Diploma of the Archbishop of Lviv, Konstanty Lipski, approving the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament at the Lviv Cathedral

[p. 2:] IN THE NAME OF THE LORD AMEN FOR AN EVERLASTING RECORD Konstanty Count of Lipie Lipski, by the grace of God and the Apostolic See Archbishop of Lviv, perpetual administrator of the Jędrzejów Abbey. To all and singular who shall see, read, and hear this letter, greetings in the LORD. Having an unwavering divine faith that CHRIST, the Only-begotten Son of GOD, true GOD and Man, the most gracious Redeemer of the human race, is truly contained under the Eucharistic species as a Feast and Spiritual Banquet of the Faithful for our salvation. This benevolence and such great grace astonishes not only mortal but also angelic lights of reason and can never be sufficiently estimated nor honored with due admiration. For this reason, by all possible means and ways, we desire to stir the hearts of the faithful to honor with all their strength, to love and praise CHRIST, the Savior of immeasurable love for us, the Shepherd of our souls, present in this astonishing Mystery. And since we clearly perceive that among the means for fostering the aforementioned cult and piety, the Confraternity of the MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT is the most appropriate and effective, which once the wisest Roman men salutarily devised and established for this purpose, and the Supreme Pastors Paul III, Gregory XIII, and very many others, greatly praising, [p. 2v:] praising, confirmed, and also strengthened with spiritual privileges and graces; finally, the most enlightened and most reverend of holy memory our predecessor Jan Dymitr Solikowski, having obtained privileges from the Roman Congregation, transferred them, erected and established them at his former, and our present, metropolitan church of Lviv, as evidenced by the synodal decrees of his time, namely from the year 1593. And recently, due to the new constitutions of blessed memory of Clement VIII concerning the order of confraternities, the most enlightened and most reverend Opizio Pallavicini, Apostolic Nuncio in the Kingdom of Poland, in the year 1681 on the 15th of April, approved and confirmed the said assembly at the request of its patrons by apostolic authority, and as far as it was necessary – re-established it through his separate letter, the content of which is inserted below word for word, and The wording of the above-specified approval and confirmation of the most enlightened and most reverend Lord APOSTOLIC NUNCIO is as follows: OPIZIO PALLAVICINI, BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE APOSTOLIC SEE ARCHBISHOP OF EPHESUS, Domestic Prelate and Assistant to Our Most Holy Lord, Lord Innocent XI, by Divine Providence Pope, and His and the Holy Apostolic See's Apostolic Nuncio to the Most Serene John III, Most Powerful King of Poland, and the entire Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, with the power of a legate a latere. To all and singular to whom this letter shall come, eternal greeting in the Lord. [p. 3:] Let it be known that when before the most illustrious and most reverend lord Adam Piaskowski, archdeacon and administrator [...] of Lviv, appeared the very reverend lords Kasper Czekayski, doctor of sacred theology, penitentiary, and Kazimierz Humniewicz, provost of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Body of CHRIST, canons of Lviv, as the then promoters and directors of the said confraternity at the metropolitan church of Lviv, they represented that, diligently occupying themselves with the revision of the laws and privileges belonging to it, they conceived a doubt as to its legally and canonically performed erection or institution. For although numerous documents coincide showing this institution, as well as the aggregation to the Roman archconfraternity and subsequent approvals and confirmations made in their time, yet a doubt was raised by the constitution of holy memory of Clement VIII, 115 in the collection, beginning with the words Quaecunque a Sede Apostolica, which introduced a new form concerning the mentioned aggregations, namely the order to seek within two years new aggregation letters from the archconfraternities, which constitution proved to be confirmed by another constitution of holy memory of Paul V, 21 in the collection, beginning with the words Romanus Pontifex. For this reason, the same very reverend lords petitioners, having appeared before the same most reverend lord administrator, as possessing ordinary power during the vacancy of the archiepiscopal see, begged for the removal of all doubt and hesitation for confirmation and approval, in which matter the most reverend lord administrator himself referred them to us, so that with greater power and authority and for the greater benefit of divine worship the above might be fulfilled, as more extensively appears from the letters of referral issued on the 11th of February of the current year 1681. We [p. 3v:] We therefore, accepting with the most grateful heart this referral and request, directed toward the spreading and multiplication of divine worship and due honor for the Blessed Sacrament, although it seems that it is impossible to doubt the lawful erection and institution of this confraternity, since the consent of the most enlightened ordinary of the place required in the constitution of holy memory of Paul III, 20 in the collection, beginning with the words DOMINUS noster IESUS CHRISTUS, was granted, which clearly appears from the approval contained in chapter 24 of the diocesan synod held in the year 1593; yet for the removal of pious scruples and hesitations and so that the full validity and durability of such a holy work and institution could in no way and at no time be doubted – we, by the apostolic authority which we exercise, primarily absolving the mentioned very reverend lords promoters and all brothers and sisters of the said confraternity from all sentences, censures, and ecclesiastical penalties: excommunication, suspension, and interdict, pronounced by force of law or by man for any occasion or cause, insofar as they are in any way currently bound by them, solely for the purpose of achieving the effects of this letter, and considering them absolved, we decree and declare that the mentioned confraternity was correctly, duly, and legally erected, founded, and established, and insofar as it is necessary, we anew approve and confirm its erection, foundation, and institution, and we declare that it was and is capable of gaining the pious graces which the Supreme Pastors have granted to such confraternities, while maintaining what is contained in the above-cited apostolic constitutions. And the approval of the statutes [p. 4:] statutes and ordinances, which do not oppose them but introduce greater cult and honor, we delegate to the most reverend lord administrator and by this letter we entrust, recognizing them by the mentioned authority henceforth as lawful and confirming them, regardless of any obstacles. In witness whereof, etc. Given in Warsaw, from our apostolic palace, on the 15th day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and eighty-one. ARCHBISHOP OF EPHESUS Place [seal with a cross] of the most enlightened APOSTOLIC NUNCIO with the coats of arms of the same most enlightened, impressed on a red background. Ryszard Codri, chancellor. After seeing all this and diligently examining and weighing the laws, foundations, and privileges of the above-mentioned confraternity, having finally known more deeply on the basis of our own observation the zeal and piety of the brothers themselves coming to our metropolitan church in showing and fostering the cult of the Most Holy and highest honor-worthy Eucharist, we also, following in the holy footsteps of the Supreme Pastors and our most reverend predecessors, have deemed it necessary to strengthen, establish, and ratify this confraternity – as highly useful and necessary for the cult of the Most Holy Eucharist and its multiplication and fostering – by our ordinary authority with a new approval and confirmation, and also, if and insofar as it is necessary, to re-found, erect, and establish it; to approve the statutes long customarily kept, once and recently in print [p. 4v:] published; to authorize this piety through admonitions made at the appropriate time to foster devotions and solemn masses along with processions for the dead – to grant consent for this and confirm; to also grant graces with worthy favor to the same assembly according to our ordinary authority, namely: that the confessors of this church, where this pious association is legally established and will be established in the future, yet approved by us or our office, may and have the right to absolve brothers and sisters from cases reserved for the Ordinary See; and the brothers and sisters of both sexes themselves, as often as they are contrite and confessed, shall be nourished by Holy Communion or five times shall recite with a contrite and humbled heart after receiving Holy Communion 'Praised be the Blessed Sacrament', or shall take part in a procession with the Blessed Sacrament, or in a holy mass on Sundays of the month, or on Thursday of any week, or in another devotion of the confraternity, especially that usually celebrated for the dead, that from the treasury of the Church for each of the mentioned pious deeds they may mercifully obtain forty days of indulgence; as we hereby strengthen, establish, ratify, found, erect, establish, approve, grant, confirm, generously bestow, and give. We therefore encourage and in the Lord adjure by reason of our pastoral care and office all and each one individually who are enrolled in this association to show themselves worthy servants of such a great King, their most beloved Savior, and not to fall at all from the zeal once undertaken, which the malicious enemy always enviously opposes. Indeed, that they may always grow more and more in such a salutary and glorious pursuit and resolution, and that they may joyfully spread and earnestly [p. 5:] earnestly strive to multiply the cult of GOD present with us, our most beloved Redeemer, with great faith and ardent love, having surely to receive the most abundant grace of the Savior, the multiplication of merits, and also a blessing for the city and the kingdom as a reward for their faithfulness. In witness whereof we have ordered this letter, signed by our hand, to be strengthened with our seal. Given in Lviv, on the twentieth day of the month of November in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and eighty-two. In the presence of the most illustrious, most reverend, and very reverend: Jerzy of Giedno Giedziński, Bishop of Nicopolis, suffragan and dean, Stanisław Wnieńkowski, provost, Adam Piaskowski, archdeacon, Marcin Rzechowski, apostolic protonotary, custodian, Mikołaj Żychini, doctor of both laws, Jan Malawski, Urban Czechowicz, Józef Głębockiego, prelates and canons of the metropolitan church of Lviv, and many others. Konstanty Count of Lipie, Archbishop of Lviv, by his own hand. [Visitation note from 1722:] In the year of our Lord 1722, on the 20th of October. Presented during the general visitation, read, and entered into the acts of the visitation. Jan Feliks Szaniawski, Bishop of Lviv, suffragan, vicar general of Lviv, [...] of His Royal Majesty, by his own hand.

[s. 2:] IN NOMINE DOMINI AMEN AD PERPETUAM REI MEMORIAM Constantinus Comes in Lipie Lipski DEI & Apostolicæ Sedis Gratia Archiepiscopus Leopolien[sis], Abbatiæ Andreioviensis Perpetuus Administrator. Omnibus & singulis præsentes literas visuris, lecturis & audituris Salutem in DOMINO. Fide Diuina certum habentes CHRISTUM Filium DEI vnigenitum, DEUM verum et Hominem, beneficentissimum generis humani Redemptorem, sub speciebus Eucharistiæ tanquam Conuiuium et Conuiuium Spirituale Fidelium ad salutem Nostram præsente[m] contineri. Quæ dignatio, gratia tanta est, vt non mortalia modo, sed Angelica etiam rationum lumina in stuporem inducat, & nunquam satis æstimari, nulla digne admiratione coli valeat. Eam ob causam, quantiscunq[ue] possumus modis ac medijs Fidelium animos ad CHRISTUM, Saluatorem immensæ erga Nos Charitatis Pastorem animarum Nostrarum, hoc in stupendo Mysterio præsentem, totis viribus colendum, amandum, glorificandum, cupimus excitare. Et quoniam euidenter perspectum habemus, inter media supra dicti cultus ac deuotionis promouendæ, maxime idoneum & efficax esse Confraternitatem SS[mi] SACRAMENTI, quam olim Romani Viri Sapientissimi hunc ob finem saluberrime adinuenerunt & instituerunt, Summi vero Pontifices Paulus III, Gregorius XIII & plurimi alij eximie collaudantes [s. 2v:] collaudantes approbauerunt, nec non Spiritualibus Priuilegijs & gratijs firmarunt; Tandem Illustrissimus & Reuerendissimus piæ Memoriæ Prædecessor Noster Joannes Demetrius Solikowski Priuilegijs a Romana Congregatione petitis ad suam olim, Nostram vero ad præsens Ecclesiam hanc Leopoliensem Metropolitanam transtulit, erexit, ac instituit, prout Constitutiones sui temporis Synodales Anni videlicet 1593 attestantur. Nouissime vero ob nouas felicis recordationis Clementis VIII. circa ordinem Confraternitatum Constitutiones Illustrissimus ac Reuerendissimus Opitius Pallavicinus Nuntius in Regno Poloniæ Apostolicus Anno 1681 die 15 Aprilis Congregationem prædictam ad instantiam suorum Patronorum Authoritate Apostolica approbauit & confirmauit, eandemq[ue] inquantum opus erat de nouo instituit, per speciales suas literas de tenore infrascripto de verbo ad verbum conscriptas & Tenor approbationis & Confirmationis supra specificatæ Illustrissimi & Reuerendissimi Domini NVNTII APOSTOLICI est eiusmodi: OPITIVS PALLAVICINVS DEI & APOSTOLICÆ SEDIS GRATIA ARCHIEPISCOPVS EPHESINVS, Sanctissimi Domini Nostri Domini Innocentij Diuina Prouidentia Papæ XI Prælatus Domesticus & Assistens Eiusdemq[ue] & Sanctæ Sedis Apostolicæ apud Serenissimum Joannem Tertium Poloniæ Regem Potentissimum totumq[ue] Regnum Poloniæ & Magnum Ducatum Lithuaniæ cum facultatib[us] Legati de Latere Nuntius Aplicus. Vniuersis & Singulis ad quos psentes Literæ peruenerint Salutem in D[omi]no sempi- [s. 3:] sempiternam. Nouerint qualiter comparentes coram Perillustri & Reuerendissimo Domino Adamo Piaskowski Archidiacono & Administratore Geh[?] Leop[oliensi?] Admodum Reuerendi Domini Gaspar Czekayski Sacræ Theologiæ Doctor Pœnitentiarius, & Casimirus Humniewicz Præpositus Confraternitatis Sanctissimi Corporis CHRISTI, Canonici Leopolienses vti Promotores protunc & Directores præfatæ in Ecclesia Metropolitana Leopoliesi Confraternitatis exposuerint qualiter sedulo incumbentes recognitioni Jurium & Priuilegiorum ad eandem spectantium, indubium inciderint de eiusdem legitime ac Canonice facta Erectione aut Institutione. Quamuis enim plura Documenta concurrant ad ostendendum eandem Institutionem, itemq[ue] aggregationem Romanæ Archiconfraternitati & subsecutas pro tempore approbationes & confirmationes, attamen dubium injiciente Constitutione Sanctæ Memoriæ Clementis VIII. in ordine 115. quæ incipit Quæcunq[ue] a Sede Apostolica & quæ circa aggregationes præfatas nouam Formam induxit signanter aute[m] circa procurandas intra biennium nouas ab Archiconfraternitatibus aggregationum Literas quaq[ue] Constitutio apparet confirmata per aliam Sanctæ Memoriæ Pauli V.ti 21. in ordine quæ incipit Romanus Pontifex. Propterea ijdem Admodum Reuerendi Domini exponentes coram Eodem Reuerendissimo Domino Administratore vti Archiepiscopali Sede Vacante Ordinariam Facultatem habente supplicarunt ad omnem dubietatem & hæsitationem amouendam pro Confirmatione & approbatione, pro qua eadem ipse Reu[eren]d[issi]mus Dominus Administrator eosdem ad Nos remisit, quo maiori cum robore & Authoritate amplioriq[ue] Cultus Diuini augmento prædicta fierent, vt fusius ex ipsis Remissionis Literis datis 11.ma Februarij præsenti Anno 1681. Nos [s. 3v:] Nos igitur eandem Remissionem & Supplicationem gratissim[o] animo excipientes, deniq[ue] intenti ad Diuini Cultus et Venerationis debitæ erga Sanctissimum Sacramentum propagationem & incrementum, quamuis de legitima Confraternitatis eiusdem Erectione & Institutione dubitari non posse videatur, cum ad eandem consensus Ill[ustrissi]mi Loci Ordinarij requisitus in Constitutione S[anctæ] mem[oriæ] Pauli III. in ordine 20. quæ incipit DOMINVS noster IESVS CHRISTVS appareat intercessisse, ex quo in Synodo Diocesana Anno 1593. habita sub Capite 24 approbatio eadem manifeste emergat. Attamen ad pios Scrupulos & hæsitationes amouendas, & ne de plena Validitate & Firmitate tam Sancti Operis & Instituti valeat vllatenus & vllo vnquam tempore dubitari; Nos Apostolica Authoritate qua fungimur inprimis prædictos Admodum R[everen]dos D[omi]nos Promotores omnesq[ue] Confraternitatis præfatæ Confratres & Consorores a quibusuis Excommunicationis, Suspensionis & Interdicti, alijsque Ecclesiasticis Sententijs Censuris et pœnis a Jure vel ab homine quauis Occasione vel Causa latis, Si Quibus quomodolibet ad p[ræ]sens innodati existunt, ad effectum præsentium duntaxat consequendarum serie absoluentes, & absolutos fore censentes decernimus & declaramus p[ræfa]tam Confraternitatem fuisse rite ac recte & legitime erect[am] fundatam & institutam & quatenus opus sit de nouo Eiusdem Erectionem Fundationem & Institutionem approbamus & confirmamus piarumq[ue] gratiarum quas Summi Pontifices eiusmodi Confraternitatibus indulserunt capacem extitisse esseq[ue] declaramus Seruatis ijs quæ in præcitatis Apostolicis Constitutionibus continentur. Approbationem vero Statu- [s. 4:] Statutorum & Ordinationum quæ Eisdem non aduersentur sed maiorem Cultum & Venerationem inducant Reuerendissimo Domino Administratori delegamus & per præsentes committimus eandem præfata Authoritate ratam exnunc habentes, & confirmantes Non obstan[tibus]. In quorum Fidem &c. Datum Varsauiæ ex Palatio Nostro Apostolico Die 15 Mensis Aprilis Anno Domini Millesimo Sexcentesimo Octuagesimo Primo. ARCHIEP[I]SC[O]PVSEPHESINVS Locus [pieczęć z krzyżem] Illustrissimi NVNTII APOSTOLICI cum Insignibus Eiusdem Illustrissimi fundo rubro sub impressi. Richardus Codri Cancellarius. Quibus omnibus visis ac diligenter Suprafatæ Confraternitatis Juribus Fundationibus Priuilegijs perspectis & trutinatis cognito demum penitius propriis intuitu ipsorum Confratrum ad Ecclesiam Nostram Metropolitanam accedentium feruore & deuotione in cultu Sanctissimæ et summa Venerandæ Eucharistiæ exhibendo & promouendo, Nos quoq[ue] Summorum Pontificum & Reuerendissimorum Prædecessorum Nostrorum S[ancti]s insistendo Vestigijs eandem Confraternitatem vti cultui Sacratissimæ Eucharistiæ eiusq[ue] augmento & promotioni maxime Vtilem & necessariam Noua Approbatione & confirmatione Authoritate Nostra Ordinaria firmandam stabiliendam et ratificandam nec non si et inquantum est necesse Nouiter fundandam erigendam instituendam, Constitutiones ab antiquo seruari solitas typo olim & recenter ex- [s. 4v:] expressas approbandas, eandem Deuotionem per exhortationes tempore oportuno faciendas Facultatem promouendi Officia & Missas Solennes vna cum Processionibus pro defunctis concedendas & confirmandas, Gratias quoq[ue] digno Fauore eandem Congregationem prosequendo pro Facultate Nostra Ordinaria elargiendas Videlicet vt Confessarij ipsius Ecclesiæ vbi hæc pia Sodalitas legitime instituta est et in posterum instituetur a Nobis tamen vel Officio Nostro Approbatis Confratres et Consorores a casibus Sedi Ordinariæ reseruatis absoluere possint & valeant; Ipsi vero Vtriusq[ue] Sexus Consodales quoties contriti & confessi ac Sacra Communione refecti fuerint vel quinquies Laudetur Sanctissimum Sacramentum post Sacram Communionem sumptam contrito & humiliato animo dixerint vel Processioni cum Sanctissimo Sacramento, aut Sacro in Dominicis Mensis, vel Feria Quinta cuiuscunq[ue] hebdomadæ vel alij Deuotioni Confraternitatis præsertim pro defunctis haberi solitæ adfuerint Quadraginta dierum Indulgentiam de thesauro Ecclesiæ pro singulis præfatis pijs operibus misericorditer consequantur tribuendum esse duximus; prout præsentibus firmamus, stabilimus, ratificamus, fundamus, erigimus, instituimus, approbamus, concedimus, confirmamus, elargimur, ac tribuimus. Hortamur itaq[ue] & in Domino obsecramus pro cura & Munere Nostro Pastorali Omnes & Singulos qui huic Sodalitati inscripti sunt, Vt dignos se tanti Regis Amantissimi Saluatoris sui famulos exhibeant de feruore semel suscepto cui malignus hostis semper inuide aduersatur minime remittant. Imo in tam Salutari & laudabili Studio & Proposito semper magis ac magis crescere cultumq[ue] præsentis Nobiscum DEI, amantissimi Nostrum Redemptoris Nostri, fide magna & amore feruenti promouere gestiant ac eni- [s. 5:] enitantur, Gratiam Saluatoris amplissimam augmentum meritorum nec non benedictionem Ciuitatis ac Regni præmium fidelitatis suæ indubitatam habituri. In cuius Rei fidem præsentes Manu Nostra subscriptas Sigillo Nostro communiri iussimus. Datum Leopoli die Vigesima Mens[is] Novemb[ris] Anno D[omi]ni Mill[esi]mo Sexcent[esi]mo Octuag[esi]mo Secundo. Præsentibus Perill[ustr]ib[us] R[eve]r[en]d[issi]mis et Adm[odum] R[n]d[i]s Georgio de Gedna Giedzinski Ep[iscop]o Nicopolien[si] Suffraganeo et Decano, Stanislao Wnienkowski Præposito, Adamo Piaskowski Archidiacono, Martino Rzechowski Prothonotario Apostolico Custode, Nicolao Żychini Juris Vtriusq[ue] Doctore, Joanne Malawski, Vrbano Czechowicz, Josepho Głębocki, Prælatis et Canonicis Eccl[esi]æ Metrop[olitanae] Leop[oliensis] et aliis plurimis. Constantinus Comes in Lipie Archiep[iscop]us Leopolien[sis] m[anu] p[ropr]ia [Nota wizytacyjna z 1722 r.:] Anno D[omi]ni 1722 d[ie] 20. 8bris. In visitatione Generali productum, lect[um] et actis visitationis adnotat[um]. Joannes Felix Szaniawski E[piscopus] L[eopoliensis] S[uffraganeus] V[icarius] G[eneralis] L[eopoliensis] S[uae] M[aiestatis] p[rocurator?] m[anu] p[ropr]ia