A letter from pope Hadrian IV (1154-59)

Translated letter:

Bishop Hadrian, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved daughters in Christ, abbess Heloise, and the other sisters of the Paraclete, greetings and apostolic benediction. The office of the papacy enjoined on us by God impels and the odor of your good conversation with your just requests urges us to give benign consent, and to fulfil what pertains to your utility and peace with willing spirit. Therefore, beloved daughters in the Lord, wishing to provide for your labors, since you do not have your own brothers at your abbey, we grant you and those who succeed you permission to bury by apostolic authority. It is permitted to no man to breach this page of our decree, or to oppose it by reckless deed. If any should presume to attempt this, he should know he will incur the indignation of almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. Dated at Benevento, ides of February.

Original letter:

Adrianus episcopus, servus servorum Dei, dilectis in Christo filiabus Heloissae abbatissae, caeterisque sororibus Paracliti, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Et injuncti nobis a Deo apostolatus officium nos impellit, et bonae vestrae conversationis odor hortatur justis postulationibus vestris benignum impertiri consensum, et quae ad utilitatem et quietem vestram pertinent libenti animo adimplere. Ea propter, dilectae in Domino filiae, laboribus vestris providere volentes, sepeliendi apud abbatiam vestram tum fratres vestros proprium non habentes, liberam vobis, et iis quae post vos successerint, licentiam auctoritate apostolica indulgemus. Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostrae constitutionis infringere, vel ei ausu temerario contra ire. Si quis autem hoc attemptare praesumpserit, indignationem omnipotentis Dei, et beatorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum. Datum Beneventi, id. februarii.

Historical context:

This letter grants the convent and those who succeed them permission to bury at their monastery, even though they have no brothers there.

Printed source:

Opera Petri Abaelardi ed. V. Cousin, 2v (Paris: A Durand, 1849, 1859), Appendix IX.viii 1.725 and PL188 ep.84 c1448

Date:

1154-59