Document 2/201/3 (Kel. Lib., no. 447)
- Description
- John, cardinal priest of St Stephen in Celio Monte and papal legate, announces that the church of Kelso, by the grant of the bishops and confirmation of the Roman pontiff, may have certain churches in its parishes for its own uses, as he has recognised, for the sustenance of the brethren, provisions of the poor and hospitable reception; the said church may sustain detriment or loss neither through abuses nor through immoderate and forbidden exactions of certain others; John sanctions and indulges this ordinance in perpetuity so that, as often as the bishops – in whose diocese the monks of Kelso have parish churches – receive hospitality in their churches, they may not be received with a large retinue, unless according to that recognised by the Lateran Council. He wishes whatever necessities – whether in food or in animals’ fodder – to be attended to by the attendants and servants of the monks; neither may they be struck through lavishness and abuses, and thence experience detriment or loss, from whence they may hope for relief and help. No guests, as if under the bishop’s grace, of hospitality or of obligation, may be admitted, unless they present procurations. He wishes that 30 marks rent be recognised for those churches to be furnished with procurations being held by the diocese; others which are of lesser rent are to be combined with other churches. At the death of the vicars of the monks’ churches, he indulges they may be able to present suitable vicars to them, unless they may be guilty men or others less suitable. But if someone may be unwilling to admit or wish to postpone their presentation without reasonable cause, it may be allowed to receive the profits and obventions, to be converted for their own uses and sustenance of beggars. In addition, [John] establishes that, through the abbot of the said monastery, the administration of all of them may be ruled and may be disposed in perpetuity, and by legatine authority, he establishes and indulges whatever was permitted to them, whether by certain monks or by having been converted by violent hands, they will instil publicly to denounce as excommunicate. By the same authority, he commands them to be indulgent and to promulgate a sentence of excommunication upon clear thieves or public attackers of their things and malefactors of the church, by name, each Sunday and feast days, by lighting candles and ringing bells. They may be permitted to renew [these sentences] publicly each year on Maundy Thursday and on the Assumption of BVM.
- Firm date
- 1201 X 1202
- Dating Notes
- Presence of Cardinal John in Scotland (See Ferguson, _Medieval Papal Reps._, 65-71).
- Source for Data Entry
- Kelso Liber, ii, no. 447
- Trad. ID
- Kel. Lib., no. 447
- Calendar number
- 2/201/3
- Charter type
- Charter
- Language
- Latin