RESCRIPTUM PAPAE.
Apostolic Greeting
Pope Leo IX sends greetings and apostolic blessing to King Edward, acknowledging his God-pleasing will.
Leo, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved son Edward, king of the English: greetings and apostolic blessing.
Absolution and Penance
The pope gives thanks for Edward's piety, absolves him of his feared sin and all negligences by apostolic authority, and commands him under obedience to distribute his pilgrimage funds to the poor and to build or enlarge a monastery in honor of Saint Peter, granting firm apostolic protection and confirmation of any privileges established there.
Since we have recognized that your will is praiseworthy and pleasing to God, we give thanks to him through whom kings reign and princes decree what is just. But because the Lord is near everywhere to all who call upon him in truth, and the holy apostles joined with their head are one spirit and equally hear pious prayers; and because it is clear that the English region is in danger from your departure — you who restrain its seditious movements with the bridle of your justice — by the authority of God and of the holy apostles and of the holy synod we absolve you from the sin of that vow, because of which you fear the offense of God, and from all your negligences and iniquities, using indeed the power which the Lord granted to us in blessed Peter, saying: "Whatever you shall have loosed upon earth shall be loosed also in the heavens."✦12 Then we command you, under the name of holy obedience and penance, that the expenses which you had prepared for this journey you distribute to the poor, and a monastery of monks in honor of Saint Peter, prince of the apostles, either you build new or enlarge and amend the old, and from your revenues you establish a sufficient supply of provisions for the brothers, so that while they steadily praise God there, the glory of the saints may be increased and indulgence may be granted to you.3 To whatever place you shall have bestowed, or it has been bestowed, or will be bestowed, we command that it be made firm by apostolic authority, and that it always be a dwelling of monks, and that it be subjected to no lay person except the king. And whatever privileges you shall have wished to establish there, pertaining to the honor of God, we grant and confirm with the most strong authority, and those who violate them we condemn with an eternal curse.
Read the original Latin
LEO episcopus, servus servorum Dei, dilecto filio EDWARDO Anglorum regi, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem.
Quoniam voluntatem tuam laudabilem et Deo gratam agnovimus, gratias agimus ei per quem reges regnant et principes justa decernunt. Sed quia prope est Dominus in omni loco omnibus invocantibus eum in veritate, et sancti apostoli cum suo capite conjuncti unus spiritus sunt et pias preces aequaliter audiunt; et quia constat periclitari regionem Anglicam ex tua discessione qui freno justitiae tuae seditiosos ejus motus cohibes, ex auctoritate Dei et sanctorum apostolorum et sanctae synodi absolvimus te a peccato illius voti pro quo Dei offensam times, et ab omnibus negligentiis et iniquitatibus tuis, ea nimirum potestate usi quam Dominus in beato Petro concessit nobis, dicens: «Quaecunque solveritis super terram soluta erunt et in coelis.» Deinde praecipimus tibi sub nomine sanctae obedientiae et poenitentiae, ut expensas quas ad iter istud paraveras pauperibus eroges, et coenobium monachorum in honore sancti Petri apostolorum principis aut novum construas, aut vetustum augeas et emendes, et sufficientia victualium fratribus de tuis redditibus constituas, quatenus dum illi assidue inibi Deum laudaverint, et sanctis augeatur gloria et tibi indulgentia. Cui loco quidquid contuleris vel collatum est vel conferetur, ut ratum sit apostolica auctoritate praecipimus, et ut semper habitatio monachorum sit, et nulli laicae personae nisi regi subdatur. Et quaecunque privilegia ibi constituere volueris ad honorem Dei pertinentia, concedimus et robustissima auctoritate confirmamus, et infractores eorum aeterna maledictione damnamus.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.16.19;Matt.18.18 — I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matt.18.18 — Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Notes
- 1 ↩The embedded quotation adapts language close to Matt 16:19 (cf. Matt 18:18); final anchor resolution belongs to a later stage.
- 2 ↩The quoted span is rendered with a familiar scriptural cadence while the surrounding papal prose stays in modern readable English.
- 3 ↩Indulgentia here is rendered "indulgence" in its penitential/ecclesial sense, not in the modern colloquial sense.
Aelred of Rievaulx, Vita Sancti Edwardi Regis et Confessoris companion
Keep praying with the saints after Day 7
The Chosen Portion app serves a short historic devotional reading and prayer every morning — free on iOS
Aelred wrote Edward's life so ordinary believers could imitate a king's daily devotion; Chosen Portion delivers that same vita in short daily portions on your phone.
- A 5-minute daily reading from texts like Aelred's, in modern English
- 78+ complete historic works, searchable by theme and era
- Set one reminder and keep an unbroken 7-day-a-week practice