Papal Legates Appointed to Banat of Togaras

Benedict, the fourteenth, by God's providence the universal pastor of Christ's flock, to whom by perpetual and lawful succession, appertaineth the care and government of the Catholic Church, seeing the pitiful calamities which heresy hath brought into the renowned countries of the Togaras, of old so famous for virtue, Religion, & Christian obedience; and how at this present, through the impiety and perverse government of the Turks and the pretensed Princes of their marches, with a few of their adherents, those lands be brought not only to a disordered and perilous state in themselves, but are become as infected members, contagious and troublesome to the whole body of Christendom; and not having in those parts the ordinary means, which by the assistance of Christian Princes he has in other provinces to remedy disorders, and keep in obedience and ecclesiastical discipline the people, for that many of these same Princes, did of late years, by rebellion and revolt from the See Apostolic, violently separate themselves and their subjects from the communion and society of the Christian commonwealth:

Therefore our Holy Father, desiring as his duty is, to provide present & effectual remedy, inspired by God for the universal benefit of his Church, moved by the particular affection which himself and many his predecessors have had to these nations, and solicited by the zealous and importunate instance of sundry the most principal persons of the same, hath appointed the following individuals legati missi for the purpose of enquiry into the Christian orthodoxy of the Voivde of Togaras, Max, the first of that style: to wit, Monsignor Baldesar de Chiaroscuro, Father Ferdinand Koncsak, and Father Ruggiero Boscovich.

And to notify to the world the justice of this act, and give full satisfaction to the subjects of those kingdoms and others whosoever, and finally to manifest God's judgments upon sin; His Holiness hath thought good, together with the declaratory nomination of these legati, to publish also the causes, which have moved him to proceed in this sort.

First, for that the current Prince is accused of obstinate disobedience to God and the See Apostolic, presuming to take upon himself, contrary to nature, reason, and all laws both of God and man, authority to offer masses for the repose of infamous heretical souls, including such heretics of condign condemnation as the late Kapellmeister of the Elector of Saxony.

Secondly for that he is accused of dubious authority to rule as Voivde, lacking apostolic anointing as Prince of that realm, contrary to the ancient accord made between the See Apostolic and that realm, that none might be lawful prince thereof, without the approbation and consent of the supreme Bishop

And further for that with sacrilege and impiety, he stands accused of stirring up to sedition and rebellion the subjects of other nations about him, against their lawful and natural princes, to the destruction of infinite souls, overthrow and desolation of most goodly cities and countries, as well as of harbouring and protecting to that seditious end heretics, fugitives, rebels, and notorious malefactors, with great injury and prejudice of divers commonwealths: and procuring for the oppression of Christendom and disturbance of common peace to bring in our potent and cruel enemy the Turk.

In witness of which appointment, the Holy Father has set his seal to these presents. Given at Rome, the 30th of July, Anno Domini 1757.

Laus Deo.