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REGNANS IN EXCELSIS
BULL OF PIUS V
FEBRUARY 25, 1570 |
Pius Episcopus, servus servorum Dei, ad futuram rei memoriam.
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Pius the Bishop, servant of the servants of God, for a perpetual memorial of the matter.
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Regnans in excelsis, cui data est omnis in coelo et in terra potestas, unum sanctam Catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam, extra quam nulla est salus, uni soli in terris, videlicet apostolorum principi Petro, Petrique successori Romano pontifici, in potestatis plenitudine tradidit gubernandam. Hunc unum super omnes gentes, et omnia regna principem constituit, qui evellat, destruat, dissipet, disperdat, plantet, et aedificet, ut fidelem populum mutuae charitatis nexu constrictum in unitate spiritus contineat, salvumque et incolumem suo exhibeat salvatori.
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He who reigns on high, to Whom is given all power in Heaven and on earth, has entrusted His holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, outside which there is no salvation, to one person alone on earth, namely to Peter the Prince of the Apostles, and to Peter's successor, the Roman Pontiff, to be governed (by him) with plenitude of power. Him alone He appointed Prince over all nations and kingdoms, to root up, pull down, waste, destroy, plant and build, so that he might preserve his faithful people linked together by the bond of mutual charity in the unity of the Spirit, and might present them, saved and blameless, to their Saviour.
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Quo quidem in munere obeundo, nos ad praedictae ecclesiae gubernacula Dei benignitate vocati, nullum laborem intermittimus, omni opera contendentes, ut ipsa unitas, et Catholica religio (quam illius author ad probandum suorum fidem, et correctionem nostram, tantis procellis conflictari permisit) integra conservetur. Sed impiorum numerus tantum potentia invaluit, ut nullus iam in orbe locus sit relictus, quem illi pessimis doctrinis corrumpere non tentarint; adnitente inter caeteros, flagitiorum serva Elizabetha praetensa Angliae regina, ad quam veluti ad asylum omnium infestissimi profugium invenerunt. Haec eadem, regno occupato, supremi ecclesiae capitis locum in omni Anglia, eiusque praecipuam authoritatem atque iurisdictionem monstrose sibi usurpans, regnum ipsum iam tum ad fidem Catholicam, et bonam frugem reductum, rursus in miserum exitium revocavit.
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In the fulfilment of this office, we, called by the goodness of God to the government of the aforesaid Church, spare no labour, striving with all zeal to preserve intact that unity and Catholic religion which its Author has allowed to be disturbed with such great tribulations for the proving of His people's faith and for our correction. But the number of the ungodly has grown so strong in power, that no place is left in the world which they have not tried to corrupt with their abominable doctrines; among others assisting in this work is the servant of vice, Elizabeth, pretended Queen of England, with whom, as in a place of sanctuary, the most nefarious wretches have found refuge. This same woman, having acquired the kingdom and outrageously usurped for herself the place of Supreme Head of the Church in all England and its chief authority and jurisdiction, has again plunged that same kingdom back into a wretchedly unhappy condition, after it had so recently been reclaimed for the Catholic Faith and prosperity.
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Usu namque verae religionis, quam ab illius desertore Henrico VIII olim eversam, clarae memoriae Maria regina legitima huius sedis praesidio reparaverat, potenti manu inhibito, secutisque et amplexis haereticorum erroribus, regium consilium ex Anglica nobilitate confectum diremit; illudque obscuris hominibus haereticis complevit, Catholicae fidei cultores oppressit, improbos concionatores atque impietatum administros reposuit. Missae sacrificium, preces, ieiunia, ciborum delectum, coelibatum, ritusque Catholicos abolevit. Libros manifestam haeresim continentes toto regno proponi, impia mysteria, et instituta ad Calvini praescriptum a se suscepta et observata, etiam a subditis servari mandavit. Episcopos ecclesiarum, rectores, et alios sacerdotes Catholicos suis ecclesiis et beneficiis eiicere, ac de illis, et aliis rebus ecclesiasticis in haereticos disponere, de ecclesiae causis decerenere ausa. Praelatis, clero, et populo, ne Romanam ecclesiam agnoscerent, neve eius praeceptis sanctionibusque canonicis obtemperarent, interdixit; plerosque in nefarias leges suas venire, et Romani pontificis auctoritatem atque obedientiam abiurare, seque solum in temporalibus et spiritualibus dominam agnoscere, iureiurando coegit; poenas et supplicia in eos qui dicto non essent audientes imposuit, easdemque ab iis, qui in unitate fidei et praedicta obedientia perservarunt, exegit; Catholicos antistes et ecclesiarum rectores in vincula coniecit, ubi multi diuturno languore et tristitia confecti, extremum vitae diem misere finierunt.
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For having by force prohibited the practice of the true religion (which had been formerly overthrown by Henry VIII, an apostate from it, and restored by Mary, the legitimate queen of famous memory, with the help of this See) and following and embracing the errors of heretics, she has altered the composition of the royal Council representing the nobility of England and has filled it with obscure heretical men; she has suppressed the followers of the Catholic Faith, appointed shameful preachers and ministers of impieties, and abolished the Sacrifice of the Mass, prayers, fastings, choice of meats, celibacy and Catholic ceremonies; and she has commanded that books containing manifest heresy should be distributed throughout the whole kingdom and that impious rites and institutions (accepted and observed by herself according to Calvin's precept) should be observed by her subjects also. She has dared to eject bishops, rectors of churches and other Catholic priests from their churches and benefices and to bestow these and other ecclesiastical things upon heretics and she has also presumed to decide legal cases within the Church. She has forbidden the prelates, clergy and people to acknowledge the Roman Church or to obey its orders and its canonical sanctions. She has forced most of them to assent to her wishes and laws, to abjure the authority and obedience of the Roman Pontiff and to recognize her by oath as sole mistress in temporal and spiritual affairs; she has imposed pains and penalties on those who would not obey her commands and has exacted them from those who persevered in the unity of faith and the aforesaid obedience; she has cast Catholic bishops and rectors of churches into prison, where many of them, worn out with long weariness and sorrow, have miserably ended their span of life.
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Quae omnia cum apud omnes nationes perspicua et notiora sint, et gravissimo quamplurimorum testimonio ita comprobata, ut nullus omnino locus excusationis, defensionis, aut tergiversationis relinquatur, nos multiplicantibus aliis atque aliis super alias impietatibus et facinoribus, et praeterea fidelium persecutione, religionisque afflictione, impulsu et opera dictae Elizabethae quotidie magis ingraviscente; quoniam illius animum ita obfirmatum atque induratum intelligimus, ut non modo pias Catholicorum principum de sanitate et conversione preces monitionesque contempserit, sed ne huius quidem sedis ad ipsam hac de causas nuncios in Angliam traiicere permiserit, ad arma iustitiae contra eam de necessitate conversi, dolorem lenire non possumus, quod adducamur in unam animadvertere, cuius maiores de republica Christiana tantopere meruere. Illius itaque authoritate suffulti, qui nos in hoc supremo iustitiae throno, licet tanto oneri impares, voluit collocare, de apostolicae potestatis plenitudine declaramus praedictam Elizabetham haereticam, et haereticorum fautricem, eique adhaerentes in praedictis, anathematis sententiam incurrisse, esseque a Christi corporis unitate praecisos.
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All these things are clear and notorious to all nations and proved by the most weighty testimony of so many that there is no room whatever for excuse, defence or evasion. We have seen that the impieties and crimes have been multiplied, one upon the other, and that also the persecution of the faithful and the affliction of religion through the pressure and action of the said Elizabeth grow greater every day, and since we understand her spirit to be hardened and obstinate--so that she has not only set at naught the pious prayers and warnings of Catholic princes concerning her soundness of mind and conversion, but she has not even allowed the Nuncios of this See to cross into England for this purpose--we are necessarily compelled to take up against her the weapons of justice, although we can not disguise our sorrow that we are thus forced to proceed against one whose ancestors have deserved so well of the Commonwealth of Christendom. But being strengthened by the authority of Him, Who willed to place us on the supreme throne of justice though unequal to so great a burden, out of the plenitude of our Apostolic power we declare the aforesaid Elizabeth to be heretic and an abetter of heretics, and we declare her, together with her supporters in the abovesaid matters, to have incurred the sentence of excommunication and to be cut off from the unity of the Body of Christ.
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Quin etiam ipsam praetenso regni praedicti iure, necnon omni et quocunque dominio, dignitate, privilegioque privatam; et item proceres, subditos, et populos dicti regni, ac caeteros omnes, qui illi quomodocunque iuraverunt, a iuramento huiusmodi, ac omni prorsus dominii, fidelitatis, et obsequii debito, perpetuo absolutos, prout nos illos praesentium auctoritate absolvimus; et privamus eandem Elizabetham praetenso iure regni, aliisque omnibus supradictis. Praecipimusque et interdicimus universis et singulis proceribus, subditis, populis, et aliis praedictis, ne illi eiusve monitis, mandatis et legibus audeant obedire. Qui secus egerint, eos simili anathematis sententia innodamus.
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Furthermore we declare her to be deprived of her pretended claim to the aforesaid kingdom and of all lordship, dignity and privilege whatsoever. Also we declare that the lords, subjects and peoples of the said kingdom, and all others who have sworn allegiance to her in any way, are perpetually absolved from any oath of this kind and from any type of duty in relation to lordship, fidelity and obedience; consequently we absolve them by the authority of our present statements, and we deprive the same Elizabeth of her pretended claim to the kingdom and of all other claims mentioned previously. And we command and forbid all and sundry among the lords, subjects, peoples and others aforesaid that they have not to obey her or her admonitions, orders or laws. We shall bind those who do the contrary with a similar sentence of excommunication.
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Quia vero difficile nimis esset, praesentes quocunque illis opus erit perferre, volumus ut earum exempla, notarii publici manu, et praelati ecclesiastici, eiusve curiae sigillo obsignata, eandem prorsus fidem in iudicio, et extra illud ubique gentium faciant, quam ipsae praesentes facerent, si essent exhibitae vel ostensae.
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Because it would be too difficult for the present words to be conveyed to those who need them, we desire that copies of them bearing the signature of a public notary and the sign of a prelate of the Church or his office, should have the same authentic strength before justice and extra-judicially and produce everywhere the same effect as this present document would produce, if submitted and shown.
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Datum Romae apud Sanctum Petrum, anno incarnationis dominae millesimo quingentisimo sexagisimo nono, quinto kalendis Martii, pontificatus nostri anno quinto.
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Given at Rome at St. Peter's, in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 1570, on the fifth day (before the) Kalends of March, in the fifth year of our Pontificate.
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PIUS V
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