A letter of support against heresy

Translated letter:

Elizabeth by the grace of God senior/dowager queen of Hungary, duchess of Macsó and Bosnia, to all the faithful of Christ who will look at the present writing greetings in the savior of all.  We wish to bring to the notice of all by the contents of these that wishing the holy catholic faith to be spread in the duchies of Macsó and Bosnia and in the counties/ispánates of Pozsega and Valkó and the remaining counties subject to our jurisdiction and others which, God willing, we might have in the future, with errors destroyed and heretics eliminated and destroyed, who strive damnably to demolish and destroy the holy church and its faith, through the office and administration of our royal clemency and power and jurisdiction; at the request and warning of our reverend father Philip, by the grace of God bishop of Fermo, legate of the apostolic see, we promise and take on by the presents that all statutes, laws and decrees against heretics and heretical depravity, by whatever names they are designated, presented or approved and accepted by the holy apostolic see and by us, and we will have them observed efficiently and inviolably by our subjects in the duchies and the remaining counties subject to our reginal power, discerning transgressors from the current statutes and decrees of this kind and compelling violators through canonical and legal punishments to be subject and should be subject to those punishments.  If anyone should presume to oppose the beneficial statutes and holy rule of the catholic faith, let him know he will incur the wrath of almighty God and our indignation.  Therefore so that the content of this kind of assurance and promise may obtain the force of perpetual stability, and can not at any time be revoked as invalid, we drew up the present letters strengthened by the protection of our double seal.  Dated by the hand of master Luke provost of the holy church of Esztergom our faithful chancellor of our court.  In the thousand two hundred eightieth year of the lord, 14th kalends of September, eighth indiction.

Original letter:

Elisabetha dei gracia maior regina Hungarie, ducissa de Machou et de Wazna, omnibus Christi fidelibus presens scriptum inspecturis salutem in omnium salvatore.  Ad universorum noticiam harum serie volumus pervenire, quod cupientes sanctam fidem katolicam in ducatibus de Machou et de Wazna, et in comitatibus de Pasega et de Wolkou ceterisque comitatibus nostre iurisdictioni subiectis, ac aliis, quos, miserante deo, nos habere contigerit in futurum, destructis herroribus, ac eliminatis atque destructis inde hereticis, qui ecclesiam sanctam et fidem ipsius demoliri atque destruere dampnabiliter moliuntur, per nostre regalis mansuetudinis ac potestatis nec non iurisdictionis officium et ministerium dilatari, ad requisicionem et commonicionem reverendi patris nostri Philippi dei gracia Firmani episcopi, apostolice sedis legati, promittimus et assumimus per presentes, quod omnia statuta, iura atque decreta contra hereticos et hereticam pravitatem, quibuscumque nominibus censeantur, per sanctam sedem apostolicam edita aut approbata, seu etiam acceptata, observabimus et ad mandatum sancte ecclesie  romane, et per nos etiam ea efficaciter faciemus a nostris subditis in ducatibus ceterisque comitatibus nostre reginali potestati subiectis inviolabiliter observari, decernentes ex nunc statutorum et decretorum huiusmodi transgressores atque violatores per penas canonicas atque legitimas compelli, eisque penis subiacere et subiacere debere.  Si quis autem contra huiusmodi salubria statuta et sanctam ordinacionem fidei katolice contraire presumpserit, iram omnipotentis dei et nostram indignacionem se noverit incursum.  Ut igitur huiusmodi sponsionis seu promissionis series robur optineat perpetue firmitatis, nec possit ullo umquam tempore in irritum revocari, presentes concepimus litteras sigilli nostri duplicis munimine roboratas.  Datum per manus magistri Luce sancte Strigoniensis ecclesie prepositi, aule nostre cancellarii, fidelis nostri.  Anno domini MCC. octagesimo. XIIII. kalendas septembris, indictione octava.

Historical context:

The queen promised the papal legate, Philip, to take measures against the spreading infection of heresy in Pozsega and Valkó.  Elizabeth took over Macsó and Bosnia in December 1279 (see Zsoldos, The Arpads, 101, 167), but her emergence as their head is probably connected to the political crisis triggered by Philip’s intransigence towards the Cumans and Ladislaus’s unwillingness to comply with his demands.

Printed source:

Codex diplomaticus regni Croatiae, Dalmatiae et Slavoniae, ed. T. Smiciklas (Zagreb, 1904-34), 6.357-58, #300.  

Date: