Urbanus episc., s. s. dei, venerabili fratri Willelmo episcopo Sodorensi salutem, etc. Intra solicitudines varias quibus assidue premimur illud angit precipue mentem nostram ut viduatis ecclesiis et monasteriis provisio auctore domino proveniat fructu osa. Dudum siquidem felicis recordationis Clemens papa sextus predecessor noster provisiones certarum ecclesiarum cathedralium et monasteriorum omnium tune apud sedem apostolicam quocunque modo vacantium et inantea vacaturorum ordinationi et disposi-tioni sue reservavit, decernendo ex tune irritum et inane si secus super its per quoscunque quavis auctoritate scienter vel ignoranter contingeret attemptari. Postmodum vero, ecclesia tua Sodorensi per obitum bone meinorke Thome Episcopi Sodorensis, qui extra Romanam curiam diem clansit extremum, pastoris solatio desti-tute, dilecti filii Clerus civitatis et dieecesis Sodorensis, ad quos electio Episcopi Sodorensis de antigtia et approbata et hactenus pacifice observata consuetudine dicitur pertinere, te tune Abbatem monasterii de Rtissyn, ordinis Cisterciensis, tuæ dieecesis, in Sodorensem Episcopum elegerunt, idemque prædecessor electionem hujusmodi, non obstante si ejtisdem ecclesiæ provisio per eum vel prædecessoris suos Romanos pontifices esset dispositioni dictæ sedis specialiter vel generaliter reservata, (le fratrum suorum sanctæ Romanæ ecclesiæ Cardinalium, qui tune erant, consiliu, auctoritate apostolica confirmavit, teque tune apnd sedem consti-tutum eandem ecclesiæ Sodorensi prædictæ præfecit in episeopum et pastorem, ac subsequenter diettis prædecessor tibi apud sedem prædictam munus fecit consecrationis impendi. Cum itaque dic-tum monasterium secundum præmissa aptid sedem vacavit et vacare noscatur eandem, de cujus provisione dietus Clemens et piæ me-mori,,.),- Innocentius papa sextus ejusdem Clementis successor præ-decessor nøster, qui uno mense a die obitus Clementis non elapso provisiones ecclesiarum Cathedralium et monasteriorum omnium tune apud dictum sedem vacantium et vacaturorum impos-terum ordinationi et dispositioni suæ cum similis interpositione deereti etiam reservavit, minime ordinarunt, nos licet immeriti ad apicem summi apostolatus assumpti cum a nonnullis revocaretur in dtibium an post dicti Innocentii prædecessoris obitum aliquis præter Romanum pontificem de abbatialibus et aliis dignitatibus et beneficiis ecelesiasticis per eundem prædecessorem dispositioni suæ reservavis et tempore sui obitus vacantibus disponere potuisset seu posset, ad htijusmodi ambiguitatis tollendum dubium declara-vimus abbatiales et alias dignitates et beneficia hujusmodi per reservationem et decreta dicti Innocentii prædecessoris affecta, nullumque de illis præter Romanum pontificem ea vice potuisse vel posse disponere quoquo modo, ac deerevimus irritum et inane quicquid in contrarium a quoquam quavis auctoritate scienter vel ignoranter attemptatum forsan erat time vel contingeret ixnpos-terum attemptari, ac deinde intellecto quod dilectus filius Roge-rus de Bolton, monachus monasterii de Ftirnesio dicti ordinis, Eboracensis, dictum ordinem ipsum expresse professus in sacerdotio et ætate legitima constitutes, cui etiam de reiigionis zelo vitæ ac morunr honestate aliisque multiplicium virtutum meritis apud nos fide digna testimonia perhibentur, utilis esset ad regimen dicti monasterii de Ressyn, de quo nullus præter Romanum pontificem hae vice se intromittere potuit neque potest, reser-vatione declaratione et decretis obsistentibus supradictis, ac cupientes eidem monasterio adliuc ut præfertur vacanti, licet in eo sicut accepimus dilectus filius Willelmus de Cokerhara qui se gerit pro monacho monasterii de Fernesio prædicto se intruserit illuddue detineat indebite occupatum, ne uiterioris vacationis incommoda patiatur celeriter et saiubriter providere, fraternitati tuæ de qua in iis et aliis fiduciam gerimus in domino specialem per apost. scripta committimus et manda-mus, quatenns si von, tis dieto Willelmo et aliis qui fuerint evocandi tibi constiterit eundem Willelmum vel alium in monasterio de Russyn canonicum titulum non habere de persona dicti Rogeri hae vice eidem monasterio sic vacanti auctoritate nostra provideas ipsumque illi præficias in Abbatem, curam et administrationem ejusdem monasterii sibi in spiritualibus et temporalibus plenarie committendo, faciens ei amoto exinde dieto Willelmo et geolibet alio detentore a seis subditis obedientiam et reverentiam debitam exhiberi, sibique nihilominus impendas vel per alium antistitem gratiam et communionem dictæ sedis habentem facias ni unus bene-dictionis impendi,-Contradictores per censuram ecclesiasticam ap-pellatione postposita compescendo. Vohimus autem quod til vel idem Antistes qui præfatum munus impendet, postgruam illud sibi impenditur ab eodem Rogero nostro et ecclesiæ Romanæ nomine fidelitatis debit-,e solitum recipias vel recipiat juramenturn juxta formam quam sub bulla nostra mittimus interclusam, ac formarvi juramenti quod dictus Rogerus præstabit nobis de verbo ad verbum per ejus patentes literas suo sigillo signatas per proprium nuntiem quantocius destinare procures seu procuret. Datum Avinione xvi. kal. Aprilis polit. nostri anno primo.

Urban Bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Our vener-able brother William Bishop of the Sodor diocese, health, etc. Amid the various cares with which We are constantly oppressed, We are especially anxious to make, with the help of God, bene-ficial provision for churches and monasteries when bereft of their pastors. Now, forsooth, some time back Our predecessor Pope Clement VI., of happy memory, reserved for his own ordinance and disposal the provision for certain cathedral churches, and all mon-asteries, which had at that time become vacant, or should in future become so from whatever cause,whilst their possessors were actually, or by legal repute, at the Apostolic See, decreeing that whatsoever should be otherwise attempted in regard to them, knowingly or unknowingly, by whatsoever persons furnished with whatsoever authority, shouhl be null and void. Sometime afterwards, your Sodor Church was deprived of its pastor by the death of Thomas Bishop of the Sodor diocese, of happy memory, who ended his days without the Roman Court, and Our beloved sons the clergy of the Sodor cathedral city, and diocese (to whom the election of the Bishop of Sodor is said to belong, in accordance with an ancient, approved, and hitherto peacefully observed custom), chose you, at that time Abbot of the monastery of Rushen of the Cistercian Order in your diocese, to be the Bishop of the Sodor diocese ; and Our said predecessor, with the advice of his brethren the then Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, confirmed by his Apostolical authority the election, even in the sup-position that the provision for the said church was specially or generally reserved either by himself or his predecessors the Roman Pontiffs for the disposal of the said See, and placed you, , who were then at the Holy See, as bishop and pastor over the said Sodor Church; and subsequently Our said predecessor caused the rite of consecration to be administered to you at the same See.

Whereas, therefore, the aforesaid monastery in accordance with what has been said, became vacant at the Holy See, and is known to be vacant, with regard to the provision for which neither the said Clement nor Pope Innocent VI., of pious memory, the successor of the same Clement, and Our predecessor (who before one month had elapsed from the day of the death of Clement, by a similar decree reserved the provisions for cathedral churches, and all monasteries, at that time become vacant at the said See, and hereafter to become so, to his own ordinance and disposal), have made any disposition; We, although undeservedly having been exalted - to the dignity of the Chief Apostolate, in order to remove the doubt entertained by some whether after the death of the said Innocent Our predecessor any person excepting the Roman Pontiff could or can dispose of the abbatial and other dignities and ecclesiastical benefices reserved by the same pre-decessor to his own disposal and vacant at the time of his death, have declared that the abbatial and other dignities and benefices of this kind are affected by the decrees and reservation of the said Innocent Our predecessor, and that no one excepting the Roman Pontiff could or can dispose of them in any way, and We have de-creed void and of no effect, whatever had perchance been attempted, either knowingly or unknowingly, or infuturemight be so attempted to the contrary, by whomsoever on whatsoever authority; and further, having understood that Our beloved son, Roger of Bolton (a monk of the monastery of Furness of the abovementioned Order, of the diocese of York, who had been professed expressly in the said Order, and who was a member of the priesthood, and of legitimate age, and regarding whose zeal for religion, probity of life and morals, and other merits arisingfrom his manifold virtues, trustworthy testimonials are in Our possession), would be a suitable person for the government of the said monastery of Rushen (with respect to which no one excepting the Roman Pontiff could or can interfere on this occasion, on account of the aforesaid reservation declaration and decrees to the contrary) ; and desiring to provide for the said monastery, speedily and advantageously, lest it suffer the evils of a still further prolonged vacancy (for it is still vacant as is stated, although, as We have heard, Our beloved son William of Cockerham, who represents himself to be a monk of the monastery of Furness aforesaid, has intruded himself into it, and maintains tire position which he has unrightfully seized upon) ; We, by these Apostolical Letters, commit and entrust to you brother, in whom We have a special confidence in the Lord in these and other matters, the task of providing this turn, by Our authority, in the person of the said Roger, for the said monastery so vacant (provided that after having cited the said William, and others who should be cited, before you, it shall be evident to you Hint uc~ither the said \Nrillmin. nor any other person in the monastery of hnsheu, has any canonical claim to oppose) and of appointing him abbot over it, fully entrusting to him, both in spirituals and temporals, the care and administration of the said monastery ; removing the aforesaid William and every other detainer, and causing obedience and reverence to be shown to him by his subjects ; moreover, you will confer upon him the rite of benediction, or provide for the rite being conferred upon him by some other prelate in favour and communion with the aforesaid See ; re-straining opponents by ecclesiastical censures, without appeal. We also desire that you, or the same bishop who administers the rite of benediction, do receive, in Our name and that of the Roman Church, from the said Roger, the accustomed oath of fidelity, according to the form which We send inclosed under Our seal; and do forward by a special messenger as soon as possible to Us that form of oath which the said Roger shall have taken, word for word, in his letters-patent signed with his seal.

Given at Avignon, the 17th day of March, in the first year of Our Pontificate.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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