A letter from Gregory IX (04/15/1238)

Translated letter:

To his beloved daughters in Christ the abbess and the convent of enclosed handmaids of Christ of the monastery of St. Francis of the order of St. Damian of Prague, greetings and apostolic blessing. Holding with pious belief that in you, to whose minds nothing but God suffices, the spirit of the eternal father speaks, we benignly received your requests savoring only of celestial things as if formed by him and favorably heard them, especially since it appears by evident signs that as the place of the queen of virgins was in the place of the poor, even when she bore the king of heaven, not as one having, but as one contemplating penury, the producer of perpetual wealth for the faithful, you consider it improper to cherish servants and handmaids with delights, when the onlyborn creator of all things was wrapped with vile rags in a manger. Thus it is that we concede by the authority of the presents that you can not be compelled to accept unwillingly any other possessions, having received your free resignation of the hospital of St. Francis of the diocese of Prague, with its rights and appurtenances, formerly granted to you and through you to your monastery by the apostolic see, to you who scorn visible things, who hastening to the delights of the invisible, strive to avoid obstacle in the thorns of temporal things, conquered by yours prayers and tears of the accustomed complaints rising to the face of God without offense. To no man is it permitted at all to violate this page of our decree, nor to oppose it by rash boldness. If anyone should presume to attempt this, let him know he will incur the indignation of almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. Dated at the Lateran, 17th kalends of May, in the 12th year of our pontificate.

Original letter:

Dilectis in Christo filiabus Abbatissae, & Conventui inclusarum Ancillarum Christi Monasterii Sancti Francisci Ordinis Sancti Damiani Pragensis Salutem, & Apostolicam Benedictionem. Pia credulitate tenentes, quod in vobis, quarum mentibus nihil extra Deum sussicit, Patris aeterni Spiritus eloquantur, petitiones vestras quasi ab ipso formatas sola coelistia sapientes, & benigne suscipimus, & favorabiliter exaudimus; praesertim cum sicut evidentibus patet indiciis, vos Reginae Virginum locum in loco Pauperum, etiam quando Coeli Regem genuit, non habentis, contemplantis penuriam, ubertatis perpetuae Fidelibus productivam, indecens reputetis Servas, & Ancillas fovere deliciis, cum pannis vilibus involutus in Praesepio steterit Unigenitus omnium Conditor. Hinc est, quod Hospitalis sancti Francisci Pragensis Dioecesis, cum juribus, & pertinentiis suis, olim vobis, & per vos Monasterio vestro ab Apostolica Sede concessi, vestra libera refignatione recepta, vobis, quae contemptis visibilibus, ad invisibilium delicias properantes vitare studetis obstaculum in temporalium spinis inoffensam faciem Dei, quaerentium consurgere consuetum, devicti precibus vestris, & lacrymis praesentium auctoritate concedimus, ut invite cogi ad recipiendum de cetero possessiones aliquas non possitis. Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostrae concessionis infringere, vel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis autem hoc attentare praesumpserit, indignationem Omnipotentis Dei, ac Beatorum Petri, & Pauli Apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum. Datum Laterani xvII.Kalendas Maji, Pontificatus Nostri Anno Duodecimo.

Historical context:

After almost three years of struggle, and appeals to Clare and to king Wenceslas, her brother, Agnes finally wins Gregory's grant of the privilege of poverty to her monastery.

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), 236-7, ep.255.

Date:

04/15/1238