A letter from Gregory IX (05/18/1235)

Translated letter:

To his beloved daughters Agnes, abbess of the monastery of St. Francis of Prague, and her enclosed sisters, greetings and apostolic blessing. Since, having left behind the vanity of the world, voluntarily turning your fragility to perpetual stability, having scorned illicit worldly things you entered the path of perfection, the intention of religious life with the providence of divine piety, you desired to serve the Lord and the poor, choosing to follow the poor Christ in supreme poverty, we, extolling with worthy praise your pious and holy intent divinely inspired in you, and bending to your entreaties, carrying out the actions of grace, granted the hospital of St. Francis, next to your monastery, which you, daughter abbess, built within the foundation of the Roman church, with its appurtenances to that monastery in perpetuity. Establishing that that hospital with all its goods may in no way, by no contrivance be separated from the monastery; but they cede the proceeds of its possessions to your use and those who will succeed you, save always the authority of the apostolic see. To no one, therefore is it at all permitted to violate this page of our decree and concession, nor to oppose it by rash boldness. If anyone should presume to attempt this, let him know that he incurs the indignation of almighty God and the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. Dated at Perugia on the 15th kalends of June, in the 9th year of our pontificate.

Original letter:

Dilectis filiabus Agneti Abbatissae Monasterii Pragensis Sancti Francisci, ejusque Sororibus inclusis Salutem, & Apostolicam Benedictionem. Cum relicta seculi vanitate fragilitatem vestram in stabilitatem, perpetuam voluntarie convertentes, spretis mundanis illecebris, iter perfectionis, & Religiosae vitae propositum providentia sitis Divinae pietatis ingressae, ac pauperes eligentes pauperem sequi Christum in suprema paupertate desideretis Domino famulari; Nos pium, & sanctum vestrum propositum inspiratum vobis divinitus dignis in Domino laudibus extollentes, ac prosequentes actionibus gratiarum, vestris supplicationibus inclinati Hospitale sancti Francisci, juxta Monasterium vestrum situm, quod tu filia Abbatissa in fundo Romanae Ecclesiae construxisti, cum pertinentiis suis eidem Monasterio perpetuo duximus concedendum: nihilominus statuentes, ut idem Hospitale cum omnibus bonis suis a Monasterio ipso nullo modo, vel ingenio valeat separari; sed proventus possessionum, illius usibus vestris, & earum, quae successerint vobis, cedant; auctoritate Sedis Apostolicae semper salva. Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostrae constitutionis, & concessionis infringere, vel ei ausa temerario contraire. Si quis autem hoc attentare praesumpserit, indignationem, Omnipotentis Dei, ac Beatorum Petri, & Pauli Apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum. Datum Perusii xv. Kalendas Junii, Pontificatus Nostri Anno Nono.

Historical context:

As Mueller explains in her biographical note on Agnes, Gregory in this letter turns over to Agnes's monastery the revenues which Agnes had given to the Hospital of Saint Francis, thus violating the Franciscan ideal of living without property. Agnes would fight this move, with Clare's support.

Printed source:

Bullarium Franciscanum Romanorum Pontificum, ed. J. H. Sbaralea, 1 (Rome: Sacrae Congregationis de Propaganda Fide, 1759, repr. Santa Maria degli Angeli: Proziuncola, 1983), 156, ep.165; also Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolarius Regni Bohemiae, ed. Gustavus Friedrich (Prague, 1942)ep.110.

Date:

05/18/1235