Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent/Session VII/Bull of Faculty to transfer the Council

by Paul III

BULL OF FACULTY TO TRANSFER THE COUNCIL.

Paul, Bishop, servant of the servants of God, to our venerable brother Giammaria, bishop of Palsestrina, and to our beloved sons, Marcellus, of the title of the Holy Cross, in Jerusalem, priest, and Reginald, of Saint Mary in Cosmedin, deacon, cardinals, our legates a latere and those of the Apostolical See, health and apostolical benediction.

We, by the appointment of God, presiding over the government of the universal church, though with merits unequal thereunto, deem it a part of our office that, if anything of more than usual moment have to be settled touching the Christian commonweal, it be done not only at a suitable season, but also in a convenient and fitting place. Wherefore, whereas we lately, with the advice and consent of our venerable brethren the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, upon hearing that peace had been made between our most dear sons in Christ, Charles, the Emperor of the Romans, ever august, and Francis, the most Christian King of the French, after we had taken off and removed the suspension of the celebration of the sacred œcumenical and universal council, which we had on another occasion, for reasons then declared, indicted, with the like advice and. consent at the city of Trent, and which was, for certain other reasons at that time also declared suspended, with the like advice and consent, unto another more opportune and convenient time, to be declared by us: being ourselves unable, since we were at that time lawfully hindered, to repair to the aforesaid city in person, and to be present at that council, we, by the same advice, ordained and deputed you as our lgates a latere, and those of the Apostolic See, in that council; and we sent you unto that same city as angels of peace, as in divers our letters thereupon is more fullv contained: We, wishing to provide opportunely that so holy a work as the celebration of such a council may not be hindered or unduly delayed, through the inconvenience of the place, or otherwise in any manner, we, of our own proper motion,^[1] and certain knowledge, and the plenitude of apostolic authority, and with the aforesaid advice and consent, ao, by the tenor of these presents, with apostolic authority, concede to you all together, or to two of you, the other being detained by lawful impediment, or perchance absent therefrom, full and free power and faculty, to transfer and change, whensoever it shall seem fit to you, the aforesaid council from the same city of Trent, to any other more convenient, opportune, or safe city, respecting which it shall also seem fit to you, and to suppress and dissolve that [which is held] in the said city of Trent; as also to inhibit, even under ecclesiastical censures and pains, the prelates and other members of the said council, from proceeding to any further measures therein in the said city of Trent; and also to continue, hold,, and celebrate the same council in any other such city unto which it shall happen to have been transferred and changed, and to summon thereunto the prelates and other members of the said Council of Trent, even under the pain of perjury, and of the other penalties mentioned in the letters of indiction of that council; to preside and proceed, in the council thus translated and changed, in the name and authority aforesaid, and to perform, institute; ordain, and execute the other things, as above mentioned, and the things thereunto necessary and opportune, according to the contents and tenor of the previous letters which have been on other occasion addressed unto you: [and] We will hold as ratified and pleasing whatsoever by you shall have been done, instituted, ordained, or executed, in the matters aforesaid, and will, with God's help, cause it to be inviolably observed; any apostolical constitutions and ordinances, and other things whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding. Wherefore, let it be lawful to no one soever to infringe this letter of our grant, or with rash daring go contrary thereto. But if anyone shall presume to attempt this, let him know that he will incur the indication of Almighty God, and of the blessed Peter and Paul, His apostles. Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, in the year of the Lord's Incarnation, 1547, on the 8th of the calends of March,^[2] in the eleventh year of our pontificate.

Fab. Bish. of Spol.
B. Motta.

 

1. "Motu proprio," a phrase resembling the old English formula "ex mero motu" applied to what the king does upon his own responsibility. Du Cange states, that "its authority was far less than that of bulls, but that it was afterwards inserted in the bulb also, in order to signify that the pope promulgated them himself without consulting the council of cardinals, and at no one's request" (vol. iv. p. 1604).
2. February 22nd.