Title — Liber Sextus
Title IV: On Custom
Chapter I
Under pretext of a custom, even one confirmed by oath or observed for however long a time, no one can, without dispensation of the Apostolic See, obtain or retain if already obtained more than one personatus, dignity, or other perpetual office together with a canonry and prebend in a church; and what is presumed to the contrary is altogether invalid. John Andrew.
Boniface VIII.
You assert that a custom has been observed in your church for so long a time that no memory exists to the contrary, namely, that the canons of that church can licitly obtain in it, without dispensation of the Apostolic See, two personatus, two dignities, provostships or administrations, or two offices—or one of them together with another—and a prebend at the same time. Deservedly regarding this as a corruption, since it is hostile to the sacred canons and has proceeded from the root of ambition, we reprove it by apostolic authority and decree that you are not bound to its observance even if it was confirmed by oath, since an oath does not constitute a bond of iniquity.
We establish that, since a person is scarcely able worthily to fulfill one office, henceforth no one may, without dispensation of the said See, obtain or retain if already obtained in the same church more than one personatus, dignity, provostship, administration, or perpetual office, by whatever name these may be called, together with a prebend at the same time. If anything contrary is presumed by anyone, it shall be altogether invalid.
DE CONSUETUDINE.
Praetextu consuetudinis etiam iuratae, vel quantocunque tempore observatae, non potest quis nisi unicum personatum, dignitatem, vel aliud perpetuum officium, simul cum canonica et praebenda in aliqua ecclesia absque dispensatione sedis apostolicae obtinere, vel iam obtenta tenere: et contra praesumptum irritum est omnino. Ioann. Andr.
Bonifacius VIII. Consuetudinem, quam in vestra ecclesia servatam asseritis tanto tempore, quod in contrarium memoria non exsistit, videlicet, quod ipsius ecclesiae canonici duos personatus, aut duas dignitates, vel praeposituras seu administrationes, aut duo officia vel eorum alterum cum reliquo insimul et praebendam possint in ea licite absque dispensatione sedis apostolicae obtinere, corruptelam, quum sacris sit inimica canonibus et de ambitionis radice processerit, merito reputantes, eam auctoritate apostolica reprobamus, vosque ad ipsius observantiam, etiamsi iuramento firmata exstiterit, (quum iuramentum iniquitatis vinculum non exsistat), decernimus non teneri, statuentes, ut, (quum unum officium vix digne valeat aliquis adimplere), nulli liceat de cetero, nisi unicum personatum, vel dignitatem, aut praeposituram, sive administrationem vel officium perpetuum*, quocunque nomine censeantur, cum praebenda insimul absque dispensatione dictae sedis in eadem ecclesia obtinere, vel iam obtenta tenere. Quodsi a quoquam secus praesumptum fuerit, irritum sit omnino .
Chapter II
A custom that an appeal may be taken from a bishop’s official to the bishop is invalid. John Andrew.
The same.
We do not think it consonant with reason that an appeal can be taken from a bishop’s official to the same bishop, however long this custom has in fact been observed, lest an appeal appear to have been interposed from the same person to himself, since the tribunal of both is the same.
Non valet consuetudo, quod ab officiali episcopi ad episcopum appelletur. Ioann. Andr.
Idem. Non putamus illam consuetudinem, quantocunque tempore de facto servatam, consonam rationi, quod ab officiali episcopi ad eundem episcopum valeat appellari: ne ab eodem ad se ipsum, quum sit idem auditorium utriusque, appellatio interposita videatur.
Chapter III
A prescriptive custom is valid by which a bishop is not bound to seek the counsel of his chapter in investigating, punishing, and correcting the offenses of his subjects. John Andrew.
The same.
Provided that it has otherwise been canonically prescribed, the custom alleged by a bishop—that in investigating, punishing, and correcting the offenses of his subjects he is by no means bound to seek the counsel of his chapter—is not to be reproved.
Valet consuetudo praescripta, quod episcopus in inquirendo, puniendo, et corrigendo subditorum excessus sui capituli consilium requirere non teneatur. Ioann. Andr.
Idem. Non est, dum tamen alias sit praescripta canonice, consuetudo, quam allegat episcopus, reprobanda, quod in inquirendis, puniendis et corrigendis subditorum excessibus consilium sui capituli requirere minime teneatur.
Chapter IV
A laudable custom of a church is not abrogated by an apostolic rescript mandating that provision be made for someone from the first prebend to become vacant. Hence, if there is a custom there that the more senior canons may successively choose vacant prebends, notwithstanding that mandate a more senior canon may choose a vacant prebend; after those wishing to choose have been awaited for twenty days, the executor shall provide that person with one not chosen. But if the Pope were to confer a prebend vacant in the Curia, the more senior canon could not then choose it. John Andrew.
The same.
When in your church, in which a custom is observed that the more senior canons may successively, if they wish, choose for themselves or through others the better prebends when they become vacant, we command that provision be made for someone from the next prebend to become vacant there that is owed by law to no one else, the more senior canons may, notwithstanding a mandate of this kind, choose according to that custom when a prebend becomes vacant; and the prebend that was not chosen, if it is owed to no one, is to be conferred upon the person for whom we wrote. But in prebends becoming vacant at the Apostolic See, when disposition concerning them is made by the Roman Pontiff, there is no place for the aforesaid custom.
Moreover, lest provisions to be made by apostolic authority be delayed beyond what is due under pretext of the same custom, we establish that executors deputed for these provisions are to await those wishing to choose for only twenty days; when these have elapsed, they are freely to proceed in the prebends not chosen to execute the mandates given to them, notwithstanding the aforesaid custom.
Per rescriptum apostolicum, quo de praebenda primo vacatura mandabatur alicui provideri, laudabilis illius ecclesiae consuetudo non tollitur. Hinc est, quod, si ibi est consuetudo, quod antiquiores canonici vacantes praebendas possint optare gradatim, illo non obstante mandato, poterit antiquior vacantem optare praebendam, et, exspectatis per XX. dies optare volentibus, exsecutor de non optata providebit eidem. Si autem praebendam vacantem in curia Papa conferret, tunc illam antiquior optare non poterit. Ioann. Andr.
Idem. Quum tua in ecclesia, in qua consuetudo habetur, quod antiquiores canonici gradatim meliores, si voluerint, possint, quum vacant, per se vel per alios optare praebendas, provideri mandamus alicui de praebenda, nulli alii de iure debita, proximo inibi vacatura: huiusmodi non obstante mandato poterunt ipsi antiquiores iuxta consuetudinem eandem optare, quum praebenda vacabit, et illa, quae optata non fuerit, si nulli sit debita, erit illi, pro quo scripsimus, conferenda. In praebendis vero apud sedem apostolicam vacantibus, quum de ipsis per Romanum Pontificem ordinatur, locus praedictae consuetudini non exsistit. Ne autem praetextu eiusdem consuetudinis provisiones, auctoritate apostolica faciendae, ultra debitum differantur: statuimus, ut exsecutores, super ipsis provisionibus deputati, optare volentes per viginti dies duntaxat exspectent, quibus elapsis libere in non optatis ad exsequenda sibi mandata procedant, praefata consuetudine non obstante.