A solid basis - an image from Durham Cathedral PLANTATA
URBAN
BISHOP
SERVANT
OF THE
SERVANTS OF GOD

For perpetual remembrance
Plantata in agro Dominico veneranda Congregatio monachorum Anglorum....


Cathedral Priors
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THE VENERABLE CONGREGATION of English Monks of the Order of St Benedict, being planted in the field of the Lord, day by day produces rich fruit in the Church Militant unto the salvation of the souls of Christ's faithful. Wherefore We are both disposed and willing - and the more readily because they ask it of Us - to confirm with the strength of Our approbation whatever grants have been made to the said monks by the Roman Pontiffs, Our predecessors, and whatever decrees and ordinances have been made by their superiors for their good government, as likewise to make further provision for them as it seems expedient to us in the Lord.

2

On a former occasion Our beloved sons, the English Benedictines of the Spanish and English Congregations apprised Our predecessor, Pope Paul V of happy memory, that it had been decreed and ordained in their Definitory: (1) that all English Benedictines of the said Spanish and English Congregations should coalesce into one body which should be and should be called the English Congregation, so that by that coalition and the body so united the old English Benedictine Congregation should be continued, restored, and if necessary erected anew; (2) that the English Congregation so established should be governed by one superior, called the President, who during the schism should reside outside England, by two Provincials in England immediately subject to the said President, by the Priors of the residences or convents outside England, and by a fixed number of Definitors; (3) that no one whatsoever save the said President or his express delegate should have authority thereafter to give or delegate faculties for the English mission to any English Benedictine monks of the said Congregations of Spain and England; (4) that the aforesaid Definitory, in which this union was made, should have the full force of a General Chapter; (5) that the monks should take a missionary oath to the President and should be held to this by the said President; and so forth, as it was said to be more fully expressed in the documents drawn up thereupon.

3

So Our predecessor, Pope Paul V, yielding to the prayers of the said monks in regard to these matters, with his apostolic authority approved and confirmed these statutes and decrees or clauses, gave them the force of inviolable apostolic validity, and made good whatsoever defects, whether of law or fact, might in any way have intervened. Furthermore, with the some authority, he granted to the aforesaid Congregation thus united the power of using and enjoying, freely and lawfully, each and every privilege, grace, indult, faculty, or other prerogative that had been granted both to the Spanish Congregation, and to the old English Benedictine Congregation or the English Benedictines, provided such privileges were in use and not revoked, or comprehended in any revocations, and were not contrary to the sacred Canons and the decrees of the Council of Trent. These privileges, graces, indults, faculties and other prerogatives, he extended to the aforesaid united Congregation, and granted them anew to it so far as that might be necessary. And he decreed that all faculties whatsoever for the aforesaid apostolic mission granted or delegated on occasion in whatever way to the same monks contrary to the tenor of the above statutes and decrees were null and void, and would be and were of no power or force, according as is more fully set forth in his Brief thereupon dispatched under the seal of the Fisherman.

4

But it has been signified to us recently, by the petition of the aforesaid English monks, that some fomenters of trouble have presumed to raise in respect of the aforesaid matters certain questions, both vain and seditious, to the peril of their own souls and the disturbance of monastic peace, and that therefore much dissension and discord has arisen among the religious of this Order and Congregation. We, therefore, to whom has been divinely committed the care of the whole of the Lord's flock and especially of regulars, have considered that the aforesaid monks, imitating that ancient ornament of their Order, Our predecessor Pope Gregory I of glorious memory, who by means of Benedictine monks bore England to Christ, are striving now to bring that country back to the Catholic faith and bind themselves by oath to go there and preach the true faith at the very peril of their lives. We have received the report of our beloved son, the apostolic Nuncio to the Kingdom of France who has examined the aforesaid difficulties; and letters have been written by Our venerable brethren, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church who preside over the Sacred Roman and Universal Inquisition for Heretical Error, to Our beloved sons, the Nuncios of the Holy See in France and Flanders. So We, for Our part, desiring to meet these difficulties and to apply a remedy, are determined to observe the aforesaid Brief and all that it contains which is necessary for its purpose. And we absolve every one of the aforesaid monks and declare them absolved from any excommunication, suspension, interdict, or other ecclesiastical sentence, censure, or penalty, whether incurred by law or inflicted by man, on whatever occasion or for whatever cause, should they be involved in any such, yet so far only as is necessary for the effecting of Our present purpose. And as for the apostolic Brief and documents already mentioned which have been issued in this case, and for all their contents, and for the statutes, definitions, decrees, concessions, indults, graces, faculties and all things whatsoever that belong to them, and for all their lawful effects and consequence We hereby by virtue of this present document and with our apostolic authority perpetually approve and confirm them. And although because of some special rescript they should not have been put into execution, or should not have been observed or fulfilled in whole or in part, We give them the force of inviolable apostolic validity, And all defects whatsoever, whether of law or of fact, or through the omission of any forms required or necessary by law, use, custom or any other reason, or any other defects, however substantial, if any such have intervened, whether principally or accessorily, or in any other way, in the execution of that Brief or in the observance and fulfilment of the things contained in it and in the aforesaid documents, or in the establishment of the said Congregation: all such defects We hereby supply.

5

We decree that the said English Congregation is rightly so called, and should without question be called so by all; and that it is not, nor should be regarded as, the Cluniac Order or Congregation, or any part thereof, but that by the force of the said Brief and documents the English Congregation has been sufficiently erected and established in the monks united by that Brief, even though there may perchance never have been any Congregation of the Order of St Benedict formerly in England. We decree also that every one of the monks who have made their profession in that Congregation thus erected and established, or shall hereafter make it, or have been incorporated in the said Congregation by force of the said Brief, or by force of it or of the present Bull shall hereafter determine to be incorporated therein, and likewise English monks professed in the Spanish Congregation, who are either labouring on the English mission or residing in the houses and convents of the English Congregation outside Spain: that all these are in all things bound to render all religious obedience to the Superiors, rules, laws, and constitutions of the same English Congregation, just as the religious of other Orders and Congregations are bound to obey the superiors, rules and constitutions of the institute in which they have made their profession.

6

And We decree and determine with the same apostolic authority that the same monks, both those incorporated as said above, and those who have made their profession or shall hereafter make it in the first instance in the said English Congregation, cannot pass from it into any other Order or Congregation, except in the cases specified by the Sacred Canons and the privileges of the said Congregation, yet without prejudice to the case of monks professed in the Spanish Congregation, who by the constitutions and privileges of the said English Congregation have reserved to them the right of returning to Spain.

7

Moreover We order and strictly enjoin every one of the persons mentioned above, of either sex, who are bound as before said to render obedience to the said Congregation and its superiors, that they never at any time appeal or have recourse, in any way whatever or on any occasion whatever, from the ordinances, constitutions, laws, decrees, visitations, corrections, reformations, deprivations, depositions, or other penalties and judgements of their own and the said Congregation's superiors, visitors, judges and General Chapter to any lay tribunal, or to any ecclesiastical or secular judge, or any person whatever, no matter with what ecclesiastical or secular authority or dignity he is invested. But they shall be bound to appeal from their ordinary superiors to the judges of causes, the President, the General Chapter and the other judges appointed by the constitutions and laws of the aforesaid Congregation, and in the manner and form set down in the same Constitutions, and to try their rights before them according to the privileges of the said Congregation. Yet, in the case of a notorious and manifest injustice or denial of justice, it shall then be lawful for them to have recourse to Us or to the Roman Pontiff of the time. Furthermore, if anyone have a complaint or wish to lay a complaint against any President, or monk, or monks of the said Congregation, or to sue him or them, the aforesaid President, monk, or monks should be arraigned only before judges of the English Congregation, or before Us and the Roman Pontiffs our successors.

8

Then, by Our apostolic authority and by virtue of these presents, We give and grant, for their free and lawful use and enjoyment, to the aforesaid Congregation, its President, monks, nuns and members of either sex, all and single immunities, honours, privileges, degrees, indults, liberties, graces, rights, faculties and other prerogatives which have been granted hitherto by Us, or Our predecessors, or the Holy See, whether principally or by extension, or by communication, or which shall hereafter be granted, to the Cassinese, Spanish, Old English Congregations, to the English Benedictines and their monasteries, abbots, monks and nuns, to any of the Mendicant Orders, to the Society of Jesus and the Military Orders, and to their superiors and religious, generally and individually, even though they were granted with this or a similar clause, viz, that they should be communicated to none others and should not fall under the rule of communication in privileges. Nor do We grant these things to them in a secondary fashion (ad instar), but primarily and principally, as though they were granted in the first instance directly and principally to the English Congregation and President, monks and nuns aforesaid, and were here inserted and expressed word by word; provided nevertheless that they have not been revoked, or do not come under some revocation, and are not in conflict with the Sacred Canons, the decrees of the Council of Trent, other apostolic constitutions and the regular institutes of the said Order of St Benedict.

9

Moreover, by the said apostolic authority and by virtue of these presents, We perpetually exempt, free and absolve the same Congregation, its monks and nuns and their individual persons from all visitation, authority, superiority, or whatever jurisdiction of whatever Ordinaries or other person or persons whatsoever, no matter what be their dignity, authority and office; yet not in those cases in which by the decrees of the Council of Trent the local Ordinaries are given jurisdiction even over exempt religions. But We take the same Congregation, its monks and members, under the immediate protection of Ourselves, of the Roman Pontiffs Our successors, and of the Apostolic See. We decree that it shall be lawful to none, save to Us and Our said successors, to pass any sentence of excommunication, suspension, or interdict against any member of the aforesaid Congregation, or against others for their sake; and if they shall have passed such sentence, that it shall be thereby void and of no force or moment, and shall be so regarded.

10

Moreover We do mercifully in the Lord even perpetually concede and grant with the said apostolic authority and tenor a plenary indulgence of all their sins to the monks and nuns of the same Congregation, and to all and each of the faithful of Christ of either sex, who, being truly penitent, having made their confession and received Holy Communion, shall visit the churches of the monasteries of the aforesaid Congregation on each feast day of St Benedict, founder and lawgiver of the Order, on the feast of All Saints of the Order of St Benedict which is celebrated every year on the thirteenth of November, on the feast of St Augustine, the apostle of England, and on the feasts of the patrons and dedications of the same churches, and shall pray devoutly for the triumph of our Mother the Church, for the extirpation of heresies, for the concord of Christian Princes, and for the welfare of the Roman Pontiff.

11

Finally We grant to the same Congregation and its General Chapter the faculty of making whatever constitutions shall seem useful and necessary for the government of the Congregation, and of changing, altering, entirely abolishing, and re-enacting the constitutions which have been made hitherto or shall hereafter be made, according to the character, needs and variety of places, times and circumstances. And after such constitutions have been abolished, altered, or re-enacted, provided that they are in their substance lawful and proper, and not otherwise, we grant that they shall be at once considered as confirmed and approved with the aforesaid Apostolic authority.

12

But whereas among the privileges, graces, indults, faculties and prerogatives of the Order and Congregation of Black Monks of St Benedict and of its monasteries in England there were the cathedral rights of nine churches, viz, the archbishopric of Canterbury and the bishoprics of Winchester, Durham, Ely, Worcester, Norwich, Rochester, Bath and Coventry; and whereas the seats of those bishoprics were situated and located in the monasteries of the same Order, in such way or fashion that the chapters of the said cathedral churches and all capitular rights remained and were in the communities and monks of the same monasteries, which monks with their Prior constituted the primary canons and cathedral chapters of those churches, while the Bishops were as it were Abbots of the same communities and were elected by the votes of the same communities and monks both to the abbatial and episcopal see, and the Priors held the next place and authority after the Bishop both in the diocese and in the chapter; and whereas, for the purpose of preserving this right to the aforesaid monks of the Order of St Benedict and for perpetuating it, several of the Roman Pontiffs, our predecessors, issued various letters, repelling contradictors and reserving and preserving the said rights whole and unimpaired to the same monks down to the unhappy schism of King Henry VIII of England, who by the schismatical and usurped power and authority of royal supremacy ejected the aforesaid monks who held the aforesaid cathedral churches and their chapters, and converted the aforesaid nine monastic cathedral chapters, as well as three monasteries of the same Order, viz. Peterborough, Gloucester and Chester, expelling the monks, into secular chapters, and finally suppressed and profaned the other monasteries of the Order of Saint Benedict throughout England; and whereas Our beloved Sons, the President, Definitors and other Capitulars, to whom and to the rest of the monks of the aforesaid Congregation the said Paul, our predecessor, gave and granted all and single privileges, graces, indults, faculties and privileges as said before, in order to preserve such privileges, graces, indults, faculties and prerogatives and that the pontifical grant in regard to these matters should be carried into effect, have in a Chapter held by them for this purpose assigned to each of the said cathedral monasteries certain Priors and monks who should constitute the chapters of the aforesaid churches and maintain the aforesaid prerogatives and privileges; and whereas they have appointed Cathedral Priors of these churches, each with a community of monks, Our beloved sons as follows:

WHEREFORE WE too, holding to the footsteps of the aforesaid Paul Our predecessor, do with Our said apostolic authority and tenor perpetually confirm and approve all and single privileges, graces, indults, faculties and prerogatives, and all rights, immunities, honours and liberties of the aforesaid Congregation which in anyway appertained formerly, while the Catholic Faith flourished in England, to the old English Congregation or to the English Benedictines, and to their abbots, priors and other monks, as likewise the aforesaid capitular act whereby the aforesaid President and Definitors chose and appointed out of their body the above-mentioned monks and communities or cathedral chapters. Moreover, we decree and declare that the above-named monks have been lawfully, rightly and validly elected and assigned as priors, communities and cathedral chapters; and that they or others, who are appointed or shall be appointed in their place by the authority of the General Chapter of the English Congregation, do now really form and constitute, and shall hereafter form and constitute, the cathedral chapters of the said churches, with the very same form, validity and order with which the old English Congregation or the English Benedictines formed and constituted those cathedral chapters before their violent seizure by the heretics. And with the same apostolic authority and tenor We grant perpetually to the same priors and their cathedral communities thus established all and single rights, prerogatives, honours, graces,immunities, exemptions and privileges which ancientlybelonged to the aforesaid cathedral chapters, or to the priors and monks who constituted them.

13

Furthermore We command the President and Definitors, or the Regimen and General Chapter of the time of the English Congregation, that they never at any time attempt to dissolve and annul the aforesaid monastic cathedral chapters thus established, or ever renounce this right of theirs, but rather hold themselves obliged and endeavour to maintain, defend, preserve and perpetuate them. But if they shall attempt to do otherwise, We decree that what-ever action they may take for that purpose, whether now or in the future, is null and void. Furthermore, We grant to the President, Regimen and General Chapter of this English Congregation the faculty of making whatever lawful and proper constitutions and laws shall seem useful and necessary for the preservation, direction and government of the above-named priors and communities or monastic cathedral chapters, and in accordance with the needs and character of the times of changing, altering or wholly abolishing the laws that they have hitherto made or shall make hereafter, and of making other laws anew; and after they have been changed, altered or enacted anew they shall at once be regarded, just as the laws already made, but provided that they contain what is lawful and proper and not otherwise, as approved and confirmed by apostolic and by our authority.

14

Finally with the same tenor and apostolic authority We grant and confirm to the foresaid English Congregation, and to its President and monks, all and single rights and every title which the old English Congregation or the English Benedictines formerly had in the monasteries of Peterborough, Gloucester and Chester, with this effect that the aforesaid monks of the English Congregation have the same right and title to the cathedral chapters of Peterborough, Gloucester and Chester, that the old English Congregation or the English Benedictines anciently had to the monasteries of Peterborough, Gloucester and Chester; and that the aforesaid monks of the English Congregation can with the same right and in the same way lawfully and validly elect and appoint monks from its body who ma yform and constitute the cathedral chapters of Peterborough, Gloucester and Chester, just as they have elected and appointed them for the monastic cathedral chapters of Canterbury, Winchester, Durham and the others named above; and that the monks so elected and appointed do truly and really form and constitute, now and hereafter, the priors and communities or cathedral chapters of Peterborough, Gloucester and Chester.

15

Furthermore, with the same authority and tenor we likewise perpetually grant and confirm to this the English Congregation all and single rights and every title to all the monasteries of the old English Congregation or of the English Benedictines, which the old English Congregation or the English Benedictines anciently had, with all their daughter houses and dependencies. We decree that the same monasteries are not vacant, nor can or ought as vacant to be got or obtained in title or in commendam, and that any grants, or arrangements, or commends, or other provisions whatsoever, save in favour of the said Congregation, as also unions, aggregations and dismemberments in favour of other monasteries, pious places, regular houses of another Order or Congregation than the aforesaid English Benedictine Congregation, granted perchance by Us or Our predecessors, and to be granted by our successors, are null and void and of no force or moment, as being made against and contrary to Our intention.

16

Finally We heartily commend in the Lord to our most dear sons in Christ, the Kings of this present time, and our beloved sons the noblemen, dukes, princes and temporal lords, and also to all ecclesiastical prelates of whatever rank, the aforesaid English Congregation and its monks, exiles from their country for the profession of the Catholic faith and striving for the planting of that Faith even to the pledging of their blood and the peril of their lives, and we exhort and beg them in the Lord that they would not only not permit them to be molested or their privileges to be withdrawn or violated, but that they would, as is proper, receive them and defend them kindly and with charity.

17

We declare also that the Brief, statutes, decrees, clauses, grants, indults, graces, faculties and the rest before mentioned, and likewise this present Bull and all its contents, should be firmly and inviolably observed and fulfilled by the monks of this English Benedictine Congregation, nor can be abandoned and left at any time, nor any opposition or objection made against them or any part of them; but they should always be and remain valid and effective, and get and obtain their full and complete effects. Nor may they be censured, impugned, invalidated, retracted, restricted, or called in question or trial on any charge of subreption, or obreption, or nullity, or defect of our intention, or other defect. Nor are they included in, but are excepted from, any revocations of similar favours, limitations, derogations, or other contrary dispositions to be made in any way by Us and the Apostolic See for whatever reason and even necessarily. Nor may any remedy against them of law or fact, justice or grace, be obtained, or, being obtained or allowed to be obtained from another or others, be used. And all and single should consider that silence has been perpetually imposed on all fomenters of discord and other opponents whatsoever. And such should be the judgement of all whatsoever ordinary or delegated judges, whatever authority they hold, even the Auditors of Cases of the Apostolic Palace and Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, and likewise Legates a latere and Vice- Legates and Nuncios of the said See. And if anyone, no matter what his authority, knowingly or ignorantly attempts to act otherwise in these matters, we decree that such action is void and of no effect.

18

Wherefore by apostolic letters we enjoin upon our venerable Brethren, the Archbishop of Cambray and the Bishop of Toul, and our beloved Son, the Abbot of the monastery of St Vedast at Arras of the Order of Saint Benedict, that they, or two of them, or one of them, by themselves or by another or others, do solemnly publish the present Bull and all whatsoever is contained in it, where and when there is need, and as often as they are required to do so by the Abbots and monks of the said English Congregation or any one of them; that they do assist them and each one of them in the aforesaid matters with the support of their effective defence; that they do by our authority make them and each one of them to have and enjoy peacefully the confirmation, approbation, addition, supply, decree, amplification, declaration, and the rest aforesaid. Let them not permit them or any one of them to be improperly molested, annoyed or disturbed in their regard by anyone in any way whatever. Let them by our said authority, without appeal, check all contradictors and rebels by sentences, censures, ecclesiastical penalties and other suitable remedies, and observing the processes of law appropriate in these matters declare them to have incurred these sentences, censures and penalties and even renew them repeatedly according to the form of the Council of Trent. And if necessary let them also invoke for their purpose the aid of the secular arm.

19

These things they shall do notwithstanding the law of Our predecessor of blessed memory, Pope Boniface VIII, that no one should be summoned to trial outside his own state or diocese, except in certain cases and in these not beyond one day's journey from the boundary of his diocese; or that judges appointed by the Apostolic See should not presume outside the state or diocese for which they were appointed to take proceedings against anyone or to delegate another or others to take such proceedings; or the law of a General Council regarding the limit of two days' journey, provided that no one be summoned to trial by the authority of these presents beyond the limit of three days' journey. Notwithstanding also other laws of whatever sort, apostolic, provincial, synodal and universal, or made by any Legate a Latere, or general or special Councils, constitutions and ordinances, or statutes and constitutions of this Order and Congregation of England even though confirmed by oath, or by the Apostolic See, or in any way whatever. Notwithstanding also the privileges, indults and apostolic letters granted to the same Order and Congregation of England and to its Superiors, Communities and other persons under whatever tenor and form and with whatever forms of derogation attached to them, or whatevermore effective and unusual invalidating clauses. Notwithstanding also other decrees in general and in special even though granted in consistory or in any other way whatever and though often approved and renewed. And for all such things, even though for their adequate derogation there were needed special, specific, express and individual mention of them and their whole tenor, and not a mention in general terms to the same effect, but some other sort of expression and some other very special form without which they would remain effective: We do for this occasion only by this act specially and expressly derogate from them; even though it be granted by this See to any persons, whether together or individually, that they cannot be interdicted, suspended, or excommunicated by apostolical letters which do not make full and express and word by word mention of this indult.

20

And We will that to copies of this Bull, whether printed or manuscript, subscribed by some public notary and fortified with the seal of a Prelate or other ecclesiastical dignitary, the same credit be everywhere given as if this present Bull were exhibited or shown. Let it belawful therefore for no man whatever to infringe or by rash act contradict this page of our absolution, addition, supply, decree, concession, indult, confirmation, approbation, declaration, mandate, derogation and will. But if anyone shall presume to attempt such thing, let him know that he will incur the indignation of Almighty God and of his Apostles, Saints Peter and Paul. Given at Rome, at St Mary Major's, in the year of Our Lord one thousand six hundred and thirty-three, on the fourth of the Ides of July, in the tenth year of our pontificate.

12th July 1633


Translation: Abbot Justin McCann ca.1935
Updated: 8 March 2006           Contact Editor