A letter from Honorius III, pope (11/12/1216)

Translated letter:

Honorius bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the noble woman, countess B[lanche], and Thibaut, her son, count of Champagne, greetings and apostolic 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 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, we wish to grant apostolic assent joyfully to your devotion. For this reason, beloved daughter in Christ, giving happy assent to your requests, by the example of our predecessor of happy memory pope Innocent, 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 the Lateran, second ides of November, in the first year of our pontificate.

Original letter:

Honorius episcopus, servus servorum Dei, nobili mulieri B. comitisse ac Theobaldo, nato ipsius, comiti Campanie, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Quamvis Apostolica Sedes, cui, licet immeriti, presidemus, tanquam mater universalis omnibus aperiat viscera pietatis, non tamen omnes equali affectu prosequitur, sed illos majori prerogativa diligit et honorat quos in devotione sua reperit proniores. Nos igitur devotionis fervorem, quem progenitores vestri ad Romanam ecclesiam habuisse noscuntur, et vos ad personam nostram habere noscimini, attendentes, preter commune debitum officii pastoralis, ex quo curam et sollicitudinem gerere cogimur pupillorum et viduarum, specialem vobis gratiam exhibentes, in hiis que a nobis secundum Deum duxeritis requirenda gratanter devotioni vestre volumus assensum apostolicum impertiri. Eapropter vestris postulationibus grato concurrentes assensu, ad exemplar felicis recordationis Innocentii pape predecessoris nostri, personas vestras, cum omnibus bonis que impresentiarum rationabiliter possidetis aut in futurum justis modis, prestante Domino, poteritis adipisci, sub beati Petri et nostra protectione suscipimus, auctoritate presentium districte inhibentes ne aliquis, sine manifesta et rationabili causa, in personas vestras excommunicationis aut in terram vestram interdicti presumat sententiam promulgare, semper etiam ammonitio canonica premittatur, nisi forte talis fuerit excessus quod ordinem judiciarium non requirat. Ad hec adicientes statuimus ut, si vos in aliquo presenseritis aggravari, libere vobis liceat Sedem Apostolicam appellare. Si quis vero post appellationem, ad nos legitime interpositam, in vos vel terram vestram excommunicationis vel interdicti sententias promulgaverit, ipsas decernimus non tenere, ita quod clerici terre vestre propter hoc divina nichilominus celebrare valeant et vos eis, sine contradictione qualibet, interesse. Nulli ergo hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre protectionis, inhibitions 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 Laterani, II, idus novembri, pontificatus nostri anno primo.

Historical context:

In the same words Innocent III used in 1210, and citing Innocent as his model, Honorius takes Blanche and her land under the protection of the papacy. In this case, the bull is also addressed to her son Thibaut, for whom Blanche was regent.

Manuscript source:

Vat.lib.I.epist.54.fol.13

Printed source:

Teulet, Layettes du Trésor des Chartes (1863) 1.437-38, #1195; Horoy, Honorii III Opera Omnia, Epistolae 1.59

Date:

11/12/1216