Laudabiliter

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Laudabiliter est une prétendue bulle pontificale émise en 1155 par le pape Adrien IV, le seul Anglais à avoir jamais occupé ce poste. L'existence du document a été contestée par les chercheurs et érudits au cours des siècles ; aucune copie ne nous en est parvenue, et la seule preuve citée de son existence tient dans les nombreuses références qui lui sont faites[1]. La bulle prétend accorder au roi angevin Henri II d'Angleterre le droit d'envahir et de gouverner l'Irlande et d'appliquer les réformes grégoriennes à l'Église chrétienne semi-autonome d'Irlande. Richard de Clare dit "Strongbow" (Arc-fort) ainsi que les autres protagonistes de l'invasion normande de l'Irlande (1169-1171) affirmèrent ainsi que la bulle Laudabiliter avait autorisé et légitimait l'invasion. Ces chevaliers cambro-normands furent par ailleurs utilisés par Diarmuid MacMorrough, le roi déchu de Leinster, comme alliés dans son combat avec le haut roi d'Irlande, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair.

Les rois d'Angleterre, les uns après les autres, d'Henri II (1171) à Henri VIII (1541), ont utilisé le titre de seigneur d'Irlande et ont affirmé qu'il avait été conféré par le successeur d'Adrien IV, le pape Alexandre III.

Après presque 4 siècles en tant que seigneurs, la déclaration d'indépendance de l'Église d'Angleterre l'émancipant de la suprématie pontificale et la réjection de l'autorité du Saint-Siège obligèrent les monarques anglais à créer une nouvelle raison légitimant leur règne en Irlande. En 1542, l'Acte de la couronne d'Irlande fut passé dans les parlements anglais et irlandais. L'acte établi la création d'un royaume souverain d'Irlande avec le roi Henry en tant que roi d'Irlande. Une revendication catholique concurrente à la légitimité en Irlande fut émise en 1555 à travers la bulle pontificale du Pape Paul IV "Ilius, per quem Reges regnant", qui attribuait la couronne du royaume à Phillipe II d'Espagne et Marie Ire d'Angleterre[2].

Latin text Traduction anglaise par Sebastian Lidbetter, 2019[3]
Adrianus episcopus servus

servorum Dei carissimo in Christo

filio illustri Anglorum regi salutem et

apostolicam benedictionem.

Laudabiliter et satis fructose de

glorioso nomine propagando in terris

et eterne felicitatis premio cumulando

in celis tua magnificentia cogitat, dum

ad dilatandos ecclesie terminos, ad

declarandam indoctis et rudibus

populis Christiane fidei veritatem et

vitiorum plantaria de agro dominico

exstirpanda, sicut catholicus princeps

intendis, et ad id convenientius

exequendum consilium apostolice

sedis exigis et favorem. In quo facto

quanto altiori consilio et maiori

discretione procedis tanto in eo

feliciorem progressum te, prestante

Domino, confidimus habiturum, eo

quod ad bonum exitum semper et

finem soleant attingere que de ardore

fidei et religionis amore principium

acceperunt. Sane Hiberniam et omnes

insulas quibus sol iustitie Christus

illuxit et que documenta fidei

Christiane ceperunt ad ius beati Petri

et sacrosancte Romane ecclesie quod

tua etiam nobilitas recognoscit non est

dubium pertinere. Unde tanto in eis

libentius plantationem fidelem et

germen gratum Deo inserimus quanto

id a nobis interno examine districtius

prospicimus exigendum. Significasti

siquidem nobis, fili in Christo

carissime, te Hibernie insulam ad

subdendum illum populum legibus et

vitiorum plantaria inde extirpanda

velle intrare et de singulis domibus

annuam unius denarii beato Petro

velle solvere pensionem et iura

ecclesiarum illius terre illibata et

integra conservare. Nos itaque pium

et laudabile desiderium tuum cum

favore congruo prosequentes et

petitioni tue benignum impendentes

assensum gratum et acceptum

habemus ut pro dilatandis ecclesie

terminis, pro vitiorum restringendo

decursu, pro corrigendis moribus et

virtutibus inserendis, pro Christiane

religionis augmento, insulam illam

ingrediaris et que ad honorem Dei et

salutem illius terre spectaverint

exequaris, et illius terre populus

honorifice te recipiat et sicut dominum

veneretur,459 iure nimirum ecclesiarum

illibato et integro permanente et salva

beato Petro et sacrosancte Romane

ecclesie de singulis domibus annua

unius denarii pensione. Si ergo quod

concepisti animo effectu duxeris

prosequente complendum, stude

gentem illam bonis moribus informare

et agas tam per te quam per illos quos

ad hoc fide, verbo et vita idoneos esse

prospexeris ut decoretur ibi ecclesia,

plantetur et crescat fidei Christiane

religio et que ad honorem Dei et

salutem pertinent animarum per te

taliter ordinentur ut a Deo sempiterne

mercedis cumulum conseque merearis

et in terris gloriosum nomen valeas in

seculis obtinere.

Adrian the bishop, the servant of the

servants of God, to his dearest son in Christ, the

illustrious king of the English, greeting and

apostolic blessing.

In right praiseworthy fashion, and to

good purpose, your magnificence is

considering how to spread abroad the glorious

name of Christ on earth, and thus store up for

yourself in heaven the reward for eternal bliss,

while striving as a true Catholic prince should,

to enlarge the boundaries of the Church, to

reveal the truth of the Christian faith to peoples

still untaught and barbarous, and to root out the

weeds of vice from the Lord's field; and the

more expeditiously to achieve this end, you

seek the counsel and favour of the Apostolic

See. We are confident that in this matter, with

God's help, you will attain that degree of

success which is in proportion to the loftiness

of your aims and the amount of discretion you

display as you proceed with them. For

enterprises which have their starting point in

burning faith and love of religion are always

ultimately successful in achieving their goal.

That Ireland, and indeed all islands on which

Christ, the sun of justice, has shed His rays, and

which have received the teaching of the

Christian faith, belong to the jurisdiction of

blessed St. Peter and the holy Roman church is

a fact beyond doubt, and one which your

nobility recognises. So we are all the more

eager to implant in those islands the offshoot of

faith, an offshoot pleasing to God, as we realise

that an examination of our own heart sternly

requires of us that we should take this action.

You have indeed indicated to us, dearly beloved

son in Christ, that you wish to enter this island

of Ireland, to make that people obedient to the

laws, and to root out from there the weeds of

vices, that you are willing to pay St. Peter the

annual tax of one penny from each

household,

460 and to preserve the rights of the

churches of that land intact and unimpaired.

We therefore support your pious and

praiseworthy intention with favour which it

deserves and, granting our benevolent consent,

we consider it pleasing and acceptable that you

should enter that island for the purpose of

enlarging the boundaries of the church,

checking the descent of wickedness, correcting

morals and implanting virtues, and encouraging

the growth of the faith in Christ; that you

pursue policies directed towards the honour of

God and the well-being of that land, and that

the people of that land receive you honourably

and respect you as their lord, all this being on

condition that the rights of the church remain

intact and unimpaired, and without prejudice to

the payment to St. Peter and the holy Roman

church of an annual tax of one penny from

every household. Therefore, if you wish to bring

to a successful conclusion the design which you

have thus conceived, take particular care to

instruct that people in right behaviour and, both

in person, and acting through those whom you

consider well-suited for this purpose by reason

of their strong faith, eloquence and Christian

religion may be planted and grow, and that

everything pertaining to the honour of God and

the salvation of men's souls may be so ordered

that you may be deemed worthy to win from

God that crowning reward of everlasting life,

and may obtain on earth glorious name for all

ages.

Bulle pontificale

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