Sicut manifestum est

Bulla

Innocentii III, episcopi

servi servorum Dei

Sicut manifestum est

The Bull of

Pope Innocent III, Bishop

servant of the servants of God

IN PRIVILEGIO PAUPERTATIS

Fundatrici et Clarissis

ON THE PRIVILEGE OF POVERTY

For the Foundress and Sisters of the Poor Clares

 

Textus Latinus ex OFM: Provincia Valentiae
http://www.franciscanos.org/docoficial/privilegio.htm

The Latin text is taken from the website of the OFM: Valencia, Spain
http://www.franciscanos.org/docoficial/privilegio.htm

 

Innocentius, episcopus, servus servorum Dei, dilectis in Christi filiabus Clarae ac aliis Christi ancillis ecclesiae Sancti Damiani Assisinatensis, tam praesentibus quam futuris regularem vitam professis, in perpetuum.

 

Innocent, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God, to Our beloved daughters in Christ, Clare and the other handmaids of Christ of the Church of San Damiano in Assisi, to those present and future, having professed the regular life, in perpetuity:

SICUT MANIFESTUM EST, cupientes soli Domino dedicari, abdicastis rerum temporalium appetitum; propter quod, venditis omnibus et pauperibus erogatis, nullas omnino possessiones habere proponitis, illius vestigiis per omnia inhaerentes, qui pro nobis factus est pauper, via, veritas atque vita; nec ab huiusmodi proposito rerum vos terret inopia; nam laeva sponsi caelestis est sub capite vestro ad sustentandum infirma corporis vestri, quae1 legi mentis ordinata caritate stravistis. Denique qui pascit aves caeli et lilia vestit agri, vobis non deerit ad victum pariter et vestitum, donec seipsum vobis transiens in aeternitate ministret, cum scilicet eius dextera vos felicius amplexabitur in suae plenitudine visionis.

AS HAS BEEN MADE MANIFEST, desiring to be dedicated to God alone, having abdicated the appetite for temporal things; on account of which, having sold all things and paid them out to the poor, you propose to have entirely no possessions, cleaving through all (circumstances) to the footprints of Him, who became poor for our sake, the Way, the Truth and the Life; nor by a proposal of this kind does the want [inopia] of things terrify you; for the left hand [laeva] of (your) heavenly Spouse is beneath your head to sustains the infirm things of your body, which1 you have girt with a charity arranged for a covenant of mind. Finally, He who feeds the birds of the sky and clothes the lilies of the field, shall not fail to fed and cloth you equally, while He Himself, as He passes by, shall minister unto you in eternity, since, that is, His right Hand shall embrace you more happily in the plenitude of His Vision.

§2. Sicut ergo supplicastis, altissimae paupertatis propositum vestrum favore apostolico roboramus, auctoritate vobis praesentium indulgentes, ut recipere possessiones a nullo compelli possitis. Et si qua mulier nollet aut non posset observare huiusmodi propositum, vobiscum non habeat mansionem, sed ad locum alium transferatur.

§2. Therefore, just as you have supplicated Us, we fortify with apostolic favor your proposal for Most High Poverty, indulging you with the authority of present letters, so that you cannot be compelled by anyone to receive possessions. And if any woman would be unwilling or could not observe a proposal of this kind, let her not have a house with you, but be transferred to another place.

§3. Discernimus ergo ut nulli omnino hominum liceat vos et ecclesiam vestram perturbare temere seu quibuslibet vexationibus fatigare. Si qua igitur in futurum ecclesiastica saecularisve persona, hanc nostrae confirmationis et constitutionis paginam sciens, venire contra eam temere temptaverit, secundo tertiove commonita, nisi reatum suum congrua satisfactione correxerit, potestatis honorisque sui dignitate careat reamque se divino iudicio exsistere de perpetrata iniquitate cognoscat, et a sacratissimo corpore et sanguine Dei et Domini Redemptoris nostri Iesu Christi aliena fiat atque in extremo examine districte subiaceat ultioni. Cunctis autem vobis et eidem loco dilectionem in Christo servantibus sit pax Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quatenus et hic fructum bonae actionis percipiant et apud districtum iudicem praemia aeternae pacis inveniant. Amen.2

§3. We, therefore, decree that to entirely no one of men is it licit to dare perturb or weary by whatever vexations, you our your church. If any person, therefore, ecclesiastical or secular, in the future, knowing of this page of Our confirmation and constitution, attempts to dare to come against it, having been warned in the presence of others [commonita] a second or third time, will not have corrected his crime by a fitting satisfaction, let him lack the dignity of his power and honor, and let him know that he stands accused by the Divine Judgment of having perpetrated iniquity, and let him be a stranger to [aliena a] to the Most Sacred Body and Blood of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, and in his last moments [examine] let him remain under (His) severe [districte] vengeance. But to the rest, even to those observing love in Christ in the same place, may the peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be yours, to the extent that you perceive even here the fruit of good actions and find before the severe Judge the rewards of eternal peace. Amen.2

1 In quo quae referunt ad infirma, et ordinata in legi ex sensu nuptiali praecedentium.
2 Sic textus finit sine solita iniunctione auctoritatis.

1 Here which [quae] refers to infirm things [infirma], whihc is itself a euphemism for infirm members [infirma membra]. The English translation of stravistis [you have girt], ordinata [arrainged] and legi [covenant] follows the nuptial connotation of the main clause.
2 The Latin text ends thus, without the customary injunction of authority.

 

In textu latino divisiones propter convenientiam lectoris ab interprete additae sunt. Ea intra [ ] continunt verba, non inventa in textu orginali, sed inferenda ex more ab editoribus textus latini. Nota inferiora sunt addita ab interprete.

The English translation here has been released to the public domain by its author. The paragraph divisions and titles have been added by the translator for the convenience of the reader. Items in square [ ] brackets are either translations of those in the same in the Latin text, or the Latin words corresponding to the English words. Items in round ( ) brackets are terms implicit in the Latin syntax or which are required for clarity in English, added by the English translator. Footnotes have been added by the English translator.