A letter from Innocent II, pope (1136)

Translated letter:

Bishop Innocent, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved daughters in Christ Heloise, prioress, and the other sisters committed to divine service in the oratory of the Holy Trinity, which is situated in the district of Troyes, in the parish of Quincey, on the Aube river, in the present as in the future in perpetuity. Whenever we are asked for what is known to be reasonable, it is fitting that we grant it with willing spirit, and to bestow rights appropriate to the desires of those asking. Therefore beloved daughters in the Lord, giving assent to your just requests, we take under the protection of the apostolic see the monastery of the Holy Trinity, in which you devote yourself to divine service, and we secure it by the page of the present writing, fixing that whatever possessions, whatever goods you possess justly and legitimately in the present or in the future by the granting of popes, the liberality of kings or princes, the offerings of the faithful or by other just means you may acquire with God’s favor, remain yours firm and unimpaired in perpetuity. Indeed, the tenth (tithe) of your labors which you gather from your own possessions or the annual income we grant you to possess without any opposition. It is forbidden therefore to any man to rashly disturb said monastery or take away its possessions, or retain what has been taken, or diminish or to harass them with any troubles, but all these are to be preserved whole perpetually in the future with all your usages. As a token of this freedom received from the Roman church, you pay six pennies annually to the Lateran palace. If in the future any ecclesiastical or lay person, knowing this page of our disposition, should attempt to rashly oppose it, and warned a second and third [time], if he does not amend with suitable satisfaction, will lose the dignity/rank of his power and honor and be alienated from the most sacred body and blood of God and our Lord redeemer Jesus Christ, and be subject to strict punishment to the furthest extent (torture). Preserving them, on the other hand, with the intervening merits of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, will achieve the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the rewards of eternal happiness. Amen. Adding to these, we have, lest we be compelled to depart, established for the blessing and consecration to be received by the monastery: Let no bishop or any other person presume to impose trouble or distress about the election of the abbess or any other occasion. Let no one therefore, etc. As a token(1) of this liberty received from the roman church, you will pay one gold obol annually to the Lateran palace. If any, etc. Dated at Lys [?Lisis] by the hand of Almeric, deacon cardinal and chancellor of the holy roman church, 15th kalends of July, 13th indiction, in the year of the Lord's incarnation, 1136, the 6th year of the pontificate of lord pope Innocent II.

Original letter:

Innocentius episcopus, servus servorum Dei, dilectis in Christo filiabus Heloissae abbatissae, caeterisque sororibus in oratorio sanctae Trinitatis, quod in pago Trecensi, in parochia Quinceii supra fluvium Arduconem situm est, divino famulatui mancipatis tam praesentibus quam futuris in perpetuum. Quotiens illud a nobis petitur quod rationi ocgnoscitur convenire, animo nos decet libenti concedere, et petentium desideriis congruum impertiri suffragium. Proinde dilectae in Domino filiae, vestris justis postulationibus assensum praebentes, monasterium Sanctae Trinitatis, in quo divino vacatis servitio sub apostolicae sedis protectione suscipimus, et praesentis scripti pagina communimus, statuentes ut quascunque possessiones, quaecunque bona in praesentiarum juste et legitime possidetis, aut in futurum concessione pontificum, liberalitate regum vel principum, oblatione fidelium seu aliis justis modis praestante Domino poteritis adipisci, firma vobis in perpetuum et illibata permaneant. Sane laborum vestrorum decimas quas propriis excolitis sumptibus, seu annualium absque contradictione aliqua vobis concedimus possidendas. Nulli ergo hominum fas sit praefatum monasterium temere perturbare, aut ejus possesisones auferre, vel ablatas retinere, minuere, aut aliquibus vexationibus fatigare, sed haec omnia integra conserventur, vestris usibus perpetuo profutura. Ad indicium autem perceptae hujus a romana Ecclesia libertatis, sex nummos quotannis Lateranensi palatio persolvetis. Si qua igitur in futurum ecclesiastica secularisve persona hanc nostrae constitutionis paginam sciens, contra eam temere venire tentaverit, secundo tertioque commonita, si non satisfactione congrua emendaverit, potestatis honorisque sui dignitate careat, et a sacratissimo corpore ac sanguine Dei et Domini redemptoris nostri Jesu Christi aliena fiat, atque in extremo examine districtae ultioni subjaceat. Conservantes autem, intervenientibus beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli meritis, gratiam Domini nostri Jesu Christi et aeternae felicitatis praemia consequantur. Amen. Quotiens illud a nobis petitur quod rationi ocgnoscitur convenire, animo nos decet libenti concedere, et petentium desideriis congruum impertiri suffragium. Proinde dilectae in Domino filiae, vestris justis postulationibus assensum praebentes, monasterium Sanctae Trinitatis, in quo divino vacatis servitio sub apostolicae sedis protectione suscipimus, et praesentis scripti pagina communimus, statuentes ut quascunque possessiones, quaecunque bona in praesentiarum juste et legitime possidetis, aut in futurum concessione pontificum, liberalitate regum vel principum, oblatione fidelium seu aliis justis modis praestante Domino poteritis adipisci, firma vobis in perpetuum et illibata permaneant. Sane laborum vestrorum decimas quas propriis excolitis sumptibus, seu annualium absque contradictione aliqua vobis concedimus possidendas. Nulli ergo hominum fas sit praefatum monasterium temere perturbare, aut ejus possesisones auferre, vel ablatas retinere, minuere, aut aliquibus vexationibus fatigare, sed haec omnia integra conserventur, vestris usibus perpetuo profutura. Ad indicium autem perceptae hujus a romana Ecclesia libertatis, sex nummos quotannis Lateranensi palatio persolvetis. Si qua igitur in futurum ecclesiastica secularisve persona hanc nostrae constitutionis paginam sciens, contra eam temere venire tentaverit, secundo tertioque commonita, si non satisfactione congrua emendaverit, potestatis honorisque sui dignitate careat, et a sacratissimo corpore ac sanguine Dei et Domini redemptoris nostri Jesu Christi aliena fiat, atque in extremo examine districtae ultioni subjaceat. Conservantes autem, intervenientibus beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli meritis, gratiam Domini nostri Jesu Christi et aeternae felicitatis praemia consequantur. Amen. Ad haec adjicientes statuimus, ne propter benedictionem et consecrationem percipiendam de monasterio exire cogamini. Nec pro electione abbatissae, aut alia qualibet occasione episcopus, vel alia qualibet persona, ullum vobis gravamen vel molestiam inferre praesumat. Nulli ergo omnino, etc. Ad judicium autem perceptae hujus a romana Ecclesia libertatis unum obolum aureum quotannis Lateranensi palatio persolvetis. Si qua igitur, etc. Data Lisis, per manum Almerici sanctae romanae Ecclesiae diaconi cardinalis et cancellariis, XV cal.julii, ind. XIII, incarnationis Dominicae anno MCXXXVI, pontificatus domini Innocentii papae II, anno VI.

Historical context:

There are three letters from pope Innocent II to Heloise, addressed as prioress in the first and abbess in the other two, and to the other sisters in the oratory of the Holy Trinity, confirming present and future possessions of the oratory of the Holy Trinity (the Paraclete). The first two take the monastery under papal protection and forbid harrassment from anyone, ecclesiastical or lay. The second also assures their election of an abbess without episcopal interference.

Translation notes:

1. In an earlier letter the word was indicium; in this it is iudicium, which I have taken to be a typo.

Printed source:

Opera Petri Abaelardi ed. V. Cousin, 2v (Paris: A Durand, 1849, 1859), Appendix IX.ii 1.720

Date:

1136