Pope Adrian IV grants Patriarch Enrico Dandolo of Grado and his successors the authority to ordain bishops in Constantinople and other cities of the Byzantine Empire where Venetians have established churches.
‡Adrianus‡ episcopus, servus servorum Dei, venerabili fratri ‡Henrico‡ Gradensis patriarchę salutem et apostolicam benedictionem.
Inter omnia celi sidera, quę ad decorem mundi et usus hominum in principio sapientia divina formavit, solem voluit claritate luminis preminere, cuius ortus et diem terre infunderet et noctis tenebras propulsaret. Conveniens namque fuerat, quod eo prestantior ceteris sideribus haberetur, quo specialius in ipso formationis exordio, ut singulariter preesset diei, de superni munere Conditoris accepit. Sic nimirum Redemptor noster, cum ecclesias velut micantes stellas in diversa mundi climata latius propagasset, sacrosanctam Romanam ęcclesiam, cuius beatus Petrus apostolorum princeps extitit gubernator, tanquam splendidum solem omnibus veluti superesse, et singulas ei ęcclesias, utpota menbraa suo capiti statuit subiacere. Quod ex illis verbis manifestius declaratur, quibus eundem Petrum est Dominus allocutus: “Si diligis me, pasce oves meas.”1 Et alibi: “Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram edificabo Ęcclesiam meam.”2 Petra vero supra quam legitur esse fundata, nullas scissuras recipit, nullas patitur sectiones. Hoc idem rursus demonstratur, cum dicitur: “Quodcunque ligaveris super terram, erit ligatum et in celis; et quodcumque solveris super terram, erit solutum et in celis.”3 Ipse quoque et sufficientiam proprie et confirmationem suscepte fidei aliene quando a magistro audire meruit: “Ego pro te rogavi, Petre, ut non deficiat fides tua. Et tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres tuos.”4
Istis itaque et aliis rationibus sancta et apostolica ęcclesia, que celesti privilegio inter omnes alias optinet principatum, tantam ab ipso capite domino Iesu Christo prerogativam accepit, ut auctoritatem habeat singularem universis per orbem terrarum ęcclesiis providere, et discreta in eis consideratione statuere, quę cognoverit statuenda. Nobis igitur qui, licet insufficientibus meritis, vices apostolorum principis in sancta Ęcclesia suscepimus exequendas, providendum imminet attentius et agendum, ut secundum uniuscuiusque dignitatem et statum Ęcclesię honor ei debitus impendatur, et cum salute populi fratribus nostris provida sollicitudine deferatur.
Hac siquidem consideratione, venerabilis in Christo frater Henrice patriarcha, inducti iustis postulationibus tuis gratum impertimur assensum, et tam devotioni tue quam honori et utilitati Gradensis ecclesie, cui, Deo auctore, preesse dinosceris, deferre volentes, tibi et successoribus tuis auctoritate apostolica duximus concedendum, ut in Constantinopolitana urbe et in aliis itidem civitatibus in Constantinopolitano dum taxat Imperio constitutis, in quibus Veneti plures habent ęcclesias, ubi videlicet eorum multitudo consuevit assidue convenire, liceat vobis episcopum ordinare et absque alicuius contradictione munus ei consecrationis impendere.
Ut igitur hec nostra concessio perpetuis temporibus inviolabiliter observetur, eam auctoritatis nostre presidio roboramus, et presentis scripti patrocinio communimus.
Statuentes ut nulli omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre concessionis et confirmationis infringere, salva nimirum Sedis Apostolicę auctoritate.
Quecumque autem ęcclasiastica secularisve persona sciens contram eam temere venire temptaverit, secundo tertiove commonita, nisi reatum suum congrua satisfactione correxerit, potestatis honorisque sui dignitate careat, reamque se divino iudicio existere de perpetrata iniquitate cognoscat et a sacratissimo corpore ac sanguine Dei et domini redemptoris nostri Iesu Christi aliena fiat, atque in extremo examine districte ultionis subiaceat.
Cunctis autem servantibus hęc sit pax domini nostri Iesu Christi, quatinus et hic fructum bone actionis percipiant, et apud
districtum Iudicem premia ęternę pacis inveniant.
‡Amen.‡
(R) Ego Adrianus catholicę Ęcclesię episcopus subscripsi. (BV)
(SC) Ego Gregorius Sabinensis episcopus subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Manfredus presbiter cardinalis tituli Sancte Savine subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Iulius presbiter cardinalis Sancti Marcelli subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Hubaldus presbiter cardinalis tituli Sancte Crucis in Iherusalem subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Gerardus presbiter cardinalis tituli Sancti Stephani in Celio Monte subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Iohannes presbiter cardinalis Sanctorum Iohannis et Pauli tituli Pamachii subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Henricus presbiter cardinalis tituli Sanctorum Nerei et Achillei subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Ildebrandus presbiter cardinalis Basilicę XII Apostolorum subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Odo diaconus cardinalis Sancti Georgii ad Velum Aureum subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Odo diaconus cardinalis Sancti Nicholai in Carcere Tulliano subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Bonadies diaconus cardinalis Sancti Angeli subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Boso diaconus cardinalis Sanctorum Cosme et Damiani subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Albertus diaconus cardinalis Sancti Adriani subscripsi.
Datum Laterani per manum Rolandi sancte Romane ęcclesię presbiteri cardinalis et cancellarii idibus iunii, indictione V, incarnationis Dominice anno MoCoLoVIIo, pontificatus vero donnia Adriani pape IIII anno IIIo.
(SP D)
a) sic A.
1) VULG, Ioh. 21:17.
2) VULG, Matt. 16:18.
3) VULG, Matt. 16:19.
4) VULG, Luc. 22:32.
The papal privilege represents a significant expansion of the Patriarch of Grado’s ecclesiastical authority beyond traditional territorial boundaries. The document grants Patriarch Enrico Dandolo the faculty to ordain bishops in Constantinople and other cities of the Byzantine Empire where Venetians maintained churches, reflecting the papacy’s recognition of Venice’s growing economic and political presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
As Rando (cited above) surmised, this papal concession reflected Venice’s far-reaching aspirations to establish a hierarchical episcopal network under Grado’s jurisdiction. The strategic vision behind this grant was to forge stronger religious connections that would simultaneously reinforce political relationships, both within the network of principal Venetian settlements across the Byzantine territories. This represented an innovative approach to maintaining institutional unity across geographically dispersed commercial communities through ecclesiastical channels rather than conventional political mechanisms.
Rando situates this privilege within Venice’s well-established pattern of utilizing religious institutions as instruments of governance in distant territories. This arrangement involved transferring considerable real estate holdings and fiscal rights to these religious bodies, effectively creating a hybrid model of ecclesiastical-political administration. However, as Rando notes, this ambitious ecclesiastical venture would ultimately prove unsuccessful.
The grant can also be viewed in the context of the centuries-long conflict between the patriarchates of Grado and Aquileia for the metropolitan jurisdiction over Istrian bishoprics, in which it was the latter that emerged victorious. Since Pope Innocent II effectively pronounced the Church of Aquileia the winner in 1132 (doc. 1132_PI), the Patriarchate of Grado had to be properly compensated. Thus, the patriarchs of Grado were first granted primacy over the newly instituted Archbishopric of Zadar (doc. 1155_PG), and then, with this document, the right to appoint and consecrate bishops across the Venetian outposts throughout the Byzantine Empire.