Title — Liber Sextus
Title V: On the Postulation of Prelates
Chapter I
If anyone elects “by postulating,” or elects one “to be postulated” or “toward postulation,” or postulates “by electing,” postulates one “to be elected,” or postulates “toward election,” such an election or postulation is invalid by law itself. The same is true if he says, “I elect and postulate, insofar as it can better have validity in law,” unless it is reasonably doubted whether the person ought to be elected or postulated. In that case, at the time of consent, he is to choose one of the two courses, namely election or postulation; once it has been chosen, he cannot return to the other. This is what it says. John Andrew.
Boniface VIII.
By a perpetual edict we prohibit anyone henceforth from proceeding to make elections or postulations under any of these forms devised by pernicious curiosity: “I elect by postulating,” “I postulate by electing,” “I elect one to be postulated,” or “I postulate one to be elected,” since neither a true election nor a true postulation results from them, but rather they oppose one another; or under these words, “I elect toward postulation,” or “I postulate toward election,” since they are known to signify an imperfect act. If the contrary is done, we decree it invalid by that very fact.
We also prohibit anyone from being postulated or elected under this form, “I elect and postulate, insofar as it can better have validity in law,” since it contains uncertainty, and establish that what is done contrary to this is altogether without force, except when it is reasonably doubted whether someone ought to be elected or rather postulated. In that case, the person so postulated or elected is necessarily bound, at the time of consent, to choose the course of election or of postulation, lest he wander in uncertainty; permission to return to the other after he has chosen one is altogether forbidden to him.
DE POSTULATIONE PRAELATORUM.
Si quis eligat postulando, vel postulandum, vel in postulandum, vel postulet eligendo, vel eligendum, vel in eligendum: talis electio vel postulatio est irrita ipso iure. Si autem dicat: „ Eligo et postulo, prout melius de iure valere potest,“ idem; nisi probabiliter dubitaretur, an esset eligendus vel postulandus. Et tunc consensus tempore eligat alteram viam, electionis scilicet vel postulationis; qua electa ad alteram redire non poterit. H. d. Ioann. Andr.
Bonifacius VIII. Perpetuo prohibemus edicto, ne sub aliqua ex his formis, quas perniciosa curiositas adinvenit: „ Eligo postulando,“ et: „Postulo eligendo,“ aut: „Eligo postulandum, seu: ,,Postulo eligendum,^ quum nec vera electio, nec vera postulatio resultet ex ipsis, quin sibi potius invicem adversentur, aut sub illis verbis*: „Eligo in postulandum,“ vel: „Postulo in eligendum,“ quum rem imperfectam significare noscantur, ad faciendas electiones vel postulationes de cetero procedatur, si secus actum fuerit, eo ipso irritum decernentes. Sub ea etiam forma: „Eligo et postulo, prout potest melius de iure valere,“ quum incertitudinem contineat, quemquam postulari vel eligi prohibemus, statuentes, quod contra factum fuerit viribus omnino carere, nisi quando probabiliter dubitatur, utrum quis sit eligendus, vel potius postulandus. Quo casu is, qui sic postulatus fuerit aut* electus, consensus tempore viam electionis vel postulationis, ne in incerto vagetur, eligere necessario teneatur, redeundi ad aliam, postquam unam elegerit, sibi licentia penitus interdicta.