Romana Ecclesia a Solo Domino Sit Fundata

1. That the Roman church was founded by God alone.
2. That the Roman pontiff alone can with right be called universal.
3. That he alone can depose or reinstate bishops.
4. That, in a council his legate, even if a lower grade, is above all bishops, and can pass sentence of deposition against them.
5. That the pope may depose the absent.
6. That, among other things, we ought not to remain in the same house with those excommunicated by him.
7. That for him alone is it lawful, according to the needs of the time, to make new laws, to assemble together new congregations, to make an abbey of a canonry; and, on the other hand, to divide a rich bishopric and unite the poor ones.
8. That he alone may use the imperial insignia.
9. That of the pope alone all princes shall kiss the feet.
10. That his name alone shall be spoken in the churches.
11. That this title [Pope] is unique in the world.
12. That it may be permitted to him to depose emperors.
13. That he may be permitted to transfer bishops if need be.
14. That he has power to ordain a clerk of any church he may wish.
15. That he who is ordained by him may preside over another church, but may not hold a subordinate position; and that such a one may not receive a higher grade from any bishop.
16. That no synod shall be called a general one without his order.
17. That no chapter and no book shall be considered canonical without his authority.
18. That a sentence passed by him may be retracted by no one; and that he himself, alone of all, may retract it.
19. That he himself may be judged by no one.
20. That no one shall dare to condemn one who appeals to the apostolic chair.
21. That to the latter should be referred the more important cases of every church.
22. That the Roman church has never erred; nor will it err to all eternity, the Scripture bearing witness.
23. That the Roman pontiff, if he have been canonically ordained, is undoubtedly made a saint by the merits of St. Peter; St. Ennodius, bishop of Pavia, bearing witness, and many holy fathers agreeing with him. As is contained in the decrees of St. Symmachus the pope.
24. That, by his command and consent, it may be lawful for subordinates to bring accusations.
25. That he may depose and reinstate bishops without assembling a synod.
26. That he who is not at peace with the Roman church shall not be considered catholic.
27. That he may absolve subjects from their fealty to wicked men.

— Dictatus papæ, included in the register of Pope Gregory VII under the year 1075; translated in Ernest F. Henderson, Select Historical Documents of the Middle Ages, (London: George Bell and Sons, 1910), pp. 366-367.

1. Quod Romana ecclesia a solo Domino sit fundata.
2. Quod solus Romanus pontifex iure dicatur universalis.
3. Quod ille solus possit deponere episcopos vel reconciliare.
4. Quod legatus eius omnibus episcopis presit in concilio etiam inferioris gradus et adversus eos sententiam depositionis possit dare.
5. Quod absentes papa possit deponere.
6. Quod cum excommunicatis ab illo inter cetera nec in eadem domo debemus manere.
7. Quod illi soli licet pro temporis necessitate novas leges condere, novas plebes congregare, de canonica abbatiam facere et e contra, divitem episcopatum dividere et inopes unire.
8. Quod solus possit uti imperialibus insigniis.
9. Quod solius papae pedes omnes principes deosculentur.
10. Quod illius solius nomen in ecclesiis recitetur.
11. Quod hoc unicum est nomen in mundo.
12. Quod illi liceat imperatores deponere.
13. Quod illi liceat de sede ad sedem necessitate cogente episcopos transmutare.
14. Quod de omni ecclesia quocunque voluerit clericum valeat ordinare.
15. Quod ab illo ordinatus alii ecclesiae preesse potest, sed non militare; et quod ab aliquo episcopo non debet superiorem gradum accipere.
16. Quod nulla synodus absque precepto eius debet generalis vocari.
17. Quod nullum capitulum nullusque liber canonicus habeatur absque illius auctoritate.
18. Quod sententia illius a nullo debeat retractari et ipse omnium solus retractare possit.
19. Quod a nemine ipse iudicari debeat.
20. Quod nullus audeat condemnare apostolicam sedem apellantem.
21. Quod maiores causae cuiuscunque ecclesiae ad eam referri debeant.
22. Quod Romana ecclesia nunquam erravit nec imperpetuum scriptura testante errabit.
23. Quod Romanus pontifex, si canonicae [sic] fuerit ordinatus, meritis beati Petri indubitanter efficitur sanctus testante sancto Ennodio Papiensi episcopo ei multis sanctis patribus faventibus, sicut in decretis beati Symachi pape continetur.
24. Quod illius precepto et licentia subiectis liceat accusare.
25. Quod absque synodali conventu possit episcopos deponere et reconciliare.
26. Quod catholicus non habeatur, qui non concordat Romanae ecclesiae.
27. Quod a fidelitate iniquorum subiectos potest absolvere.

— Dictatus papæ, included in the register of Pope Gregory VII under the year 1075.

Author: Christian Clay Columba Campbell

Christian Clay Columba Campbell is a Roman Catholic of the Anglican Use. As Senior Warden of the Cathedral of the Incarnation (Orlando, FL), he organised the process by which the parish accepted the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, petitioning to join the Catholic Church. The Anglican Cathedral is now the Church of the Incarnation in the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Personal queries should be directed to me at eccentricbliss dot com. View all posts by Christian Clay Columba Campbell