Gregorius episcopus, s. s. dei Venerabili fratri . . Episcopo Lismorensi salutem, etc. Exhibita nobis pro parte dilecti filii Ayg' Mac Petri perpetui vicarii parochialis ecclesiæ sancti Co-lumbæ de Kerepol Sodorensis dicecesis petitio continebat quod olirn dilecto filio Nigello Macfinilaich qui se gerit pro presbytero dictæ dieecesis falso suggerente nobis quod bonæ memoriæ Willelmus Episcopus Sodorensis eundem Ayg' suis exigentibus demeritis perpetua vicaria dicta; parochialis ecclesiæ auctoritate ordinaria privaverat et quod propterea dicta vicaria vacabat et tanto tempore vacaverat, quod ejus collatio juxta statuta Lateranensis concilii erat ad sedem apost. legitime devoluta, licet idem Ayg' eam ad-line detineret indebite occupatam, Nos dil. filio archidiacono Manniæ in eccles. Sodorensi, et duobus anis ejus in hac parte collegis, nostris dedimus litteris in mandatis quod ipsi vel duo aut unus eorum per se vel alium seu alios, si, vocatis dicto Ayg' et aliis qui forent evocandi, reperirent ita esse, prædictam vicariam, dummodo tempore datæ dictarum litterarum non esset in eadem vicaria alicui specialiter jus quæsitum, præfato Nigello cum omni-bus juribus et pertinentiis suis auctoritate nostra conferre et assignare eur(ar)ent, contradictores, etc. ; præfatus quoque Archi-diaconus ad instantiam dicti Nigelli solus in hujusmodi procedens negotio nulla super præmissis suggestis cognitione præhabita, quanquam sibi de suggestis ipsis aliquatenus non constaret grout nec constare poterat, cum ea non essent notoria neque vera, dictoque Ayg' non vocato ad hoc sed absente non per contu-maciam, forma etiam dictarum litterarum non servata, præfatam vicariam nec de jure nec de facto vacantem utpote quam dictus Ayg' canonice fuerat asseeutus et cam pacifice et canonice posside-bat grout superius est expressum prædicto Nigello contulit, eumque in ipsius vicariæ corporal. possessionem mandavit et fecit induci, in contradictores quoslibet et rebelles diversos

suspensionis,excommunicationis,et interdicti sententiaspromulgan-do ; a quibus quidem collatione, inductione in possessionem, et pro-cessibus prædictis pro parte præfati Ayg', quam primum ad ejus notitiam pervenerunt sentientis ex eis indebite se gravari, fuit ad sedem ap. agpellatum ac nobis deinde humiliter supplicatum ut pro-videre sibi in præmissis de benignitate ap" dignaremur. Nos itaque hujusmodi supplicationibus inclinati fraternitati tuæ, cum dictus Ayg', sicut asserit, potentiam dicti Nigelli merito perhorrescens infra civitatem et dieecesim Sodorensem nequeat convenire secure, per ap. ser. mand. quat. vocatis, ete., quod canonicum fuerit appel-latione remota decernas faciens quod decreveris per censuram ecclesiasticam firmiter observari ; Testes autem, ete., si se gratia, odio vel amore, ete.-Non obstante, ete.-Datum apud Pon-temsorgiæ Avinionensis dieecesis xii. kal. Octobr. pontif. nostri anno quinto.

Gregory Bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Our venerable brother, the Bishop of Lismore, health, etc.

The petition presented to Us on the part of Our beloved son Ayg' Mac Peter, perpetual vicar of the parochial church of St. Columba of Kerepol, of the Sodor diocese, was to the effect that sometime since Our beloved son Nigel Macfinilaich, who repre-sents himself as a priest of the above diocese, falsely informed Us that William the Sodor Bishop, of happy memory, had in the ex-ercise of his ordinary authority deprived the said Ayg', on account of his misdeeds, of the perpetual vicariate of the above parochial church; and that in consequence the said vicariate was vacant, and had been vacant for so long that the collation of it, in accordance with the Statutes of the Council of Lateran, had legitimately devolved upon the Apostolic See, although the said Ayg' still unlawfully held it; that We consequently by Letters Apostolic issued a mandate to Our beloved son the arch-deacon of Man in the Sodor church, and to two others to be associated with him in this affair, ordering that they, or timo,or one of them, through their own agency, or through that of another or others, after having cited the said Ayg', and others who ought to be cited, if they should find the case to be as set forth, should take measures to confer upon and assign to the aforesaid Nigel, by Our authority, the above vicariate, together with all its rights and appurtenances, provided that at the time of the date of the said letters no one had especially acquired a right in the said vicariate; opponents, etc.; that, furthermore, the aforesaid arch-deacon at the instance of the said Nigel proceeding alone in this business, without having made any investigation into the represen-tations, although he had no knowledge of the subject, or of the facts represented in the case, as lie could not have, for the facts alleged were neither notorious nor true, and not having cited the aforesaid Ayg' who was absent but not through contumacy, and not having observed the provisions of the said Letters, conferred upon the said Nigel the aforesaid vicariate, which was vacant neither by right nor in fact, inasmuch as the said Ayg' had canonically obtained it, and peacefully and canonically held it, as has been said before ; and that he ordered and caused him the said Nigel, to be inducted into the bodily possession of the said vicariate, promulgating the sentences of suspension, excommunication, and interdict, against whatsoever opponents and withstanders ; and hence that against the above named collation, induction into possession, and proceedings, appeal was made to the Apostolic See upon the part of the said Ayg', who felt that he was aggrieved by them, as soon as ever they came to his notice, and We were humbly supplicated to deign in Our Apos-tolic benignity to take measures in his favour in the case. We, therefore, receive with favour the petition, and because the said Ayg', from reasonable fear, as he asserts, of the power of the said Nigel, cannot safely make appearance within the Sodor cathedral city and diocese, commission you Brother, by these Letters Apos-tolic, after having cited, etc., to decree without appeal what you find to be in accordance with canon law; causing by ecclesiastical censure your judgment to be inviolably respected.

But witnesses, etc., if through favour, hatred, or love, etc. Notwithstanding, etc.

Given at Sorgnes, in the diocese of Avignon, the 20th day of September, in the fifth year of Our Pontificate.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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