1490/1. Kal. March. (1 March.) St. Peter's, Rome. (f. 288v.) |
To John Kendal, prior of the priory of England, of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, a member of the pope's household. Exemption, etc., as below. The pope by other letters, in consideration of his great merits, and of the services which he has rendered to the pope and the apostolic see and the Christian commonwealth, made him a member of the house and family of Cibo, citizens of Genoa, which gave birth to the pope, and joined him to other citizens of the said house and family, and willed and granted that he should enjoy the name, nobility, dignity, arms and insignia of the same family, and be held and treated everywhere as such accordingly, as is contained more fully in the same letters. (fn. 8) The pope now, in order that he (who has been nurtured from his tender years and has laudably persevered until now in the religion of St. John of Jerusalem, (fn. 9) and is fortified (fn. 10) with the exemption which by apostolic indults all the religious of the said religion enjoy, and in accordance with such exemption is subject solely to the said see and to the master of the said Hospital and its other prelates and officers, etc.) may be fortified with special exemption and favour of the said see, takes him, motu proprio, under the protection of SS. Peter and Paul and the said see and of the pope himself, and exempts him from the power, superiority, jurisdiction, etc., of all legati nati and [legates] emissary, even [legates] de latere, (fn. 11) and papal nuncios with the power of such legates, unless they have these things specially contained in their mandates with express and specific mention of these presents, (fn. 12) and also of ordinaries of places ecclesiastical and secular, and their officials, (fn. 13) and all other judges, except only the said master, and wills that he shall be subject solely to the said see and master, so that the said legates, nuncios, ordinaries, officials (fn. 14) and judges, ecclesiastical, and still less (fn. 15) secular, even those exercising the authority of dukes, marquises, kings and queens, shall not be able, even by reason of delict, contract, etc., to exercise any superiority and jurisdiction against him [and] his benefices and goods, nor pronounce any censure or other sentence, but that he shall be bound to stand his trial (fn. 16) solely before the said see and master and their delegates, and judicially make answer to complainants, etc. The pope further orders, also motu proprio, the conservators and sub-conservators of the privileges of the said Hospital and other persons of ecclesiastical rank, and canons of metropolitan and other cathedral churches, when required, to publish the foregoing and to defend him, etc., and to proclaim and cause to be proclaimed by others the penalties of interdict, excommunication, deprivation and disability against such legates, nuncios, ordinaries and officials (fn. 17) and judges, ecclesiastical and secular, even those of royal rank, as shall disobey. A copy of these presents signed by the hand of a notary public, and bearing the seal of some prelate, shall have the same force as the original. Decens et debitum. (Gratis de mandato sanctissimi domini nostri.) [3 pp. In the margin at the end: ‘Mar(tii)’. See Reg. Vat. DCCLIV, f. 5r., below, p. 275.] |