Statute of Provisors

Statute of Provisors

The English statute usually called Statute of Provisors is the 25th of Edward III, St. 4 (1350-1), otherwise termed "The Statute of Provisors of Benefices", or anciently "De provisoribus". This measure was central to a long disagreement between the English kings and the Roman Curia, concerning filling of ecclesiastical benefices.

Background

The Pope claimed the right to suspend for the time the right of the patron, and nominated of his own authority, to the vacant benefice". The papal nominee was then called a provisor. The resulting possession by Italians of church livings in England provoked serious resistance. Pope Gregory IX (1227-41) pronounced against the propriety of such provisions as interfered with the rights of lay patrons. And Pope Innocent IV expressed, in 1253, general disapprobation of these nominations.

From the recitals of "The Statute of Provisors" it appears that the bestowal by the pope of English benefices and ecclesiastical possessions "as if he had been patron or avowee ... as he was not of right by the law of England", and his "accroching to him the seignories" was complained of as not only an illegal injury to the property rights of particular patrons, but also as injurious spiritually and economically to the community in general. The holy church of England, "seinte eglise d'Engleterre", was said to have been founded by the sovereigns and the nobles to inform them and the people of the law of God and also to make hospitalities, alms, and other works of charity in the places where churches were founded, and possessions assigned for such purposes to prelates, religious, and other people of holy church; and these purposes were said to be defeated by this granting of benefices to aliens who did not, and to cardinals who might not, live in England "and to others as well aliens as denizens".

Certain of the economic evils had been dealt with by a Statute of Edward I of England (35 Edward I, St. 1, c. 1, 1306-07), forbidding alien priors or governors of a religious house to impose charges or burdens on their houses and forbidding abbots, priors or other religious to send out of the kingdom any tax imposed on them. But the "Statute of Provisors" recites that the evils complained of in the petition leading to this Statute of Edward I still continue, and "that our holy father, the Pope" (Notre seinte piere le Pape), still reserves to his collation benefices in England, giving them to aliens and denizens and taking first fruits and other profits, the purchasers of benefices taking out of the kingdom a great part of its treasure.

tatutes

The Statute of 1350 enacts that elections of bishops shall be free, that owners of advowsons shall have free collation and presentment, and that attempted reservation, collation, or provision by the Court of Rome shall cause the right of collation to revert to the king.

Later Statutes are 27 Edward III, St. 1, c. 1; 38 Edward III, St. 2; 3 Richard II; 7 Richard II, c. XII; 12 Richard II, c. XV; 13 Richard II, St. 2; 16 Richard II, c. 5, and finally in the parliament of 1400-1, the Statute 2 Henry IV, c. 3, c. 4.

References

*"The Statutes of the Realm" (1810), I, 150, 316, 323, 329, 385; II, 13, 14, 32, 60, 70, 84, 121;
*"The Statutes at Large" (Cambridge, 1762), ed. Pickering, I, 326;
*Pulton, "A Collection of Statutes, now in use" (London, 1670);
*John Lingard, "The History of England" (London, 1883), II, 416-419; III, 253-265, 343-349.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Statute of Provisors — An act of the English parliament passed in 1351 to prevent the Pope from exercising the power of creating provisors • • • Main Entry: ↑provisor …   Useful english dictionary

  • statute — /stach ooht, oot/, n. 1. Law. a. an enactment made by a legislature and expressed in a formal document. b. the document in which such an enactment is expressed. 2. Internat. Law. an instrument annexed or subsidiary to an international agreement,… …   Universalium

  • Provisors, Statute of — • The English statute usually so designated is the 25th of Edward III . . . Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Provisors, Statute of — Statute of February 1351 intended to prevent the pope from exercising authority within the Church of England and from giving his often non English candidates lucrative benefices in England. The statute ordained that election to bishoprics was to… …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • Statue of Provisors —     Statute of Provisors     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Statute of Provisors     The English statute usually so designated is the 25th of Edward III, St. 4 (1350 1), otherwise termed The Statute of Provisors of Benefices , or anciently Statutu de… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Provisors, Statute of — (1351) Law passed by the English Parliament during the reign of Edward III. It set up procedures to increase royal control over the papal practice of making appointments to church benefices in England, and damaged English relations with the… …   Universalium

  • List of Acts of Parliament of the English Parliament to 1601 — This is a list of Acts of Parliament of the English Parliament during that body s existence prior to the Act of Union of 1707. For legislation passed after 1707 see List of Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom Parliament.The numbers after the …   Wikipedia

  • England (Before the Reformation) —     England (Before the Reformation)     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► England (Before the Reformation)     This term England is here restricted to one constituent, the largest and most populous, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Praemunire — (an error, from Latin præmonere, to pre admonish or forewarn), was an offence in English law that took its name from the introductory words of the writ of summons issued to the defendant to answer the charge, Præmunire facias A.B., c., i.e. cause …   Wikipedia

  • United Kingdom — a kingdom in NW Europe, consisting of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: formerly comprising Great Britain and Ireland 1801 1922. 58,610,182; 94,242 sq. mi. (244,100 sq. km). Cap.: London. Abbr.: U.K. Official name, United Kingdom of Great… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”