Folio 218

Boniface VIII, 1294-1303

printed p. 186 · pdf p. 218

BONIFACE VIII 1294-1303

Indulgences1

[From the Jubilee Bull "Antiquorum habet" Feb. 22, 1300]

467. A faithful report of the ancients holds that to those approaching the honorable Basilica of the Prince of the Apostles are granted great remissions of sins and indulgences. We . . . confirm and by apostolic authority approve all such remissions and indulgences, holding them all and individually valid and pleasing. . . .

The Unity and Power of the Church2

[From the Bull "Unam Sanctam" November 18, 1302]

468. With Faith urging us we are forced to believe and to hold the one, holy, Catholic Church and that, apostolic, and we firmly believe and simply confess this (Church) outside which there is no salvation nor remission of sin, the Spouse in the Canticle proclaiming: "One is my dove, my perfect one. One she is of her mother, the chosen of her that bore her" [Cant. 6:8]; which represents the one mystical body whose head is Christ, of Christ indeed, as God. And in this, "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" [Eph. 4:5]. Certainly Noe had one ark at the time of the flood, prefiguring one Church which perfect on one cubit had one ruler and guide, namely Noe, outside which we read all living things on the earth were destroyed. Moreover this we venerate and this alone, the Lord in the prophet saying: "Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword; my only one from the hand of the dog" [Ps. 21:21]. For in behalf of the soul, that is, in behalf of himself, the head itself and the body he prayed at the same time, which body he called the "Only one" namely, the Church, because of the unity of the spouse, the faith, the

  1. CIC Extr. comm. V, 9, 1: Frdbg II 1303; Rcht II 1218; Pth 24917; BR(T) 4, 156 b; MBR 1, 179 a; Bar(Th) ad 1300 n. 4 (23, 263 b f.). ↩

  2. CIC Extr. comm. I, 8, 1; Frdbg II 1245; Rcht II 1159 f.; Bar(TH) ad 1302 n. 13 (23, 303 f.; cf. Hfl VI 346 ff.—Philip IV, King of France, made ill use of this bull when he said that it was defined by it that the Pope had direct power over kings; but Boniface by no means intended this; in a consistory held on this matter he expressly declared that the statement was falsely applied to him, "that we had ordered the king to recognize his kingdom as from us. For forty years we have been experienced in the law, and we know that there are two powers ordained by God. Therefore, who should or can believe that such foolishness, such folly is or has been in our head? We say that we wish to usurp the jurisdiction of a king in nothing; and this did our brother Portuensis say. It cannot be denied that a king or any other person among the faithful is subject to us by reason of sin." Cf. Du Puy, Histoire du différend, etc., 77. ↩