A Letter from Pope Adrian IV

Translated letter:

Bishop Adrian, servant of the servants of God, to his venerable brother archbishop B. and beloved sons archdeacons and the whole clergy of Narbonne, greetings and apostolic benediction.  Since we received/undertook the care of the apostolic see, with God disposing as it pleased him, it has been appropriate for us to look to the peace and tranquillity of the universal churches with sollicitous attention, and to confirm by apostolic authority what we see done for its tranquillity:  so that what was established to the honor of God, the beauty/adornment of his house, and the salvation of the faithful should not fall into oblivion and neglect by any lapse of time or be shaken from its stability by any plot of the evil.  Indeed our beloved daughter in Christ, the noble woman Ermengard lady of Narbonne, desiring to abolish for the remission of her sins, a certain evil custom which was instituted against God and your church of old, for love of divine law and love of you, brother archbishop, established that no prince, no castellan, no secular person at all, should presume to invade, diminish, or disturb episcopal goods with you or your successors objecting, but all must remain whole and undisturbed to a future bishop:  we, experiencing the pious affection and holding her renunciation firm, confirm it by apostolic authority, and hold it to remain firm and unimpaired in perpetuity.  Thus if any archbishop should die in the future, no prince of the land, no castellan, or knight or secular [churchman] or lay person under the pretext of any custom may dare to plunder the goods of the Narbonne church or to retain what has been plundered.  If anyone should presume to attempt this and does not correct that presumption by suitable satisfaction within forty days, he will incur the indignation of almighty God and his blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and as a sacrilege will know he is cut off from the community of the faithful and bound by the chain of excommunication, and cannot be absolved by anyone without permission of the Roman pontiff or his legate sent from his side.  Given at the Lateran, 5th ides of December.

Original letter:

Adrianus episcopus servus servorum Dei, venerabili fratri B. archiepiscopo, & dilectis filiis archidiaconibus & universo clero Narbonensi salutem & apostolicam benedictionem.  Quoniam apostolicae sedis curam, Deo, prout ipsi placuit, disponente, suscepimus, quieti & paci universarum ecclesiarum sollicita nos convenit attentione prospicere, & quae pro earum tranquillitate acta viderimus, auctoritate apostolica confirmare:  ita ut quae semel ad honorem Dei, decorem domus ejus, & salutem fidelium fuerint constituta nulla diuturnitate temporis in oblivionem neglectumque deveniant nullaque machinatione pravorum a sua valeant stabilitate moveri.  Dilecta vero in Christo filia nostra nobilis mulier Ermengardis Narbonae domina pravam quandam consuetudinem, quae contra Deum & ecclesiam vestram antiquitus inoluerat, divinae legis amore, ac tuae, frater archiepiscope, dilectionis intuitu abolere desiderans ad remissionem peccatorum suorum, instituit ut te vel tuorum successorum quolibet obeunte, nullus princeps, nullus castellanus, nulla omnino secularis persona episcopalia bona invadere, diminuere, aut perturbare praesumat, sed omnia futuro antistiti inconcussa & integra conserventur:  cujus utique nos pium comprobantes affectum & renunciationem ipsius ratam habentes, eam auctoritate apostolica confirmamus, & firmam & illibatam perpetui temporibus decernimus permanere.  Archiepiscopo itaque quicumque pro tempore fuerit, decedente, nec terrae princeps, nec castellanus aliquis, sive miles, nec secularis, laicave persona sub obtentu alicujus consuetudinis Narbonae ecclesiae bona diripere, vel  direpta audeat retinere.  Si quis autem hoc attemptare praesumpserit, & infra quadraginta dies praesumptionem suam satisfactione congrua non correxerit, indignationem omnipotentis Dei & beatorum Petri & Pauli apostolorum ejus incurrat, & tamquam sacrilegus fidelium communione privatum & vinculo se noverit excommunicationis astrictum, & a nemine sine licentia Romani pontificis, aut legati ex ejus latere destinati possit absolvi.  Data Laterani V. idus Decemb.

Historical context:

The pope announces to churchmen of Narbonne an agreement with the viscountess by which she renounces the seizing of episcopal possessions after the death of an archbishop.  I am assuming that Ermengard would receive a copy of this papal letter.

Printed source:

Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiastica distributa (Lutetiae Parisiorum:  Johannes-Baptista Ciognard, 1715-1874), v.6, Instrumenta, c.41, #XLVIII, 48.  

Date: