Title — Decretals of Gregory IX
Title XXII: On Detecting Collusion
Chapter I
Latin source headnote: When an accuser desists from an accusation, a judge can by virtue of his office inquire into the crime charged.
Gregory, to All the Bishops of Corinth.
Reading over the writings of your fraternity, we learned that those who had said certain things against Bishop Hadrian had now come into friendship with the same bishop, and at present great joy has been produced for us by their unity. But because we do not permit the things that were said to remain unexamined, we direct a deacon of our see to investigate them. But because the character of the reported crime vehemently impels us so that we ought by no means to dissemble the things that we heard, especially since you indicated that the accusers and the accused made peace with one another, it is necessary for us to investigate this more subtly, lest perhaps their concord was purchased not from charity but from a reward.
DE COLLUSIONE DETEGENDA.
Accusatore desistente ab accusatione, potest iudex ex officio suo inquirere super crimine illato.
Gregorius universis Episcopis de Corintho.
Scripta fraternitatis vestrae relegentes agnovimus, quod hi, qui contra Hadrianum episcopum aliqua dixerant, modo cum eodem episcopo in amicitiam convenissent, et magna nobis ad praesens facta est de eorum unitate laetitia. Sed, quoniam ea, quae dicta sunt, indiscussa manere non patimur, sedis nostrae diaconum ad ea investiganda dirigimus. Quia vero nunciati facinoris qualitas nos vehementer impellit, ut ea, quae audivimus, dissimulare nullatenus debeamus, praesertim quum accusatores et accusatum inter se fecisse gratiam indicaveritis, hoc nobis necesse est subtilius perscrutari, ne forte non ex caritate, sed ex praemio eorum sit concordia comparata.
Chapter II
Latin source headnote: When the accuser and the accused desist, the judge prosecutes.
The same.
Gregory in no way passed over crimes once heard without examination, even if the accused had returned to favor with the accuser.
Desistente accusatore et accusato iudex prosequitur.
Idem.
Crimina semel audita Gregorius indiscussa nullo modo praeteribat, etiamsi accusatus cum accusatore in gratiam rediisset.
Chapter III
Latin source headnote: One who colludes in a benefice case ought to be deprived of the benefice.
Alexander III, to the Bishop of Norwich.
We have heard that, in your episcopate and in other episcopates of England, the malice of clerics has increased to such an extent that sometimes, after collusion has been made among themselves concerning benefices that they possess, they cause themselves to be troubled by others, and afterward, so that the question may be yielded and those same clerics may possess the benefices in quiet, they pay others an annual pension from those benefices as if in the name of a settlement, so that after their deaths they may be able to claim a right in those benefices concerning which collusion was made among those same clerics. Wherefore, [because] you wished to consult us as to what is to be done by you concerning this, by apostolic writings and by way of precept we command your fraternity that, if it shall have been lawfully established to you that any clerics of your jurisdiction have committed fraud through collusion of this kind, you do not delay, with appeal removed, perpetually to despoil them of the benefices concerning which collusion was made, because it would be sufficiently unworthy and absurd if the fraud and deceit that they endeavor to commit to the prejudice of your right and that of others did not rebound to their disadvantage and loss.
Colludens in causa beneficiali privari debet beneficio.
Alexander III. Norvicensi Episcopo.
Audivimus, in episcopatu tuo et in aliis episcopatibus Angliae usque adeo clericorum malitiam excrevisse, ut interdum, inter se collusione facta super beneficiis, quae possident, se sustineant ab aliis molestari, et postea, ut quaestioni cedatur, et iidem clerici beneficia quiete possideant, quasi nomine transactionis solvunt aliis de ipsis beneficiis annuam pensionem, ut post mortem eorum in beneficiis illis, super quibus est inter eosdem clericos collusio facta, ius sibi valeant vindicare. Unde, [quia] quid sit tibi exinde faciendum, nos consulere voluisti, fraternitati tuae per apostolica scripta praecipiendo mandamus, quatenus, si quos clericos tuae iurisdictionis per collusionem huiusmodi fraudem legitime tibi constiterit commisisse, eos beneficiis, super quibus collusum fuerit, non differas appellatione remota perpetuo spoliare, quia satis esset indignum et absonum, si fraus et dolus, quae in praeiudicium tui iuris et aliorum nituntur committere, in eorum non redundarent incommodum et iacturam.
Chapter IV
Latin source headnote: An absolution from charges of crimes, made through collusion, does not impede the faculty of accusing again and inquiring concerning those crimes.
Gregory IX, to the Archbishop of Bari and Brother Joseph, a Florentine Monk.
The outcry that rises against the Archbishop of Acerenza grows to such a degree that we can no longer dissemble it without scandal or tolerate it without danger. (And below:) Although the Apostolic See, aroused by frequent outcries, decided that an inquiry into certain of his offenses should be committed, nevertheless, on account of his evasions, as is said, the same man colluding with the investigators and examiners, and also the witnesses and the aforesaid investigators and examiners having been corrupted, not only have the aforesaid offenses thus far remained uncorrected, but he did not fear to commit worse things than the former. (And below:) We command your discretion that, if collusion and corruption of this kind shall be established, you inquire anew concerning the aforesaid and other matters, but otherwise concerning new matters only, which you shall see ought to be investigated.
Absolutio de criminibus illatis, per collusionem facta, non impedit facultatem iterum accusandi et inquirendi de illis criminibus.
Gregorius IX. Barensi Archiepiscopo et Fratri Ioseph Monacho Florentino.
In tantam clamor, qui adscendit contra Acherontinum archiepiscopum, invalescit, quod dissimulare ipsum ulterius sine scandalo non valemus, nec sine periculo tolerare. (Et infra:) Licet autem sedes apostolica frequentibus clamoribus excitata inquisitionem quorundam excessuum suorum duxerit committendam, propter tergiversationes tamen ipsius, ut dicitur, eodem cum inquisitoribus et examinatoribus colludente, nec non corruptis testibus et inquisitoribus ac examinatoribus supra dictis, non solum praedicti excessus remanserunt hactenus incorrecti, verum etiam peiora prioribus committere non expavit. (Et infra:) Discretioni vestrae mandamus, quatenus, si de huiusmodi collusione ac corruptione constiterit, ex integro super praemissis et aliis, alioquin super novis duntaxat inquiratis, quae videritis inquirenda.