27 August 1249 - Lyon.

Pope Innocentius IV's Letter of Protection to Confessors of Christian Faith in Finland

Innocencius episcopus, seruus seruorum Dej, venerabilj fratri episcopo et dilectis filiis clero et populo Finlandie, salutem et apostolicam benediccionem. Sacrosancta Romana ecclesia deuotos et humiles filios ex assuete pietatis officio propensius diligere consueuit et, ne prauorum hominum molestiis agitentur, eos tanquam pia mater sue proteccionis munimine confouere. Eapropter, dilectj filij, vestris iustis postulacionibus grato concurrentes assensu, adinstar felicis recordacionis G[regorii] pape, predeccesoris nostri, vestras et diocesin Finlandie sub beatj Petri et nostra proteccione suscjpimus et presentis scriptj patrocinio communimus. Nullj ergo omnino hominum liceat honeste proteccionis paginam infringere nel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis autem attemptare presumpserit, indignacionem omnipotentis Dej et beatorum Petri et Paulj, apostolorum eius, se nouerit incursurum. Datum Lugdunj vj kalendas Septembris pontificatus nostri anno septima.


Bishop Innocentius, God's servants' servant, salutes his venerable brother bishop and his beloved sons the clergy and people of Finland with an apostolic benediction. The sacrosanct Church of Rome has the habit of loving its pious and humble sons more than ... protecting them like a pious mother in her safe protection. Therefore, my beloved sons, we gracefully assent to your justified requests and like ever-remembered Pope Gregorius, our predecessor, we take you and the diocese of Finland under St. Peter's and our protection, which we confirm by this letter. Let no man be allowed to infringe the honest protection by this letter or raise arrogantly a hand against it. In case someone tries to attempt this, he will see him falling under the indignation of the almighty God and St. Peter and Paul, your Apostles. Given in Lyon, August 27, on the seventh year of our papacy.

Source: Registrum Ecclesiæ Aboensis - Åbo Domkyrka Svartbok, ed. R. Hausen 1890.

The translation, which is not a verbatim one, is done by Pauli Kruhse with the assistance of the Finnish language translation (reference to that on the Finnish language pages).

Diplomatarium Fennicum

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