The Irish standard., 1905-09-02
1HEF0RGED BULL
Document Which Has Caused
Much Heated Argument.
A King VINO is Shown to Be 8
Liar and Deceiver Of Men.

III q contemporary ISCcutly Iuo So.
called Forged Bull was Interestingly
discussed. This alleged Papal procla-
nation protested to express desire
on the part Of Pope Adrian w that
Henry II, king of England, should take
possession of ireland for the purpose
of advancing religious life there. His.
torical research has proved the docu-
ment to be fraud, as the article re
ferred to will show. 1t is here repro.
duced as matter of historical inter.
est:
The following is literal transla-
ton of the old Latin text of the So
called Adrian's Bull:
Adrian, Bishop, servant of the serv-
ants of God, to our most dear Son in
Christ, tho illustrious King of the Eng.
lish, greeting and Apostollcal Benedic-
ton.
THE thoughts of your Highness are
laudably and profitably directed to the
greater glory of your name on earth
and to the increase of the reward
of eternal happiness in Heaven, when
as Catholic Prince you propose to
yourself to extend the borders of the
Church, to announce the truths of
Christian Faith to ignorant and bar
barous nations, and to root out the
weeds of wickedness from the field of
the Lord; and the more effectually to
accomplish this, you impiore the coun-
sci and favor of the Holy See. In
which matter we feel assured that the
higher your aims are, and the more
discreet your proceedings, the happier,
with Gods aid, will be the result; be-
cause those undertakings that pro-
coed from the ardor of faith and love
OF religion are sure always to have a
prosperous end and issue.
ut is beyond all doubt, as your
Highness also doth acknowledge, that
Ireland, and all the islands on which
Christ the Son of Justice has shone,
and which have received the know.
edge of Christian faith, are subject to
the authority Of st. Peter and of the
most Holy Roman Church. Where
fore, we are the more DESTROYS to SOW
in them an acceptable seed and plan
tation pleasing unto God, because we
know that most rigorous account of
them shall be required of us hereafter.
''Now, most dear Son in Christ, you
have signified to us that you propose
to enter the island of Ireland to estab-
fish the observance of law amongst
it's people, and to eradicate the weeds
of vice; and that you are willing to
pay from every house one penny as
an annual tribute to st. Peter, and to
preserve the rights of the churches of
the land whole and invioiate. We,
therefore, receiving with due favor
your pious and laudable desires, and
graciously granting our consent to
your petition, declare that 1t is pleas
ing and acceptable to us, that for the
purpose of charging the limits of the
Church, setting bounds to the tor
rents of vice, reforming evil manners,
planting the seeds of virtue, and in
creasing Christian faith, you should
enter that island and carry into effect
those things which belong to the serv-
ice of God and to the salvation of that
people; and that the people of that
land should honorably receive and
reverence you as Lord; the rights Of
the churches being preserved untouch-
ed and entire, and reserving the annu-
al tribute of one penny from every
house to st. Peter and the most Holy
Roman Church.
IF, therefore, you resolve to carry
these designs into execution, let 1t be
your study to form that people to good
morals, and take such orders both by
yourself and by those whom you shall
find qualified in faith, in words, and In
conduct, that the Church there may be
adorned, and the practices of Christian
faith be planted and increased; and let
all that tends to glory Of God and the
salvation of souls be so ordered by
you that you may deserve to obtain
from God an increase Of everlasting
reward, and may secure on earth a
glorious name throughout all time.
Gwen at Rome" etc.
The Bull of Adrian Nv was supposed
to have been granted to Henry II in
1855, through John Of Salisbury, secre-
tary to the archbishop of Canterbury,
and who was special envoy to Pope
Adrian. The Pope, it is alleged, sent
the document by John, and with a
gold ring set with a valuable emerald
as token of investiture as Lord OF
Ireland.
Now, John of Salisbury was learn
ed writer. and wrote many works upon
various subjects, yet this wonderful
and all-important event is only barely
noticed in one such work, his Meta
logicus," and appears therein in a Pc
cuiiar and suggestive position in the
last chapter of the book. The few
words in which this important Bull is
mentioned are totally irrelevant, have
absolutely no context, and If omitted,
not only are they not missed, but, in
fact, suggest freer and smoother