* Expelled for his immoralities, imprisoned, and strangled. Baronius says, he entered like a thief, and died, as he deserved, by the rope.

† He was a boy of ten or eleven years old when he assumed the popedom, and disgraced himself by every vice.

* See pp. 2, 3.

Gregory XVI. 1831.
Pontiff.

This was the time of the great western schism, which lasted from A.D. 1378 to A.D. 1429. The anti-popes were acknowledged by about one-half of the European states.

+ Deposed by the Council of Pisa, A.D. 1409; but persevered in retaining his office till his death.

Deposed by the Council of Constance.

Clement XIII.

1758-1769

Clement XIV.

1769-1774

Pius VI.

1775-1799

Pius VII.

1800-1823

Leo XII.

1823-1829

Pius VIII.

1829-1830

The reigning

No. IV.

THE THIRD CANON OF THE FOURTH COUNCIL OF
LATERAN, A.D. 1215.

"De hæreticis. Excommunicamus et anathematizamus omnem hæresim extollentem se adversus hanc sanctam, orthodoxam, catholicam fidem, quam superius exposuimus: condemnantes universos hæreticos quibuscunque nominibus censeantur; facies quidem habentes diversas, sed caudas ad invicem colligatas, quia de vanitate (al. varietate) conveniunt in idipsum.

"Damnati vero, sæcularibus potestatibus præsentibus, aut eorum bailivis, relinquantur animadversione debita puniendi, clericis prius a suis ordinibus degradatis; ita quod bona hujusmodi damnatorum, si laici fuerint, confiscentur si vero clerici, applicentur ecclesiis a quibus stipendia perceperunt.

"Qui autem inventi fuerint sola suspicione notabiles, nisi juxta considerationes suspicionis, qualitatemque personæ, propriam innocentiam congrua purgatione monstraverint, anathematis gladio feriantur, et usque ad satisfactionem condignam ab omnibus evitentur; ita quod si per annum in excommunicatione perstiterint extunc hæretici condemnentur.

"Moneantur autem, et inducantur, et, si necesse fuerit, per censuram ecclesiasticam compellantur sæculares potestates, quibuscunque fungantur officiis, ut sicut reputari cupiunt et haberi fideles, ita pro defensione fidei præstent publice juramentum, quod de terris suæ jurisdictioni subjectis universos hæreticos ab ecclesia denotatos bona fide pro viribus exterminare studebunt: ita quod amodo quandocumque quis fuerit in potestalem sive spiritalem, sive temporalem assumptus, hoc teneatur capitulum juramento firmare.

“Si vero dominus temporalis requisitus et monitus ab ecclesia, terram suam purgare neglexerit ab hac hæretica fœditate, per metropolitanum et ceteros comprovinciales episcopos excommunicationis vinculo innodetur. Et, si satisfacere contempserit infra annum, significetur hoc summo pontifici; ut extunc ipse vassallos ab ejus fidelitate denunciet absolutos, et terram exponat catholicis occupandam, qui eam exterminatis hæreticis sine ulla contradictione possideant, et, in fidei puritate conservent: salvo jure domini principalis, dummodo super hoc ipse nullum præstet obstaculum, nec aliquod impedimentum opponat: eadem nihilo minus lege servata circa eos qui non habent dominos principales.

"Catholici vero qui crucis assumpto charactere ad hæreticorum exterminium se accinxerint, illa gaudeant indulgentia, illoque sancto privilegio sint muniti quod accedentibus in terræ sanctæ subsidium conceditur.

"Credentes vero, præterea receptores, defensores et fautores hæreticorum, excommunicationi decernimus subjacere: firmiter statuentes ut post quam quis talium fuerit excommunicatione notatus, si satisfacere contempserit infra annum, extunc ipso jure sit factus infamis, nec ad publica officia seu consilia, nec ad eligendos aliquos ad hujusmodi, nec ad testimonium admittatur. Sit etiam intestabilis, ut nec testandi liberam

habeat facultatem, nec ad hæreditatis successionem accedat. Nullus præterea ipsi super quocumque negotio, [respondeat,] sed ipse aliis respondere cogatur. Quod si forte judex extiterit, ejus sententia nullam obtineat firmitatem, nec causæ aliquæ ad ejus audientiam perferantur. Si fuerit advocatus, ejus patrocinium nullatenus admittatur. Si tabellio, ejus instrumenta confecta per ipsum nullius penitus sint momenti, sed cum authore damnato damnentur. Et in similibus idem præcipimus observari. Si vero clericus fuerit, ab omni officio et beneficio deponatur: ut in quo major est culpa, gravior exerceatur vindicta.

“Si qui autem tales, postquam ab ecclesia denotati fuerint, evitare contempserint excommunicationis sententia usque ad satisfactionem idoneam percellantur. Sane clerici non exhibeant hujusmodi pestilentibus ecclesiastica sacramenta, nec eos Christianæ præsumant sepulturæ tradere, nec eleemosynas, aut oblationes eorum accipiant : alioquin suo priventur officio, ad quod nunquam restituantur absque indulto sedis apostolicæ speciali. Similiter quilibet regulares, quibus hoc etiam infligatur, ut eorum privilegia in illa diœcesi non serventur, in qua tales excessus præsumpserint perpetrare.

"Quia vero nonnulli sub specie pietatis, virtutem ejus, juxta quod ait apostolus, abnegantes, authoritatem sibi vendicant prædicandi, cum idem apostolus dicat, Quomodo prædicabunt, nisi mittantur? omnes qui prohibiti, vel non missi, præter authoritatem ab apostolica sede, vel catholico episcopo loci susceptam, publice vel privatim prædicationis officium usurpare præsumpserint, excommunicationis vinculo innodentur; et, nisi quantocius resipuerint, alia competenti pœna plectantur.

"Adjicimus insuper, ut quilibet archiepiscopus vel episcopus, per se, aut per archidiaconum suum, vel idoneas personas honestas, bis aut saltem semel in anno propriam parochiam, in qua fama fuerit hæreticos habitare, circumeat: et ibi tres vel plures boni testimonii viros, vel etiam, si expedire videbitur, totam viciniam, jurare compellat; quod si quis ibidem hæreticos sciverit, vel aliquos occulta conventicula celebrantes, seu a communi conversatione fidelium vita et moribus dissidentes, eos episcopo studeat indicare. Ipse autem episcopus ad præsentiam suam convocet accusatos qui nisi se ab ojecto reatu purgaverint, vel si post purgationem exhibitam in pristinam fuerint relapsi perfidiam, canonice puniantur. Si qui vero ex eis juramenti religionem obstinatione damnabili respuentes, jurare forte noluerint; ex hoc ipso tanquam hæretici reputentur.

"Volumus igitur et mandamus, et in virtute obedientiæ districte præcipimus, ut ad hæc efficaciter exequenda episcopi per diœcesas suas diligenter invigilent, si canonicam effugere voluerint ultionem. Si quis enim episcopus super expurgando de sua diœcesi hæretica pravitatis fermento negligens fuerit vel remissus; cum id certis indiciis apparuerit, et ab episcopali officio deponatur, et in locum ipsius alter substituatur idoneus, qui velit et possit hæreticam confundere pravitatem."-Labb. Concil. Ed. Mansi. tom. xxii. p 987-990.

66

TRANSLATION.

Of heretics. We excommunicate and anathematize every heresy that exalts itself against the holy, orthodox, and catholic faith, which we have

already set forth, condemning all heretics, by whatsoever name they may be known; for though their faces differ, they are tied together by their tails, agreeing in their vanity.

"Such as are condemned are to be delivered over to the existing secular powers, or their officers, to receive due punishment. If laymen, their effects shall be confiscated. If priests, they shall be first degraded from their respective orders, and their property applied to the use of the churches in which they have officiated.

"Those who have incurred a public suspicion of heresy shall be punished with anathema, and their company shunned by all men, unless they thoroughly clear themselves from the charge. If they remain under excommunication a year, they shall then be condemned as heretics.

"Secular powers of all ranks and degrees are to be warned, induced, and, if necessary, compelled by ecclesiastical censures, as they desire to be accounted faithful, publicly to swear that they will exert themselves to the utmost, in defence of the faith, and extirpate all heretics, denounced by the church, who shall be found in their territories. And whenever any person shall assume government, whether it be spiritual or temporal, he shall be bound to swear to abide by this decree.

"If any temporal lord, after having been admonished and required by the church, shall neglect to clear his territory of heretical pravity, the metropolitan and the bishops of the province shall unite in excommunicating him. Should he remain contumacious a whole year, the fact shall be signified to the Supreme Pontiff, who will declare his vassals released from their allegiance from that time, and will bestow his territory on Catholics, to be occupied by them on the condition of extirminating the heretics, and preserving the said territory in the pure faith; and they shall possess it without molestation, saving the rights of the supreme lord, if he shall have put no obstacle or impediment in the way. The same course shall be taken with those who have no supreme lord.

"Catholics who shall assume the cross for the extirmination of heretics shall enjoy the same indulgences, and be protected by the same privileges, as are granted to those who go to the help of the Holy Land.

"We decree further, that all who have any dealings with heretics, and especially such as receive, defend, or encourage them, shall be excommunicated; expressly declaring, that if any person, after his excommunication has been published, shall fail to give satisfaction within a year, he shall be accounted infamous. He shall not be eligible to any public office or commission, nor to vote for the appointment of others to such offices. He shall not be admitted as a witness. He shall neither have power to bequeath his property by will, nor to succeed to any inheritance. He shall not bring an action against any person, but any one may bring an action against him. Should he be a judge, his decisions shall have no force, nor shall any cause be brought before him. Should he be an advocate, he shall not be allowed to plead. Should he be a lawyer, no instruments made by him shall be held valid; but shall be condemned with their author. And we decree, in like manner, for all similar cases. But should the offending party be a priest, he shall be deprived of every office and benefice he may hold, that, as his fault is greater, his punishment may be proportionate.