Sicut manifestum est

Bulla

Gregorii IX, episcopi

servi servorum Dei

Sicut manifestum est

The Bull of

Pope Gregory IX, 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

 

Gregorius Episcopus, servus servorum Dei. Dilectis in Christo filiabus Clarae ac aliis ancillis Christi in ecclesia Sancti Damiani Episcopatus Assisii congregatis, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem.

 

Gregory, Bishop, Servant of the servants of God, to Our beloved daughers in Christ, Clare and the other handmains of Christ gathered together in the Church of San Damiano, in the Diocese of Assisi, health and apostolic benediction.

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 vos rerum 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. Sicut igitur supplicastis, altissimae paupertatis propositum vestrum favore apostolico roboramus, auctoritate vobis praesentium indulgentes, ut recipere possessiones a nullo compelli possitis.

AS HAS BEEN MADE MANIFEST, desiring to be dedictated to the Lord alone, having abdicated the appetite for temporal things; on account of which, with all your things sold and payed 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 of things terrify you; for the left hand of the heavenly Spouse is beneath your head to sustain the infirm things of your body, which1 you have girt with a charity arrainged for a covenant of mind. Then, He who feeds the birds of the sky and clothes the lilies of the field shall not faith to feed and clothe you equally, while He Himself, passing by, ministers to you in eternity, when, that is, His right Hand shall embrace you more happily in the plenitude of His Vision. Therefore, just as you have supplicated (Us), we strengthen by apostolic favor your proposal for Most High Poverty, indulging you by the authority of the present letters, so that you can be compelled by no one to receive possessions.

Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam Nostrae concessionis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis autem hoc attentare praesumpserit, indignationem omnipotentis Dei, et beatorum Petri et Pauli Apostolorum eius, se noverit incursurum. Datum Perusii, decimoquinto2 kalendas Octobris, Pontificatus nostri anno secundo.

Therefore to entirely no one of men let it be licit to infringe this page of Our concession and/or with temarious daring to contravene it. Moreover, if any has presumed to attempt this, let him know that he shall incure the indignation of the Omnipotent God, and of His blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul. Given at Perugia, on the fifteenth day2 before the Calens of October, in the second year of Our pontificate.

1 In quo quae referunt ad infirma, et ordinata in legi ex sensu nuptiali praecedentium.
2 I. e. qua die facta erit Festam S. Stimatorum S. Francisci.
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 day that would become the Feast of the Sacred Stigmata of St. Francis.


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.