1. Urged by faith, we are obliged to believe and to hold that there is One Holy Catholic and truly Apostolic Church. And this we firmly believe and simply confess: outside of Her, there is neither salvation, nor the remission of sins, just as the Bridegroom in the Canticles proclaims: “One is my dove, my perfect one. One is her mother; elect is she who bore her.” [Canticles 6:8]. And this represents the one mystical body, whose head is Christ, and truly God [is the head] of Christ. [1 Corinthians 11:3] In Her, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. [Ephesians 4:5] For certainly, in the time of the Flood, the ark of Noah was one, prefiguring the one Church. And She, having been completed by [the measure of] one cubit, [Genesis 6:16] had one pilot and helmsman, that is, Noah. And outside of Her, everything standing upon the land, as we read, had been destroyed.
2. Thus, we venerate Her as the only one, just as the Lord said by the prophet: “O God, rescue my soul from the spear, and my only one from the hand of the dog.” [Psalm 21:21] But he prayed for the soul, that is, for his very self, head and body together. And this body, which he named as the only one, is certainly the Church, because of the Bridegroom, the Faith, the Sacraments, and the love of the Church, united. She is that seamless tunic of the Lord which was not torn, [John 19:23-24] but was distributed by lot.
3. And so, the one and only Church is one body, one head, (not two heads like a monster), Christ certainly, and the vicar of Christ, [who is ] Peter and the successor of Peter. For the Lord said to Peter himself, “Feed my sheep.” [John 21:17] He said “my” generally, not solely of these or of those. By this, it is understood that all [universas] were committed to him. Therefore, if either the Greeks or others declare themselves not to be committed to Peter and his successors, they necessarily admit themselves not to be among the sheep of Christ, just as the Lord says in John, “there is one sheepfold, and only one shepherd.” [John 10:16]
4. We are instructed in the Gospel sayings that in Her and within Her power, there are two swords, specifically, the spiritual and the temporal. For the Apostles say, “Behold, there are two swords here,” that is, in the Church. But when the Apostles were speaking, the Lord did not respond, “it is too much,” but “it is sufficient.” [Luke 22:38] Certainly, whoever denies that the temporal sword is in the power of Peter, misunderstands the word of the Lord, saying: “Put your sword into its sheath.” [Matthew 26:52] Therefore, both are in the power of the Church, namely, the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly, the former is to be exercised by the Church. The former is of the priest; the latter is by the hand of kings and soldiers, but at the will and sufferance of the priest.
Notes:
The Latin word ‘patientiam,’ in this context is translated as ‘sufferance,’ indicating a type of permission. But sufferance (patientiam) can also refer to a toleration for act that are contrary to one’s will, to a certain forbearance, to restraint in exercising a right in the face of some degree of injustice or harm.
St. Bernard (De Consideratione, Lib. iv. c. 3) writes:
“And both therefore, are of the Church, specifically, both the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly the former is to be exercised by the Church; the former is of the priest, the latter is by the hand of the soldier, but truly at the will of the priest and the order of the emperor.”[My translation of the Latin found in: Dr. Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler, A Text-book of Church History, (Harper Brothers: New York, 1857), p. 351.]
5. Now one sword ought to be under the other sword, and so the temporal authority is to be subject to the spiritual authority. For though the Apostle said: “there is no authority except from God and those who have been ordained by God,” [Romans 13:1] still they would not have been ordained unless one sword were under the other sword. And so what is inferior should be led forward by another, to what is highest. For, according to blessed Dionysius, it is a law of divine power that what is lowest is to be led forward by what is intermediate, to what is highest.
Notes:
Certainly, by ‘what is highest’ (suprema) is meant God Himself, for so Dionysius explicitly states in the text from which this teaching is drawn:
“This, then, is the all-sacred Law of the Godhead, that, through the first, the second are conducted to Its most Divine splendour.”[English text from: Dionysius the Areopagite, Works (1897), Volume 2, The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, chapter 5, section 4.]
This “blessed Dionysius” is certainly the man called Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite, an author of several important works of Christian theology, including ‘The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy,’ which was relied upon in Unam Sanctam, n. 5 above. The true identity of this Dionysius, who wrote under the pseudonym of the convert from paganism mentioned in Acts 17:34, is hidden in obscurity. He appears to be a late fifth century Catholic priest who himself was converted from paganism. But despite his near-anonymity, his works have achieved a prominent place in Catholic theology. See these websites:
6. Therefore, it is not in accord with the order of the universe that all things should be absolutely equal, but rather the lowest through the intermediate, and the lower through the higher, in order. And so, to whatever extent the spiritual power excels beyond the worldly, in both dignity and rank, we must, to the same extent, clearly admit that the spiritual surpasses the temporal. And this, nevertheless, we distinguish with clear eyes from the gift of tithes, and from benediction and sanctification, by the reception of the authority itself, and by the government of the things themselves. For truth is the witness that the spiritual authority holds [the ability] to establish the earthly authority, and to judge if it might not have been good. And this, concerning the Church and the authority of the Church, the prophecy of Jeremiah verifies: “Behold, today I have appointed you over nations and kingdoms” [Jeremiah 1:10] and the rest that follows.
Notes: This last part of the passage is based almost word for word upon Hugo de St. Victor, De Sacramentis, II. 2, 4. — “The spiritual authority holds [the ability] so that it may establish the earthly authority, and holds [the ability] to judge if it might not have been good.”[My translation of the Latin found in: Rev. Johannes Baptist Alzog, Manual of Universal Church History, Volume 2, (Gill and Son: Dublin, 1890), p. 448-449.]
7. Therefore, if the earthly power goes astray, it will be judged by the spiritual power; but if a lesser spiritual power goes astray, [it will be judged] by its superior; and truly, if the highest [power] goes astray, it will not be able to be judged by man, but by God alone. And so the Apostle testifies, “The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is judged by no one.” [1 Corinthians 2:15]
8. But this authority, even though it may be given to a man, and may be exercised by a man, is not human, but rather divine [power], having been given by the divine mouth [of Christ] to Peter, and to him as well as to his successors, by [Christ] Himself, [that is, to him] whom He had disclosed to be the firm rock, just as the Lord said to Peter himself: “Whatever you shall bind,” [Matthew 16:19] etc. Therefore, whoever resists this authority, such as it has been ordain by God, resists the ordination of God. [Romans 13:2] Otherwise, he would be proposing two principles to exist, as did Manichaeus, and this we judge to be false and heretical. For Moses testified that God created heaven and earth, not in the beginnings, but “in the beginning.” [Genesis 1:1]
9. Moreover, that every human creature is to be subject to the Roman pontiff, we declare, we state, we define, and we pronounce to be entirely from the necessity of salvation.
Notes: Saint Thomas Aquinas, opusc. contra errores Graec. fol. 9
“For it is revealed that subjection to the Roman Pontiff is from the necessity of salvation.”[My translation of the Latin found in: Dr. Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler, A Text-book of Church History, (Harper Brothers: New York, 1857), p. 351.]
Given at the Lateran,
18 November 1302,
in year eight of our pontificate.
Secondary sources for Latin text:
(Scribner: New York, 1910), p. 27-28.
Latin Text:
Bonifatius, Episcopus, Servus servorum Dei.
Ad perpetuam rei memoriam.
1. Unam Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam et ipsam Apostolicam urgente fide credere cogimur et tenere. Nosque hanc firmiter credimus et simpliciter confitemur: extra quam nec salus est, nec remissio peccatorum, Sponso in Canticis proclamante, ‘Una est columba mea, perfecta mea: una est matris suae, electa genitrici suae:’ [Canticles 6:8] quae unum corpus mysticum repraesentat, cujus caput Christus, Christi vero Deus. [1 Corinthians 11:3] In qua unus Dominus, una fides, unum baptisma. [Ephesians 4:5] Una nempe fuit Diluvii tempore arca Noe, unam Ecclesiam praefigurans, quae in uno cubito consummata, [Genesis 6:16] unum, Noe videlicet, gubernatorem habuit et rectorem, extra quam omnia subsistentia super terram legimus fuisse deleta.
Notes:
Schaff has ‘futuram’ instead of ‘perpetuam’ in ‘Ad perpetuam rei memoriam.’
Tosti adds ‘corporis’ in ‘cujus corporis caput Christus.’ But Manning, Mirbt, and Schaff all lack corporis, and the word adds nothing to the meaning.
Manning has the typographical error of ‘omnis subsistentia,’ instead of ‘omnia subsistentia.’
2. Hanc autem veneramur et unicam; dicente Domino in Propheta, ‘Erue a framea, Deus, animam meam et de manu canis unicam meam;’ [Psalm 21:21] pro anima enim, id est, pro seipso capite simul oravit et corpore: quod corpus unicam scilicet Ecclesiam nominavit, propter sponsi, fidei, sacramentorum, et charitatis Ecclesiae unitatem. Haec est tunica illa Domini inconsutilis, [John 19:23-24] quae scissa non fuit sed sorte provenit.
3. Igitur Ecclesiae unius et unicae unum corpus, unum caput, non duo capita quasi monstrum, Christus videlicet, et Christi vicarius Petrus Petrique successor; dicente Domino ipsi Petro, ‘Pasce oves meas,’ [John 21:17] ‘meas,’ inquit, et generaliter non singulariter has vel illas, per quod commisisse sibi intelligitur universas. Sive igitur Graeci, sive alii se dicant Petro ejusque successoribus non esse commissos, fateantur necesse se de ovibus Christi non esse; dicente Domino in Joanne, ‘unum ovile et unicum esse pastorem.’ [John 10:16]
Notes:
Tosti and Schaff lack ‘et’ in ‘inquit, et generaliter,’ but add ‘est,’ in ‘necesse est, se’; Manning and Mirbt agree in adding ‘et’ and lacking ‘est’. But neither adding ‘et,’ nor taking away ‘est,’ would seem to alter the meaing of the text.
Tosti alone adds a second ‘unum’ in ‘unum ovile, unum et unicum esse Pastorem,’ making the text read: ‘one and only one Pastor.’
4. In hac ejusque potestate duos esse gladios, spiritualem videlicet et temporalem, Evangelicis dictis instruimur. Nam dicentibus Apostolis, ‘Ecce gladii duo hic,’ in Ecclesia scilicet, cum Apostoli loquerentur, non respondit Dominus nimis esse sed satis. [Luke 22:38] Certe qui in potestate Petri temporalem gladium esse negat, male verbum attendit Domini proferentes, ‘Converte gladium tuum in vaginam.’ [Matthew 26:52] Uterque ergo est in potestate Ecclesiae, spiritualis scilicet gladius et materialis. Sed is quidem pro Ecclesia, ille vero ab Ecclesia exercendus. Ille sacerdotis, is manu regum et militum, sed ad nutum et patientiam sacerdotis.
Notes:
St. Bernard (De Consideratione, Lib. iv. c. 3) writes:
“Uterque ergo Ecclesiae, et, spiritalis scilicet gladius et materialis; sed is quidem pro Ecclesia, ille vero et ab Ecclesia exercendus: ille sacerdotis, is militis manu, sed sane ad nutum sacerdotis et jussum Imperatoris.”
“And both therefore, are of the Church, specifically, both the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly the former is to be exercised by the Church; the former is of the priest, the latter is by the hand of the soldier, but truly at the will of the priest and the order of the emperor.”[Latin text from: Rev. Johannes Baptist Alzog, Manual of Universal Church History, Volume 2, (Gill and Son: Dublin, 1890), p. 448-449.]
5. Oportet autem gladium esse sub gladio et temporalem auctoritatem spirituali subjici potestati: nam cum dicat Apostolus, ‘Non est potestas nisi a Deo, quae autem sunt a Deo ordinata sunt,’ [Romans 13:1] non autem ordinata essent, nisi gladius esset sub gladio, et tanquam inferior reduceretur per alium in suprema. Nam secundum beatum Dionysium, lex divinitatis est, infima per media in suprema reduci.
Notes:
Tosti lacks ‘autem’ in ‘non autem ordinata essent.’
Tosti has the word order: ‘quae autem a Deo sunt, ordinata sunt.’
Mirbt and Manning agree on the text above, except that Mirbt has the typographical error: ‘ordinatae’ and Mirbt has comma before ‘a Deo’.
6. Non ergo secundum ordinem universi omnia aeque ac immediate, sed infima per media, et inferiora per superiora ad ordinem reducuntur. Spiritualem autem et dignitate et nobilitate terrenam quamlibet praecellere potestatem, opportet tanto clarius nos fateri quanto spiritualia temporalia antecellunt. Quod etiam ex decimarum datione, et benedictione, et sanctificatione, ex ipsius potestatis acceptione, ex ipsarum rerum gubernatione claris oculis intuemur. Nam veritate testante, spiritualis potestas terrenem potestatem instituere habet et judicare, si bona non fuerit, sic de Ecclesia et ecclesiastica potestate verificatur vaticinium Hieremiae, ‘Ecce constitui te hodie super gentes et regna,’ [Jeremiah 1:10] et caetera quae sequuntur.
Notes:
Schaff omits with an elipse (…) everything in n. 6 from ‘Non ergo’ through ‘si bona non fuerit’, then he agrees with the rest of the text above.
Tosti lacks ‘et’ in ‘per media, et inferiora’.
Mirbt and Manning agree on the text above.
Hugh of St. Victor, in the 12th century, in ‘De Sacramentis Christianæ Fidei,’ lib. II, c. 4, writes the following:
“Spiritualis potestas terrenam potestatem et instituere habet ut sit, et judicare habet, si bona non fuerit.”
“The spiritual authority holds [the ability] so that it may establish the earthly authority, and holds [the ability] to judge if it might not have been good.” [Latin text from: Rev. Johannes Baptist Alzog, Manual of Universal Church History, Volume 2, (Gill and Son: Dublin, 1890), p. 448-449.]
7. Ergo si deviat terrena potestas, judicabitur a potestate spirituali, sed si deviat spiritualis minor a suo superiori: si vero suprema, a solo Deo, non ab homine poterit judicari, testante Apostolo, ‘Spiritualis homo judicat omnia, ipse autem a nemine judicatur.’ [1 Corinthians 2:16]
8. Est autem haec auctoritas, etsi data sit homini et exerceatur per hominem, non humana, sed potius divina, [potestas,] ore divino Petro data, sibique suisque successoribus in ipso [Christo], quem confessus fuit petra firmata, dicente Domino ipsi Petro, ‘Quodcunque ligaveris,’ [Matthew 16:19] etc. Quicunque igitur huic potestati a Deo sic ordinatae resistit; Dei ordinationi resistit, [Romans 13:2] nisi duo sicut Manichaeus fingat esse principia: quod falsum et haereticum [esse] judicamus: quia testante Moyse, non in principiis, sed in principio coelum Deus creavit et terram. [Genesis 1:1]
Notes:
Tosti and Schaff add ‘potestas’ in ‘sed potius divina, potestas, ore divino Petro data’.
Tosti and Schaff add ‘Christo’ in ‘successoribus in ipso Christo, quem’.
Tosti adds ‘esse’ in ‘haereticum esse judicamus’; Schaff does not.
All of the additions of Tosti are useful in elucidating the meaning of the text.
Mirbt has parentheses before ‘etsi’ and after ‘hominem’, also he adds paraentheses around ‘sicut Manichaeus’. Otherwise Manning and Mirbt agree on the text above.
9. Porro subesse Romano Pontifici omni humanae creaturae declaramus, dicimus, definimus, et pronunciamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis.
Notes:
Tosti and other sources lack ‘et pronunciamus’; some sources place it in brackets and italics.
Schaff, Mirbt, and Manning agree with the above text.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, opusc. contra errores Graec. fol. 9:
“Ostenditur enim, quod subesse Romano Pontifici sit de necessitate salutis.”
“For it is revealed that subjection to the Roman Pontiff is from the necessity of salvation.”[Dr. Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler, A Text-book of Church History, (Harper Brothers: New York, 1857), p. 351.]
Datum Laterani
xiv kal. Decembris, [18 November]pontificatus nostri anno octavo.
Fifth Lateran Council: “Et cum de necessitate salutis existat omnes Christi fideles Romano Pontifici subesse, prout divinae Scripturae et sanctorum Patrum testimonio edocemur, ac Constitutione fel. mem. Bonifacii Papae VIII. quae incipit ‘Unam Sanctam’ declaratur; pro eorundem fidelium animarum salute, ac Romani Pontificis et hujus sanctae Sedis suprema auctoritate, et Ecclesiae sponsae suae unitate et potestate, Constitutionem ipsam, sacro approbante Councilio, innovamus et approbamus.”
“And since it arises from the necessity of salvation that all the faithful of Christ are to be subject to the Roman Pontiff, just as we are taught by the testimony of the divine Scriptures and of the holy Fathers, and as is declared by the Constitution of Pope Boniface VIII of happy memory, which begins ‘Unam Sanctam,’ for the salvation of the souls of the same faithful, and by the supreme authority of the Roman pontiff and of this holy See, and by the unity and power of the Church, his spouse, the same Constitution, being approved by the sacred Council, we renew and approve.”
(Pope Leo X, Fifth Lateran Council, Session 11, 19 December 1516)
1. Urged by faith, we are obliged to believe and to hold that there is One Holy Catholic and truly Apostolic Church. And this we firmly believe and simply confess: outside of Her, there is neither salvation, nor the remission of sins, just as the Bridegroom in the Canticles proclaims: “One is my dove, my perfect one. One is her mother; elect is she who bore her.” [Canticles 6:8]. And this represents the one mystical body, whose head is Christ, and truly God [is the head] of Christ. [1 Corinthians 11:3] In Her, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. [Ephesians 4:5] For certainly, in the time of the Flood, the ark of Noah was one, prefiguring the one Church. And She, having been completed by [the measure of] one cubit, [Genesis 6:16] had one pilot and helmsman, that is, Noah. And outside of Her, everything standing upon the land, as we read, had been destroyed.
2. Thus, we venerate Her as the only one, just as the Lord said by the prophet: “O God, rescue my soul from the spear, and my only one from the hand of the dog.” [Psalm 21:21] But he prayed for the soul, that is, for his very self, head and body together. And this body, which he named as the only one, is certainly the Church, because of the Bridegroom, the Faith, the Sacraments, and the love of the Church, united. She is that seamless tunic of the Lord which was not torn, [John 19:23-24] but was distributed by lot.
3. And so, the one and only Church is one body, one head, (not two heads like a monster), Christ certainly, and the vicar of Christ, [who is ] Peter and the successor of Peter. For the Lord said to Peter himself, “Feed my sheep.” [John 21:17] He said “my” generally, not solely of these or of those. By this, it is understood that all [universas] were committed to him. Therefore, if either the Greeks or others declare themselves not to be committed to Peter and his successors, they necessarily admit themselves not to be among the sheep of Christ, just as the Lord says in John, “there is one sheepfold, and only one shepherd.” [John 10:16]
4. We are instructed in the Gospel sayings that in Her and within Her power, there are two swords, specifically, the spiritual and the temporal. For the Apostles say, “Behold, there are two swords here,” that is, in the Church. But when the Apostles were speaking, the Lord did not respond, “it is too much,” but “it is sufficient.” [Luke 22:38] Certainly, whoever denies that the temporal sword is in the power of Peter, misunderstands the word of the Lord, saying: “Put your sword into its sheath.” [Matthew 26:52] Therefore, both are in the power of the Church, namely, the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly, the former is to be exercised by the Church. The former is of the priest; the latter is by the hand of kings and soldiers, but at the will and sufferance of the priest.
Notes:
The Latin word ‘patientiam,’ in this context is translated as ‘sufferance,’ indicating a type of permission. But sufferance (patientiam) can also refer to a toleration for act that are contrary to one’s will, to a certain forbearance, to restraint in exercising a right in the face of some degree of injustice or harm.
St. Bernard (De Consideratione, Lib. iv. c. 3) writes:
“And both therefore, are of the Church, specifically, both the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly the former is to be exercised by the Church; the former is of the priest, the latter is by the hand of the soldier, but truly at the will of the priest and the order of the emperor.”[My translation of the Latin found in: Dr. Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler, A Text-book of Church History, (Harper Brothers: New York, 1857), p. 351.]
5. Now one sword ought to be under the other sword, and so the temporal authority is to be subject to the spiritual authority. For though the Apostle said: “there is no authority except from God and those who have been ordained by God,” [Romans 13:1] still they would not have been ordained unless one sword were under the other sword. And so what is inferior should be led forward by another, to what is highest. For, according to blessed Dionysius, it is a law of divine power that what is lowest is to be led forward by what is intermediate, to what is highest.
Notes:
Certainly, by ‘what is highest’ (suprema) is meant God Himself, for so Dionysius explicitly states in the text from which this teaching is drawn:
“This, then, is the all-sacred Law of the Godhead, that, through the first, the second are conducted to Its most Divine splendour.”[English text from: Dionysius the Areopagite, Works (1897), Volume 2, The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, chapter 5, section 4.]
This “blessed Dionysius” is certainly the man called Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite, an author of several important works of Christian theology, including ‘The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy,’ which was relied upon in Unam Sanctam, n. 5 above. The true identity of this Dionysius, who wrote under the pseudonym of the convert from paganism mentioned in Acts 17:34, is hidden in obscurity. He appears to be a late fifth century Catholic priest who himself was converted from paganism. But despite his near-anonymity, his works have achieved a prominent place in Catholic theology. See these websites:
6. Therefore, it is not in accord with the order of the universe that all things should be absolutely equal, but rather the lowest through the intermediate, and the lower through the higher, in order. And so, to whatever extent the spiritual power excels beyond the worldly, in both dignity and rank, we must, to the same extent, clearly admit that the spiritual surpasses the temporal. And this, nevertheless, we distinguish with clear eyes from the gift of tithes, and from benediction and sanctification, by the reception of the authority itself, and by the government of the things themselves. For truth is the witness that the spiritual authority holds [the ability] to establish the earthly authority, and to judge if it might not have been good. And this, concerning the Church and the authority of the Church, the prophecy of Jeremiah verifies: “Behold, today I have appointed you over nations and kingdoms” [Jeremiah 1:10] and the rest that follows.
Notes: This last part of the passage is based almost word for word upon Hugo de St. Victor, De Sacramentis, II. 2, 4. — “The spiritual authority holds [the ability] so that it may establish the earthly authority, and holds [the ability] to judge if it might not have been good.”[My translation of the Latin found in: Rev. Johannes Baptist Alzog, Manual of Universal Church History, Volume 2, (Gill and Son: Dublin, 1890), p. 448-449.]
7. Therefore, if the earthly power goes astray, it will be judged by the spiritual power; but if a lesser spiritual power goes astray, [it will be judged] by its superior; and truly, if the highest [power] goes astray, it will not be able to be judged by man, but by God alone. And so the Apostle testifies, “The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is judged by no one.” [1 Corinthians 2:15]
8. But this authority, even though it may be given to a man, and may be exercised by a man, is not human, but rather divine [power], having been given by the divine mouth [of Christ] to Peter, and to him as well as to his successors, by [Christ] Himself, [that is, to him] whom He had disclosed to be the firm rock, just as the Lord said to Peter himself: “Whatever you shall bind,” [Matthew 16:19] etc. Therefore, whoever resists this authority, such as it has been ordain by God, resists the ordination of God. [Romans 13:2] Otherwise, he would be proposing two principles to exist, as did Manichaeus, and this we judge to be false and heretical. For Moses testified that God created heaven and earth, not in the beginnings, but “in the beginning.” [Genesis 1:1]
9. Moreover, that every human creature is to be subject to the Roman pontiff, we declare, we state, we define, and we pronounce to be entirely from the necessity of salvation.
Notes: Saint Thomas Aquinas, opusc. contra errores Graec. fol. 9
“For it is revealed that subjection to the Roman Pontiff is from the necessity of salvation.”[My translation of the Latin found in: Dr. Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler, A Text-book of Church History, (Harper Brothers: New York, 1857), p. 351.]
Given at the Lateran,
18 November 1302,
in year eight of our pontificate.
Secondary sources for Latin text:
(Scribner: New York, 1910), p. 27-28.
Latin Text:
Bonifatius, Episcopus, Servus servorum Dei.
Ad perpetuam rei memoriam.
1. Unam Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam et ipsam Apostolicam urgente fide credere cogimur et tenere. Nosque hanc firmiter credimus et simpliciter confitemur: extra quam nec salus est, nec remissio peccatorum, Sponso in Canticis proclamante, ‘Una est columba mea, perfecta mea: una est matris suae, electa genitrici suae:’ [Canticles 6:8] quae unum corpus mysticum repraesentat, cujus caput Christus, Christi vero Deus. [1 Corinthians 11:3] In qua unus Dominus, una fides, unum baptisma. [Ephesians 4:5] Una nempe fuit Diluvii tempore arca Noe, unam Ecclesiam praefigurans, quae in uno cubito consummata, [Genesis 6:16] unum, Noe videlicet, gubernatorem habuit et rectorem, extra quam omnia subsistentia super terram legimus fuisse deleta.
Notes:
Schaff has ‘futuram’ instead of ‘perpetuam’ in ‘Ad perpetuam rei memoriam.’
Tosti adds ‘corporis’ in ‘cujus corporis caput Christus.’ But Manning, Mirbt, and Schaff all lack corporis, and the word adds nothing to the meaning.
Manning has the typographical error of ‘omnis subsistentia,’ instead of ‘omnia subsistentia.’
2. Hanc autem veneramur et unicam; dicente Domino in Propheta, ‘Erue a framea, Deus, animam meam et de manu canis unicam meam;’ [Psalm 21:21] pro anima enim, id est, pro seipso capite simul oravit et corpore: quod corpus unicam scilicet Ecclesiam nominavit, propter sponsi, fidei, sacramentorum, et charitatis Ecclesiae unitatem. Haec est tunica illa Domini inconsutilis, [John 19:23-24] quae scissa non fuit sed sorte provenit.
3. Igitur Ecclesiae unius et unicae unum corpus, unum caput, non duo capita quasi monstrum, Christus videlicet, et Christi vicarius Petrus Petrique successor; dicente Domino ipsi Petro, ‘Pasce oves meas,’ [John 21:17] ‘meas,’ inquit, et generaliter non singulariter has vel illas, per quod commisisse sibi intelligitur universas. Sive igitur Graeci, sive alii se dicant Petro ejusque successoribus non esse commissos, fateantur necesse se de ovibus Christi non esse; dicente Domino in Joanne, ‘unum ovile et unicum esse pastorem.’ [John 10:16]
Notes:
Tosti and Schaff lack ‘et’ in ‘inquit, et generaliter,’ but add ‘est,’ in ‘necesse est, se’; Manning and Mirbt agree in adding ‘et’ and lacking ‘est’. But neither adding ‘et,’ nor taking away ‘est,’ would seem to alter the meaing of the text.
Tosti alone adds a second ‘unum’ in ‘unum ovile, unum et unicum esse Pastorem,’ making the text read: ‘one and only one Pastor.’
4. In hac ejusque potestate duos esse gladios, spiritualem videlicet et temporalem, Evangelicis dictis instruimur. Nam dicentibus Apostolis, ‘Ecce gladii duo hic,’ in Ecclesia scilicet, cum Apostoli loquerentur, non respondit Dominus nimis esse sed satis. [Luke 22:38] Certe qui in potestate Petri temporalem gladium esse negat, male verbum attendit Domini proferentes, ‘Converte gladium tuum in vaginam.’ [Matthew 26:52] Uterque ergo est in potestate Ecclesiae, spiritualis scilicet gladius et materialis. Sed is quidem pro Ecclesia, ille vero ab Ecclesia exercendus. Ille sacerdotis, is manu regum et militum, sed ad nutum et patientiam sacerdotis.
Notes:
St. Bernard (De Consideratione, Lib. iv. c. 3) writes:
“Uterque ergo Ecclesiae, et, spiritalis scilicet gladius et materialis; sed is quidem pro Ecclesia, ille vero et ab Ecclesia exercendus: ille sacerdotis, is militis manu, sed sane ad nutum sacerdotis et jussum Imperatoris.”
“And both therefore, are of the Church, specifically, both the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly the former is to be exercised by the Church; the former is of the priest, the latter is by the hand of the soldier, but truly at the will of the priest and the order of the emperor.”[Latin text from: Rev. Johannes Baptist Alzog, Manual of Universal Church History, Volume 2, (Gill and Son: Dublin, 1890), p. 448-449.]
5. Oportet autem gladium esse sub gladio et temporalem auctoritatem spirituali subjici potestati: nam cum dicat Apostolus, ‘Non est potestas nisi a Deo, quae autem sunt a Deo ordinata sunt,’ [Romans 13:1] non autem ordinata essent, nisi gladius esset sub gladio, et tanquam inferior reduceretur per alium in suprema. Nam secundum beatum Dionysium, lex divinitatis est, infima per media in suprema reduci.
Notes:
Tosti lacks ‘autem’ in ‘non autem ordinata essent.’
Tosti has the word order: ‘quae autem a Deo sunt, ordinata sunt.’
Mirbt and Manning agree on the text above, except that Mirbt has the typographical error: ‘ordinatae’ and Mirbt has comma before ‘a Deo’.
6. Non ergo secundum ordinem universi omnia aeque ac immediate, sed infima per media, et inferiora per superiora ad ordinem reducuntur. Spiritualem autem et dignitate et nobilitate terrenam quamlibet praecellere potestatem, opportet tanto clarius nos fateri quanto spiritualia temporalia antecellunt. Quod etiam ex decimarum datione, et benedictione, et sanctificatione, ex ipsius potestatis acceptione, ex ipsarum rerum gubernatione claris oculis intuemur. Nam veritate testante, spiritualis potestas terrenem potestatem instituere habet et judicare, si bona non fuerit, sic de Ecclesia et ecclesiastica potestate verificatur vaticinium Hieremiae, ‘Ecce constitui te hodie super gentes et regna,’ [Jeremiah 1:10] et caetera quae sequuntur.
Notes:
Schaff omits with an elipse (…) everything in n. 6 from ‘Non ergo’ through ‘si bona non fuerit’, then he agrees with the rest of the text above.
Tosti lacks ‘et’ in ‘per media, et inferiora’.
Mirbt and Manning agree on the text above.
Hugh of St. Victor, in the 12th century, in ‘De Sacramentis Christianæ Fidei,’ lib. II, c. 4, writes the following:
“Spiritualis potestas terrenam potestatem et instituere habet ut sit, et judicare habet, si bona non fuerit.”
“The spiritual authority holds [the ability] so that it may establish the earthly authority, and holds [the ability] to judge if it might not have been good.” [Latin text from: Rev. Johannes Baptist Alzog, Manual of Universal Church History, Volume 2, (Gill and Son: Dublin, 1890), p. 448-449.]
7. Ergo si deviat terrena potestas, judicabitur a potestate spirituali, sed si deviat spiritualis minor a suo superiori: si vero suprema, a solo Deo, non ab homine poterit judicari, testante Apostolo, ‘Spiritualis homo judicat omnia, ipse autem a nemine judicatur.’ [1 Corinthians 2:16]
8. Est autem haec auctoritas, etsi data sit homini et exerceatur per hominem, non humana, sed potius divina, [potestas,] ore divino Petro data, sibique suisque successoribus in ipso [Christo], quem confessus fuit petra firmata, dicente Domino ipsi Petro, ‘Quodcunque ligaveris,’ [Matthew 16:19] etc. Quicunque igitur huic potestati a Deo sic ordinatae resistit; Dei ordinationi resistit, [Romans 13:2] nisi duo sicut Manichaeus fingat esse principia: quod falsum et haereticum [esse] judicamus: quia testante Moyse, non in principiis, sed in principio coelum Deus creavit et terram. [Genesis 1:1]
Notes:
Tosti and Schaff add ‘potestas’ in ‘sed potius divina, potestas, ore divino Petro data’.
Tosti and Schaff add ‘Christo’ in ‘successoribus in ipso Christo, quem’.
Tosti adds ‘esse’ in ‘haereticum esse judicamus’; Schaff does not.
All of the additions of Tosti are useful in elucidating the meaning of the text.
Mirbt has parentheses before ‘etsi’ and after ‘hominem’, also he adds paraentheses around ‘sicut Manichaeus’. Otherwise Manning and Mirbt agree on the text above.
9. Porro subesse Romano Pontifici omni humanae creaturae declaramus, dicimus, definimus, et pronunciamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis.
Notes:
Tosti and other sources lack ‘et pronunciamus’; some sources place it in brackets and italics.
Schaff, Mirbt, and Manning agree with the above text.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, opusc. contra errores Graec. fol. 9:
“Ostenditur enim, quod subesse Romano Pontifici sit de necessitate salutis.”
“For it is revealed that subjection to the Roman Pontiff is from the necessity of salvation.”[Dr. Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler, A Text-book of Church History, (Harper Brothers: New York, 1857), p. 351.]
Datum Laterani
xiv kal. Decembris, [18 November]pontificatus nostri anno octavo.
Fifth Lateran Council: “Et cum de necessitate salutis existat omnes Christi fideles Romano Pontifici subesse, prout divinae Scripturae et sanctorum Patrum testimonio edocemur, ac Constitutione fel. mem. Bonifacii Papae VIII. quae incipit ‘Unam Sanctam’ declaratur; pro eorundem fidelium animarum salute, ac Romani Pontificis et hujus sanctae Sedis suprema auctoritate, et Ecclesiae sponsae suae unitate et potestate, Constitutionem ipsam, sacro approbante Councilio, innovamus et approbamus.”
“And since it arises from the necessity of salvation that all the faithful of Christ are to be subject to the Roman Pontiff, just as we are taught by the testimony of the divine Scriptures and of the holy Fathers, and as is declared by the Constitution of Pope Boniface VIII of happy memory, which begins ‘Unam Sanctam,’ for the salvation of the souls of the same faithful, and by the supreme authority of the Roman pontiff and of this holy See, and by the unity and power of the Church, his spouse, the same Constitution, being approved by the sacred Council, we renew and approve.”
(Pope Leo X, Fifth Lateran Council, Session 11, 19 December 1516)
1. Urged by faith, we are obliged to believe and to hold that there is One Holy Catholic and truly Apostolic Church. And this we firmly believe and simply confess: outside of Her, there is neither salvation, nor the remission of sins, just as the Bridegroom in the Canticles proclaims: “One is my dove, my perfect one. One is her mother; elect is she who bore her.” [Canticles 6:8]. And this represents the one mystical body, whose head is Christ, and truly God [is the head] of Christ. [1 Corinthians 11:3] In Her, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. [Ephesians 4:5] For certainly, in the time of the Flood, the ark of Noah was one, prefiguring the one Church. And She, having been completed by [the measure of] one cubit, [Genesis 6:16] had one pilot and helmsman, that is, Noah. And outside of Her, everything standing upon the land, as we read, had been destroyed.
2. Thus, we venerate Her as the only one, just as the Lord said by the prophet: “O God, rescue my soul from the spear, and my only one from the hand of the dog.” [Psalm 21:21] But he prayed for the soul, that is, for his very self, head and body together. And this body, which he named as the only one, is certainly the Church, because of the Bridegroom, the Faith, the Sacraments, and the love of the Church, united. She is that seamless tunic of the Lord which was not torn, [John 19:23-24] but was distributed by lot.
3. And so, the one and only Church is one body, one head, (not two heads like a monster), Christ certainly, and the vicar of Christ, [who is ] Peter and the successor of Peter. For the Lord said to Peter himself, “Feed my sheep.” [John 21:17] He said “my” generally, not solely of these or of those. By this, it is understood that all [universas] were committed to him. Therefore, if either the Greeks or others declare themselves not to be committed to Peter and his successors, they necessarily admit themselves not to be among the sheep of Christ, just as the Lord says in John, “there is one sheepfold, and only one shepherd.” [John 10:16]
4. We are instructed in the Gospel sayings that in Her and within Her power, there are two swords, specifically, the spiritual and the temporal. For the Apostles say, “Behold, there are two swords here,” that is, in the Church. But when the Apostles were speaking, the Lord did not respond, “it is too much,” but “it is sufficient.” [Luke 22:38] Certainly, whoever denies that the temporal sword is in the power of Peter, misunderstands the word of the Lord, saying: “Put your sword into its sheath.” [Matthew 26:52] Therefore, both are in the power of the Church, namely, the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly, the former is to be exercised by the Church. The former is of the priest; the latter is by the hand of kings and soldiers, but at the will and sufferance of the priest.
Notes:
The Latin word ‘patientiam,’ in this context is translated as ‘sufferance,’ indicating a type of permission. But sufferance (patientiam) can also refer to a toleration for act that are contrary to one’s will, to a certain forbearance, to restraint in exercising a right in the face of some degree of injustice or harm.
St. Bernard (De Consideratione, Lib. iv. c. 3) writes:
“And both therefore, are of the Church, specifically, both the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly the former is to be exercised by the Church; the former is of the priest, the latter is by the hand of the soldier, but truly at the will of the priest and the order of the emperor.”[My translation of the Latin found in: Dr. Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler, A Text-book of Church History, (Harper Brothers: New York, 1857), p. 351.]
5. Now one sword ought to be under the other sword, and so the temporal authority is to be subject to the spiritual authority. For though the Apostle said: “there is no authority except from God and those who have been ordained by God,” [Romans 13:1] still they would not have been ordained unless one sword were under the other sword. And so what is inferior should be led forward by another, to what is highest. For, according to blessed Dionysius, it is a law of divine power that what is lowest is to be led forward by what is intermediate, to what is highest.
Notes:
Certainly, by ‘what is highest’ (suprema) is meant God Himself, for so Dionysius explicitly states in the text from which this teaching is drawn:
“This, then, is the all-sacred Law of the Godhead, that, through the first, the second are conducted to Its most Divine splendour.”[English text from: Dionysius the Areopagite, Works (1897), Volume 2, The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, chapter 5, section 4.]
This “blessed Dionysius” is certainly the man called Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite, an author of several important works of Christian theology, including ‘The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy,’ which was relied upon in Unam Sanctam, n. 5 above. The true identity of this Dionysius, who wrote under the pseudonym of the convert from paganism mentioned in Acts 17:34, is hidden in obscurity. He appears to be a late fifth century Catholic priest who himself was converted from paganism. But despite his near-anonymity, his works have achieved a prominent place in Catholic theology. See these websites:
6. Therefore, it is not in accord with the order of the universe that all things should be absolutely equal, but rather the lowest through the intermediate, and the lower through the higher, in order. And so, to whatever extent the spiritual power excels beyond the worldly, in both dignity and rank, we must, to the same extent, clearly admit that the spiritual surpasses the temporal. And this, nevertheless, we distinguish with clear eyes from the gift of tithes, and from benediction and sanctification, by the reception of the authority itself, and by the government of the things themselves. For truth is the witness that the spiritual authority holds [the ability] to establish the earthly authority, and to judge if it might not have been good. And this, concerning the Church and the authority of the Church, the prophecy of Jeremiah verifies: “Behold, today I have appointed you over nations and kingdoms” [Jeremiah 1:10] and the rest that follows.
Notes: This last part of the passage is based almost word for word upon Hugo de St. Victor, De Sacramentis, II. 2, 4. — “The spiritual authority holds [the ability] so that it may establish the earthly authority, and holds [the ability] to judge if it might not have been good.”[My translation of the Latin found in: Rev. Johannes Baptist Alzog, Manual of Universal Church History, Volume 2, (Gill and Son: Dublin, 1890), p. 448-449.]
7. Therefore, if the earthly power goes astray, it will be judged by the spiritual power; but if a lesser spiritual power goes astray, [it will be judged] by its superior; and truly, if the highest [power] goes astray, it will not be able to be judged by man, but by God alone. And so the Apostle testifies, “The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is judged by no one.” [1 Corinthians 2:15]
8. But this authority, even though it may be given to a man, and may be exercised by a man, is not human, but rather divine [power], having been given by the divine mouth [of Christ] to Peter, and to him as well as to his successors, by [Christ] Himself, [that is, to him] whom He had disclosed to be the firm rock, just as the Lord said to Peter himself: “Whatever you shall bind,” [Matthew 16:19] etc. Therefore, whoever resists this authority, such as it has been ordain by God, resists the ordination of God. [Romans 13:2] Otherwise, he would be proposing two principles to exist, as did Manichaeus, and this we judge to be false and heretical. For Moses testified that God created heaven and earth, not in the beginnings, but “in the beginning.” [Genesis 1:1]
9. Moreover, that every human creature is to be subject to the Roman pontiff, we declare, we state, we define, and we pronounce to be entirely from the necessity of salvation.
Notes: Saint Thomas Aquinas, opusc. contra errores Graec. fol. 9
“For it is revealed that subjection to the Roman Pontiff is from the necessity of salvation.”[My translation of the Latin found in: Dr. Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler, A Text-book of Church History, (Harper Brothers: New York, 1857), p. 351.]
Given at the Lateran,
18 November 1302,
in year eight of our pontificate.
Secondary sources for Latin text:
(Scribner: New York, 1910), p. 27-28.
Latin Text:
Bonifatius, Episcopus, Servus servorum Dei.
Ad perpetuam rei memoriam.
1. Unam Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam et ipsam Apostolicam urgente fide credere cogimur et tenere. Nosque hanc firmiter credimus et simpliciter confitemur: extra quam nec salus est, nec remissio peccatorum, Sponso in Canticis proclamante, ‘Una est columba mea, perfecta mea: una est matris suae, electa genitrici suae:’ [Canticles 6:8] quae unum corpus mysticum repraesentat, cujus caput Christus, Christi vero Deus. [1 Corinthians 11:3] In qua unus Dominus, una fides, unum baptisma. [Ephesians 4:5] Una nempe fuit Diluvii tempore arca Noe, unam Ecclesiam praefigurans, quae in uno cubito consummata, [Genesis 6:16] unum, Noe videlicet, gubernatorem habuit et rectorem, extra quam omnia subsistentia super terram legimus fuisse deleta.
Notes:
Schaff has ‘futuram’ instead of ‘perpetuam’ in ‘Ad perpetuam rei memoriam.’
Tosti adds ‘corporis’ in ‘cujus corporis caput Christus.’ But Manning, Mirbt, and Schaff all lack corporis, and the word adds nothing to the meaning.
Manning has the typographical error of ‘omnis subsistentia,’ instead of ‘omnia subsistentia.’
2. Hanc autem veneramur et unicam; dicente Domino in Propheta, ‘Erue a framea, Deus, animam meam et de manu canis unicam meam;’ [Psalm 21:21] pro anima enim, id est, pro seipso capite simul oravit et corpore: quod corpus unicam scilicet Ecclesiam nominavit, propter sponsi, fidei, sacramentorum, et charitatis Ecclesiae unitatem. Haec est tunica illa Domini inconsutilis, [John 19:23-24] quae scissa non fuit sed sorte provenit.
3. Igitur Ecclesiae unius et unicae unum corpus, unum caput, non duo capita quasi monstrum, Christus videlicet, et Christi vicarius Petrus Petrique successor; dicente Domino ipsi Petro, ‘Pasce oves meas,’ [John 21:17] ‘meas,’ inquit, et generaliter non singulariter has vel illas, per quod commisisse sibi intelligitur universas. Sive igitur Graeci, sive alii se dicant Petro ejusque successoribus non esse commissos, fateantur necesse se de ovibus Christi non esse; dicente Domino in Joanne, ‘unum ovile et unicum esse pastorem.’ [John 10:16]
Notes:
Tosti and Schaff lack ‘et’ in ‘inquit, et generaliter,’ but add ‘est,’ in ‘necesse est, se’; Manning and Mirbt agree in adding ‘et’ and lacking ‘est’. But neither adding ‘et,’ nor taking away ‘est,’ would seem to alter the meaing of the text.
Tosti alone adds a second ‘unum’ in ‘unum ovile, unum et unicum esse Pastorem,’ making the text read: ‘one and only one Pastor.’
4. In hac ejusque potestate duos esse gladios, spiritualem videlicet et temporalem, Evangelicis dictis instruimur. Nam dicentibus Apostolis, ‘Ecce gladii duo hic,’ in Ecclesia scilicet, cum Apostoli loquerentur, non respondit Dominus nimis esse sed satis. [Luke 22:38] Certe qui in potestate Petri temporalem gladium esse negat, male verbum attendit Domini proferentes, ‘Converte gladium tuum in vaginam.’ [Matthew 26:52] Uterque ergo est in potestate Ecclesiae, spiritualis scilicet gladius et materialis. Sed is quidem pro Ecclesia, ille vero ab Ecclesia exercendus. Ille sacerdotis, is manu regum et militum, sed ad nutum et patientiam sacerdotis.
Notes:
St. Bernard (De Consideratione, Lib. iv. c. 3) writes:
“Uterque ergo Ecclesiae, et, spiritalis scilicet gladius et materialis; sed is quidem pro Ecclesia, ille vero et ab Ecclesia exercendus: ille sacerdotis, is militis manu, sed sane ad nutum sacerdotis et jussum Imperatoris.”
“And both therefore, are of the Church, specifically, both the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly the former is to be exercised by the Church; the former is of the priest, the latter is by the hand of the soldier, but truly at the will of the priest and the order of the emperor.”[Latin text from: Rev. Johannes Baptist Alzog, Manual of Universal Church History, Volume 2, (Gill and Son: Dublin, 1890), p. 448-449.]
5. Oportet autem gladium esse sub gladio et temporalem auctoritatem spirituali subjici potestati: nam cum dicat Apostolus, ‘Non est potestas nisi a Deo, quae autem sunt a Deo ordinata sunt,’ [Romans 13:1] non autem ordinata essent, nisi gladius esset sub gladio, et tanquam inferior reduceretur per alium in suprema. Nam secundum beatum Dionysium, lex divinitatis est, infima per media in suprema reduci.
Notes:
Tosti lacks ‘autem’ in ‘non autem ordinata essent.’
Tosti has the word order: ‘quae autem a Deo sunt, ordinata sunt.’
Mirbt and Manning agree on the text above, except that Mirbt has the typographical error: ‘ordinatae’ and Mirbt has comma before ‘a Deo’.
6. Non ergo secundum ordinem universi omnia aeque ac immediate, sed infima per media, et inferiora per superiora ad ordinem reducuntur. Spiritualem autem et dignitate et nobilitate terrenam quamlibet praecellere potestatem, opportet tanto clarius nos fateri quanto spiritualia temporalia antecellunt. Quod etiam ex decimarum datione, et benedictione, et sanctificatione, ex ipsius potestatis acceptione, ex ipsarum rerum gubernatione claris oculis intuemur. Nam veritate testante, spiritualis potestas terrenem potestatem instituere habet et judicare, si bona non fuerit, sic de Ecclesia et ecclesiastica potestate verificatur vaticinium Hieremiae, ‘Ecce constitui te hodie super gentes et regna,’ [Jeremiah 1:10] et caetera quae sequuntur.
Notes:
Schaff omits with an elipse (…) everything in n. 6 from ‘Non ergo’ through ‘si bona non fuerit’, then he agrees with the rest of the text above.
Tosti lacks ‘et’ in ‘per media, et inferiora’.
Mirbt and Manning agree on the text above.
Hugh of St. Victor, in the 12th century, in ‘De Sacramentis Christianæ Fidei,’ lib. II, c. 4, writes the following:
“Spiritualis potestas terrenam potestatem et instituere habet ut sit, et judicare habet, si bona non fuerit.”
“The spiritual authority holds [the ability] so that it may establish the earthly authority, and holds [the ability] to judge if it might not have been good.” [Latin text from: Rev. Johannes Baptist Alzog, Manual of Universal Church History, Volume 2, (Gill and Son: Dublin, 1890), p. 448-449.]
7. Ergo si deviat terrena potestas, judicabitur a potestate spirituali, sed si deviat spiritualis minor a suo superiori: si vero suprema, a solo Deo, non ab homine poterit judicari, testante Apostolo, ‘Spiritualis homo judicat omnia, ipse autem a nemine judicatur.’ [1 Corinthians 2:16]
8. Est autem haec auctoritas, etsi data sit homini et exerceatur per hominem, non humana, sed potius divina, [potestas,] ore divino Petro data, sibique suisque successoribus in ipso [Christo], quem confessus fuit petra firmata, dicente Domino ipsi Petro, ‘Quodcunque ligaveris,’ [Matthew 16:19] etc. Quicunque igitur huic potestati a Deo sic ordinatae resistit; Dei ordinationi resistit, [Romans 13:2] nisi duo sicut Manichaeus fingat esse principia: quod falsum et haereticum [esse] judicamus: quia testante Moyse, non in principiis, sed in principio coelum Deus creavit et terram. [Genesis 1:1]
Notes:
Tosti and Schaff add ‘potestas’ in ‘sed potius divina, potestas, ore divino Petro data’.
Tosti and Schaff add ‘Christo’ in ‘successoribus in ipso Christo, quem’.
Tosti adds ‘esse’ in ‘haereticum esse judicamus’; Schaff does not.
All of the additions of Tosti are useful in elucidating the meaning of the text.
Mirbt has parentheses before ‘etsi’ and after ‘hominem’, also he adds paraentheses around ‘sicut Manichaeus’. Otherwise Manning and Mirbt agree on the text above.
9. Porro subesse Romano Pontifici omni humanae creaturae declaramus, dicimus, definimus, et pronunciamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis.
Notes:
Tosti and other sources lack ‘et pronunciamus’; some sources place it in brackets and italics.
Schaff, Mirbt, and Manning agree with the above text.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, opusc. contra errores Graec. fol. 9:
“Ostenditur enim, quod subesse Romano Pontifici sit de necessitate salutis.”
“For it is revealed that subjection to the Roman Pontiff is from the necessity of salvation.”[Dr. Johann Karl Ludwig Gieseler, A Text-book of Church History, (Harper Brothers: New York, 1857), p. 351.]
Datum Laterani
xiv kal. Decembris, [18 November]pontificatus nostri anno octavo.
Fifth Lateran Council: “Et cum de necessitate salutis existat omnes Christi fideles Romano Pontifici subesse, prout divinae Scripturae et sanctorum Patrum testimonio edocemur, ac Constitutione fel. mem. Bonifacii Papae VIII. quae incipit ‘Unam Sanctam’ declaratur; pro eorundem fidelium animarum salute, ac Romani Pontificis et hujus sanctae Sedis suprema auctoritate, et Ecclesiae sponsae suae unitate et potestate, Constitutionem ipsam, sacro approbante Councilio, innovamus et approbamus.”
“And since it arises from the necessity of salvation that all the faithful of Christ are to be subject to the Roman Pontiff, just as we are taught by the testimony of the divine Scriptures and of the holy Fathers, and as is declared by the Constitution of Pope Boniface VIII of happy memory, which begins ‘Unam Sanctam,’ for the salvation of the souls of the same faithful, and by the supreme authority of the Roman pontiff and of this holy See, and by the unity and power of the Church, his spouse, the same Constitution, being approved by the sacred Council, we renew and approve.”
(Pope Leo X, Fifth Lateran Council, Session 11, 19 December 1516)