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BULL OF OUR MOST HOLY LORD
PIUS IV., BY PROVIDENCE OF GOD, POPE, TOUCHING THE CONFIRMATION OF THE
OECUMENICAL (AND) GENERAL COUNCIL OF TRENT.
Pius, bishop, servant of the servants of God, for the perpetual memory
hereof.
Blessed be the God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort, who hath vouchsafed to look down upon His
holy Church, agitated and tossed by so many storms and tempests, and, whilst it
was day by day more sorely distressed, hath at length brought relief thereunto
by a suitable and wished-for remedy. To extirpate very many and most pernicious
heresies, to correct manners, and to restore ecclesiastical discipline, to
procure time peace and concord of the Christiain people, an oecumenical and
general Council had been, a long time previously, indicted by our predecessor,
Paul III., of pious memory, and had been begun by holding several Sessions.
Having been, by his successor, recalled to the same city, the Council, after
several Sessions had been celebrated, could not, on account of various
impediments and difficulties which supervened, be even then brought to a
conclusion: it was, therefore, for a long time interrupted, not without the
greatest grief on the part of all persons of piety, whilst the Church daily
more and more implored that remedy. But we, upon having entered upon the
government of the Apostolic See, undertook to accomplish so necessary and salutary
a work, even as our pastoral solicitude admonished us; - Page 286 -
trusting in the Divine Mercy, and aided by the pious zeal of our most beloved
son in Christ, Ferdinand, Emperor elect of the Romans, and by that of other
Christian kings, republics, and princes, we have at length attained to that
which we have not ceased to labour after by daily and nightly watchfulness, and
which we have assiduously besought of the Father of lights. For whereas a most
numerous assembly of bishops and of other distinguished prelates, and one
worthy of an oecumenical Council, had, upon being convoked by our letters, and
impelled also by their own piety, been gathered together from all sides out of
the nations of Christendom, at the said city; together with whom were very many
other persons of piety, pre-eminent for skill in sacred letters, and knowledge
of divine and human law; the Legates of the Apostolic See presiding in the said
Synod; ourselves so favourable to the liberty of the Council, as even to have,
by letters written to our Legates, voluntarily left the said Council free to
determine concerning matters properly reserved to the Apostolic See; such
things as remained to be treated of, defined, and ordained, touching the
sacraments and other matters, which seemed to be necessary for confuting
heresies, removing abuses, and amending morals, were by the sacred and holy
Synod with the most perfect liberty and diligence, treated of, and accurately
and most deliberately defined, explained, and ordained, which being completed,
the Council was brought to a close with so great unanimity on the part of all
who assisted thereat, that it was plain that such agreement was the Lord's
doing, and it was very wonderful in our eyes, and those of all. For which so
singular a bounty, We at once appointed solemn processions in this good city,
which were assisted at with great piety by the clergy and people; and We made
it our care that the thanksgivings so justly due should be paid to the divine
majesty; forasmuch as the issue of that Council has brought with it a great and
well nigh assured hope that greater fruits will day by day be derived unto the
Church from the decrees and constitutions thereof.
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And whereas the said holy Synod, in its reverence
towards the Apostolic See, and following also in the traces of the ancient
Councils, has, in a decree made thereon in public Session, requested of us the
confirmation of all Its decrees, passed in our time and that of our
predecessors; We, being made acquainted with the request of the said Synod,
first by the letters of our Legates, then, upon their return, by what they
diligently reported in the name of the Synod; after mature deliberation had
thereon with our venerable brethren the cardinals of the holy Roman Church,
and, above all, having invoked the assistance of the Holy Spirit; after that we
had ascertained that all those decrees were Catholic, and useful and salutary
to the Christian people, We, to the praise of Almighty God, with the advice and
assent of our brethren aforesaid, have this day, in our secret consistory,
confirmed by Apostolic authority all and singular those decrees, and have
ordained that the same be received and observed by all the faithful of Christ;
as also, for the clearer information of all men, We do, by the tenour of this
letter, confirm them, and ordain that they be received and observed.
And, in virtue of holy obedience, and under the penalties by the sacred
canons appointed, and others more grievous, even those of deprivaiton, to be inflicted
at our discretion, We do also command all and each of our venerable brethren,
the patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, and all other prelates whatsoever of the
churches, of what estate, grade, order and dignity soever, they may be, even
though distinguished with the honour of the cardinalate, diligently to observe
the said decrees and statutes in their own churches, cities, and dioceses, both
in their courts of justice and elsewhere, and to cause the same to be
inviolably observed, each by his own subjects, in so far as they are in any way
concerned therein; silencing gainsayers, and the refractory, by means of
judicial sentences, and by the censures also and ecclesiastical penalties
contained in the said decrees; calling in also, if need be, the help of the
secular arm. And, by the bowels of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, We
admonish and conjure our said most beloved son the emperor elect, and the
Christian kings, republics, and princes, with that piety with which they
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the same piety and equal zeal, for the sake of God's honour, and the salvation
of their people, in reverence also towards the Apostolic See, and the sacred
Synod, to support, when needful, with their assistance and countenance, the
prelates in executing and observing the decrees of the said Council ; and not
to permit opinions adverse to the sound and salutary doctrine of the Council to
be received by the people who are under their sway, but utterly to interdict such.
Furthermore, in order to avoid the perversion
and confusion which might arise, if each one were allowed, as he might think
fit, to publish his own commentaries and interpretations on the decrees of the
Council ; We, by apostolic authority, forbid all men, as well ecclesiastics, of
whatsoever order, condition, and rank they may be, as also laymen, with
whatsoever honor and power invested ; prelates, to wit, under pain of being
interdicted from entering the church, and all others whomsoever they be, under
pain of excommunication incurred by the fact, to presume, without our authority
to publish, in any form, any commentaries, glosses, annotations, scholia, or
any kind of interpretation whatsoever of the decrees of the said Council ; or
to settle anything in regard thereof, under any plea whatsoever, even under
pretext of greater corroboration of the decrees, or the more perfect execution
thereof, or under any other colour whatsoever. But if anything therein shall
seem to any one to have been expressed and ordained in an obscure manner, and
it shall appear to stand in need on that account of an interpretation or
decision, let him Go up to the place which the Lord hath chosen; to wit, to the
Apostolic See, the mistress of all the faithful, whose authority the holy Synod
also has so reverently acknowledged. For, if any difficulties and controversies
shall arise in regard of the said decrees, We reserve them to be by Us cleared
up and decided, even as the holy Synod has Itself in like manner decreed ;
being prepared, as that Synod has justly expressed Its confidence in regard to
Us, to provide for the necessities of all the provinces, in such manner as
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seem to Us most suitable; declaring that
whatsoever may be attempted to the contrary in this matter, whether wittingly
or unwittingly, by any one, by what authority soever, is, notwithstanding, null
and void. And that these things may come to the knowledge of all men, and that
no one may use the excuse of ignorance; We will and ordain, that, in the
Vatican Basilica of the prince of the apostles, and in the Lateran church, at
the time when the people is wont to assemble there to be present at the
solemnization of masses, this letter be publicly read in a loud voice by
certain officers of our court; and that, after having been read, it be affixed
to the doors of those churches, and also to the gates of the Apostolic
Chancery, and to the usual place in the Campo di Fiore; and be there left for
some time, to be read by and to come to the knowledge of all men. And when
removed thence, copies being, according to custom, left in those same places,
it shall be committed to the press in our good city, that so it may be more
conveniently made known throughout the provinces and kingdoms of the Christian
name. And we ordain and decree, that, without any doubt, faith be given to
copies thereof written or subscribed by the hand of a public notary, and
guaranteed by the seal and signature of some person constituted in
ecclesiastical dignity. Let no one, therefore, infringe this our letter of
confirmation, monition, inhibition, reservation, will, mandate, and decree, or
with rash daring go contrary thereunto. But if any one shall presume to attempt
this, let him know that he will incur the indignation of Almighty God, and of
His blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul. Given at Rome, at Saint Peter's, in the
year of the Lord's Incarnation One thousand five hundred and sixty-four, on the
seventh of the calends of February, in the fifth year of our pontificate.
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