TOUCHING THE DECLARATION OF THE TIME TO OBSERVE THE DECREES OF THE SACRED ŒCUMENICAL AND GENERAL COUNCIL OF TRENT

PIUS, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the perpetual memory hereof.

As the authority and confirmation of the Apostolic See both ought, and is wont to ratify the decrees and canons of the sacred councils; so, any doubt which may have arisen regarding them is to be removed by the judgment and declaration of the same see. It has reached our ears, that there are many who entertain doubts from what period the decrees of the sacred general Council of Trent, those at least regarding reform and positive law, began to be binding on those to whom they appertain, those of them especially which preordain certain times for holding provincial and diocesan synods, for undertaking holy orders, for making religious profession, for resigning parish churches and other ecclesiastical benefices, the retention of which has been forbidden by the decrees of the same council, and for the execution of several matters of this kind, and all other matters regarding the aforesaid reform and positive law only, as to what ought to be observed or avoided. To the end, therefore, that all controversy and doubt may be removed, we have thought fit, of our own proper motion, that this matter should be clearly set forth, even as we deemed to be agreeable to reason, law, and equity. For though the decrees of the council itself, even according to the counsel and assent of our venerable brethren the cardinals of the holy Roman Church, were confirmed by us in our secret consistory towards the end of the month of January, and even from that time began to be observed at this Holy See; because, however, not a little time was necessarily consumed in printing them carefully and correctly at Rome, and it was also ratified by common right, that the new constitutions should not possess their full force until after a certain period,—it seemed to us meet and just, that all the aforesaid decrees, those at least regarding the said reform and positive law, had commenced to be binding on all from the calends of last May, and that after that day the excuse of no one soever, that he was ignorant of them, is to be admitted: and accordingly we declare and define by apostolical authority, and we command and ordain that it ought to be judged so by all; decreeing as null and void any contrary judgment held by any other person, no matter what station, authority, and power he may possess; any apostolical constitutions and ordinations and other regulations to the contrary notwithstanding. Be it lawful, therefore, for no person soever to infringe this page of our declaration, definition, mandate, statute, and decree, or by rash presumption to contravene it. But if any one shall presume to attempt it, be it known to him that he will incur the indignation of Almighty God, and of his blessed apostles Peter and Paul. Given at Rome, at St. Peter’s, in the year of the incarnation of our Lord 1564, on the 15th of the calends of August, the fifth year of our pontificate.

FED. CARD. CAESIUS,

CAE. GLORIERIUS.

H. CUMYN.

Registered before Cæsar, Secretary, in the year from the nativity of our Lord 1564, on the seventh indiction, on the 20th day of the month of July, in the fifth year of the pontificate of our most holy father in Christ, and of our lord, Lord Pius, by divine providence Pope IV., the rescript letter was affixed, read, and published on the doors of the palaces of the prince of the apostles, and of Saint John of Lateran, and likewise of the Apostolic chancery, and in the Campo di Fiore, by us James Carra, and Julius Parinus, ushers of our holy lord the Pope.

ANTONIUS CLERICI, Master of the Ushers.