A letter from Innocent III, pope (12/13/1201)

Translated letter:

Innocent bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved daughter in Christ, the noble woman Blanche countess of Champagne, greetings and apotolic blessing. Although the Apostolic See, over which we preside though unworthy, as universal mother opens the bowels of its piety to all, yet it does not pursue all with equal affection, but loves and honors with greater preference those whom it finds more dedicated in their devotion. We therefore, alert to the fervor of devotion which your progenitors are known to have had to the Roman Church, and you to the person ..., are compelled to bear to the widow ... in those things which ... you will require, we wish to grant apostolic assent joyfully to your devotion.* For this reason, beloved daughter in Christ, giving happy assent to your requests, we take your person with all the goods which you reasonably possess at present or might acquire in the future by just means, with God’s favor, under the protection of blessed Peter and us, strictly prohibiting by the authority of the presents that anyone without manifest and reasonable cause, presume to promulgate a sentence of excommunication against your person or interdict against your land. Let canonic admonition always take precedence, unless perhaps such would be a deviation which does not require judicial orders. Adding to these, we have established that if you felt yourself oppressed in anything, it would be permitted to you to appeal freely to the Apostolic See. If anyone indeed, after the appeal legitimately lodged with us, promulgated sentences of excommunication or interdict against your land, we determine that it is not binding, so that clerics of your land may nonetheless celebrate divine [offices] because of this and you may be present without any opposition. To no one therefore is it permitted to breach this page of our protection, prohibition, and regulation or to oppose it with bold recklessness. If anyone however should presume to attempt this, he should know that he will incur the indignation of almighty God and of the apostles [saints] Peter and Paul. Dated at Anagni, ides of December, in the [fourth year] of our pontificate.

Original letter:

Innocentius episcopus, servus servorum Dei, dilecte in Xpisto [Christo] filie, nobili mulieri Blanche comitisse Campanie, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Quamvis Apostolica Sedes, cui licet immeriti presidemus, tamquam mater universalis omnibus aperiat viscera pietatis, non tamen omnes equali affectu prosequitur, sed illos majore prerogativa diligit et honorat quos in devocione sua reperit proniores. Nos ergo devotionis fervorem, quem progenitores tui ad Romanam Ecclesiam habuisse noscuntur, et tu ad personam ... attendentes, p...gerere cogimur vidue... in hiis que ... duxeris requirenda, gratanter devocioni tue volumus assensum apostolicum impertiri. Ea propter, dilecta in Xpisto filia, tuis postulationibus grato concurrentes assensu, personam tuam, cum omnibus bonis que impresentiarum rationabiliter possides, aut in futurum justis modis, prestante Domino, poteris adipisci, sub beati Petri et nostra protectione suscipimus, auctoritate presentium districtius inhibentes ne aliquis, sine manifesta et rationabili causa, in personam tuam excommunicationis aut in terram tuam interdicti presumat sententiam promulgare. Semper etiam ammonitio canonica premittatur, nisi forte talis fuerit excessus qui ordinem judiciarium non requirat. Ad hec adicientes statuimus ut, si te in aliquo presenseris aggravari, libere tibi liceat Sedem Apostolicam appellare. Si quis vero, post appellationem ad nos legitime interpositam, in te vel terram tuam excommunicationis vel interdicti sententias promulgaverit, ipsas decernimus non tenere, ita quod clerici terre tue propter hoc divina nichilominus celebrare valeant, et tu eis, sine contradictione qualibet, interesse. Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre protectionis, inhibitionis et constitutionis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis autem hoc attemptare presumpserit, indignationem omnipotentis Dei et [beatorum] Petri et Pauli apostolorum ejus se noverit incursurum. Datum Anagnie, idus decembris, pontificatus nostri [anno quarto].

Historical context:

After the death of her husband, Thibaut III, in early 1201, the pope took the countess and her land under his protection. There are a few gaps in one sentence, but these can be filled in from the letter of protection Honorius sent Blanche in 1216, a copy word for word of Innocent’s bull, his acknowledged model.

Scholarly notes:

The full text of this passage from Honorius III's letter of 1216 is: "and you to our person, beyond the common debt of pastoral office by which we are compelled to give care and sollicitude to widows and orphans, showing special grace to you in those things which you will require from us according to God."

Printed source:

Teulet, Layettes du Trésor des Chartes, 1.227, #615

Date:

12/13/1201