A letter from Honorius III, pope (1226, February 16)

Translated letter:

Honorius bishop . . ., to his dearest daughter in Christ I[ngeborg], once illustrious queen of France and widow of Philip king of France of renowned memory, greetings, etc. The apostolic see is accustomed to grant and bestow benevolent favor on pious vows and honorable prayers. It was humbly asked of us on your part that, since our beloved son Guerin of Montaigu, master of the Jerusalemite hospital, with the common counsel and consent of his brothers and the chapter general granted you that in the church of their hospital of Corbeil thirteen brother priests would celebrate according to the order and constitution of that hospital divine offices in perpetuity for the souls of said King, of you, and of your ancestors and successors; and that you would in the contemplation of piety confer on that house for the maintenance of said brothers, whoever they be, twelve pounds annually, which concession we deign to enforce with apostolic protection, We therefore, bestowing grateful consent on your devoted prayers, confirm with apostolic authority the said concession, as piously and providently made and in letters to that effect whose tenor we ordered to be noted word for word fully contained by the presents and we confirm it by protection of the present writing. This is the tenor of those letters.(1) Let it be permitted to absolutely no one to violate this page of our confirmation, or to oppose it with bold daring. If anyone presume to attempt this, he should know he will incur the indignation of almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. Given at the Lateran, 14th kalends of March, in the tenth year of our pontificate.

Original letter:

HONORIUS episcopus. . . , carissimae in Christo filie I. quondam Reginae Francorum illustri, relictae inclytae recordationis Philippi Regis Franciae, salutem etc. SOLET annuere sedes apostolica piis votis et honestis petentium precibus favorem benevolum impertiri. Ex parte siquidem tua fuit nobis humiliter supplicatum ut, cum dilectus filius Guaarinus de Monteacuto, magister Hospitalis Hierosolymitani, de communi consilio et assensu fratrum suorum et capituli generalis, tibi concesserit quod in ecclesia Hospitalis eorum de (Corbolio tredecim fratres presbyteri, secundum ordinem et constitutionem Hospitalis ejusdem, in perpetuum pro anima dicti Regis et tua, antecessorum et successorum vestrorum, officia divina celebrent, ac tu eidem domui pro sustentatione dictorum fratrum, scilicet pro quolibet eorumdem, annuum duodecim librarum redditum contuleris intuitu pietatis, concessionem ipsam apostolico dignaremur munimine roborare; nos igitur, tuis devotis precibus gratum impertientes assensum, concessionem praefatam, sicut pie ac provide facta est, et in literis exinde confectis, quarum tenorem de verbo ad verbum praesentibus praecepimus annotari, plenius continetur, apostolica auctoritate confirmamus, et presentis scripti patrocinio communimus. Tenor autem ipsarum literarum est talis.(1) Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostrae confirmationis infringere, vel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis autem hoc attentare praesumpserit, indignationem omnipotentis Dei et beatorum Petri et Pauli apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum. Datum Laterani, xiv kal. martii, pontificatus nostri anno decimo.

Historical context:

The pope confirms the queen’s gift to endow thirteen priests in a church and priory she had built, Saint-Jean en l’Ile at Corbeil, to say offices in perpetuity for the king’s soul and hers and their ancestors and successors. Ingeborg spent her last years, from 1225-1236, in a retreat attached to the priory.

Scholarly notes:

(1) The text of the confirmation is printed in HGF19, Epistolae Sancti Guillelmi Abbatis S. Thomae de Paracleto, ep.28, p.325-26; the document is in Epistolae (435.html), addressed to the public, dated 1223.

Printed source:

HGF19, Epistolarum Honorii Pape III, Liber X, 10.205, p.770-71

Date:

1226, February 16