22.06.2013 Views

The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

REFORM OF THE PENITENTIARIA. I75<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same year <strong>the</strong> complaint was made that <strong>the</strong> Dataria<br />

had not received a quarter <strong>of</strong> its usual revenue, because <strong>the</strong><br />

Pope had entirely done away with compositions, namely those<br />

fines which had been customary in connexion with <strong>the</strong><br />

absolution <strong>of</strong> certain <strong>of</strong>fences, and that various o<strong>the</strong>r sums<br />

which had come to <strong>the</strong> Dataria under o<strong>the</strong>r pontificates had<br />

also been lost.^ <strong>The</strong>se fines, however, were not in <strong>the</strong> least<br />

simoniacal, and thus it is easy to see why <strong>the</strong> Pope gave two<br />

Cardinals leave to impose such fines in connexion with certain<br />

<strong>of</strong>fences in order to raise money for <strong>the</strong> league against <strong>the</strong><br />

Turks. 2 <strong>The</strong> administration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> basilica <strong>of</strong> St. Peter's also<br />

received similar powers.^<br />

Even more than <strong>the</strong> Dataria <strong>the</strong> Pope had at heart that<br />

tribunal which, according to its original purpose, dealt ex-<br />

pressly with matters <strong>of</strong> conscience, or for <strong>the</strong> peace <strong>of</strong> men's<br />

consciences, and which, for <strong>the</strong> most part, did its work in <strong>the</strong><br />

confessional, <strong>the</strong> Apostolic Penitentiaria. This had come<br />

into being at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Xllth century, principally to meet<br />

<strong>the</strong> need felt in Rome for a body <strong>of</strong> confessors who should be<br />

able, by Papal authority, to absolve <strong>from</strong> all reserves those<br />

penitents who flocked to <strong>the</strong> tombs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Princes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Apostles.* In course <strong>of</strong> time <strong>the</strong> Penitentiaria had acquired<br />

many powers and faculties which held good outside <strong>the</strong> con-<br />

fessional, and in public.^ Even in <strong>the</strong> Penitentiaria, however,<br />

some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fices had become open to sale,^ and in this way<br />

* *" La Dataria non fa piu un quattrino, perche le compo-<br />

sitioni sono levate del tutto, et quelli emolumenti, che detta<br />

Dataria solea portare alii altri pontefici." Awise di Roma <strong>of</strong><br />

October 26, 1566, p. 312b, Vatican Library.<br />

2 *Avviso <strong>of</strong> December 8, 1571, ibid. 1042, p. 150b.<br />

3 *Avviso <strong>of</strong> August 16, 1570, ibid. 1041, p. 327.<br />

* GoLLEK, I., I, 75 seqq., 81. For <strong>the</strong> old archives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Penitentiaria see Goller in Festschrift Jiir A . de Waal, Freiburg,<br />

1 91 3, I seqq.<br />

* Goller, I, i, t seqq.<br />

'"'Goller, IT.. 2, Q3 seq. 146.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!