the entire ecclesiastical state, even to those thus promoted or assumed by homage or bound or exposed to punishment by oath or by bond, to retire with impunity at anytime from obedience and devotion of those thus promoted or assumed and to avoid them as warlocks, heathens, publicans, and heresiarchs; it is fit that to the same persons subjected by faith and obedience to future bishops, archbishops, patriarchs, primates, cardinals, and the Roman Pontiff, who enters canonically, nevertheless, to those remaining bound together, and, for the greater confusion of those thus promoted and assumed, if they will have wished to continue their rule and administration, to implore the help of the secular arm against those thus promoted and assumed; nor can they be subject to the punishment of any censures or penalties on account of the fact that they retreat from fidelity and obedience of those thus promoted and assumed, by the opportunity of those sent on before, as if tearers of the tunic of the Lord.
8. Notwithstanding apostolic regulations and arguments and indeed privileges, indults and apostolic letters to the same bishops, to archbishops, to patriarchs, to primates, and to cardinals and to those others, under whatever courses and forms and with whatever conclusions and decrees, even by a motu proprio and from certain knowledge and from the fullness of apostolic power, either even from a consistory or at another time in whatever manner from things granted and also approved and renewed by repeated vicissitudes, and even from things enclosed in the body of laws and indeed in whatsoever chapters of a conclave, be even by apostolic oath and confirmation or strengthened by whatsoever other stability and sworn by We Ourselves. By these words We at least specifically and expressly repeal all those things whose tenors are in proportion to the present things expressed and all of the other contrary things whatever.
9. Moreover, in order that the present letter be read to the knowledge of all those whom it concerns, We desire that it or a copy (to which, written underneath with the hand of the public notary and furnished with the seal of some person constituted in ecclesiastical dignity, We determine that full faith is to be shown thereto) be published and posted on the doors of the basilica of the Prince of the Apostles and of the Apostolic Chancery and on the edge of the Campo Flora by some of our runners and that a posted copy of it be left, and that the publication, posting and the notification of the posted copy in this manner suffice and be held as solemn and lawful, nor that another publication be obliged to be required or respected.
10. Therefore, it is permitted to no one to impair this page of Our approval, renewal, sanction, statute, wills of repeal, of decrees, or to go contrary to it by a rash daring deed. If anyone moreover will have presumed to attempt this, he will incur the wrath of almighty God and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.
Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s in the year of the Incarnation of the Lord 1559, the fifteenth day of February, in the fourth year of Our Pontificate.
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