BULL OF POPE JULIUS II
JANUARY 24, 1506
POPE JULIUS II
Julius bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the venerable brother, the archbishop of Braga and the bishop of Vizeu, health and apostolic benediction.
Those agreements, which have been concluded for the promotion of peace and quiet between any persons whatsoever, and especially between Catholic kings, we gladly confirm by granting our apostolic protection, when this is sought from us, in order that they may not again become matters of contention but remain forever firm and unshaken. A request recently addressed to us on the part of our very dear son in Christ, Emmanuel, the illustrious, king of Portugal and of the Algarves, stated that inasmuch as some time ago the permission was granted by the Apostolic See to John, of illustrious memory, king of Portugal and the Algarves, to the effect that the said John and any king of Portugal and of the Algarves for the time being, should be permitted to navigate the ocean sea, or seek out the islands, ports, and main lands lying within the said sea, and to retain those found for himself, and to all others it was forbidden under penalty of excommunication, and other penalties, then expressed, from presuming to navigate the sea in this way against the will of the aforesaid king, or to occupy the islands and places found there; and inasmuch as between the aforesaid King John, on the one part, and our very dear son in Christ, Ferdinand, at that time the illustrious king of Aragon, Castile, and Leon, on the other part, in regard to certain islands called Las Antillas, which had been discovered and occupied by the aforesaid king, strife, controversy, and occasion for dispute had arisen, the said parties desiring to prevent strifes, controversies, and disputes of this kind, and to foster and strengthen peace and concord between themselves for the benefit of their subjects, came to a certain honorable agreement, convention, and compact, whereby, among other things, they resolved that the kings of Portugal and the Algarves should have the right to navigate the said sea within certain specified limits and seek out and take possession of newly discovered islands and that the kings for the time being of Castile and Leon should have the same right within certain other specified limits, as is said to be more fully set forth in a certain public instrument drawn up in regard to the matter. Wherefore the aforesaid King Emmanuel has humbly besought us to deign to add the authority of the apostolic confirmation to the aforesaid agreement, convention, and compact for the purpose of establishing them more firmly and out of our apostolic good-will to make other fitting provisions in respect to the aforesaid.
We, therefore, who strive with intense desire to foster peace and concord between all persons, especially between those whose royal office renders them conspicuous, not having certain knowledge of the aforesaid, but favorably disposed to these petitions, do by these apostolic writings enjoin Your Fraternity that you (or either one of you, if so be) do proceed to approve and confirm by our authority the aforesaid agreement, convention, and compact and everything set forth in the said instrument relating thereto, and all that has followed thereupon with the consent of both kings, decreeing it to possess perpetual authority, and supplying all and singular defects if perchance any should be contained therein. And furthermore if the aforesaid confirmation and approbation are enacted by you, by the authority of these presents, as is aforesaid, you shall cause the said agreement to be inviolably observed, and the said kings to enjoy in peace the aforesaid agreement and the confirmation and approbation thereof, not permitting them without just cause to molest one another, or to be molested by any other on this account, and restraining the disobedient, by our authority, without appeal, all apostolic constitutions and ordinances to the contrary notwithstanding, even if an indult has been granted by the Apostolic See to the said kings or to any others, together or individually, to the effect that they cannot be interdicted or suspended or excommunicated by apostolic letters not making full and express mention, word for word, of the said indult.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, on the twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of the incarnation of our Lord, 1505, in the third year of our pontificate.
Jo. De SALDANA
JULIUS II
Julius, episcopus, servus servorum Dei: Venerabilibus fratribus, archiepiscopo Bracharensi et episcopo Visensi, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem.
Ea que pro bono pacis et quietis inter personas quaslibet, presertim Catholicos reges, per concordiam terminata sunt, ne in redicive contencionis scrupulum relabantur, sed firma perpetuo et inconcussa permaneant, libenter, cum a nobis petitur, apostolico munimine roboramus. Exhibita siquidem nobis nuper pro parte carissimi in Christo filii nostri Emanuelis, Portugalie et Algarbiorum regis illustris, petitio continebat quod olim, postquam per Sedem Apostolicam clare memorie Johanni, regi Portugalie et Algarbiorum [concessum fuerat] quod ipse Johannes et rex Portugalie et Algarbiorum pro tempore existens, per mare occeanum navegare aut insulas et portus et loca firma infra dictum mare existencia, perquirere, et inventa sibi retinere liceret, ac omnibus aliis, sub excommunicationis et aliis penis tunc expressis, ne mare hujusmodi contra voluntatem prefati regis navigare, aut insulas et loca ibidem repperta occupare presumerent, inhibitum fuerat; cum inter prefatum Johannem Regem ex una, et carissimum in Christo filium nostrum Ferdinandum, Aragonum tunc Castelle et Legionis regem illustrem, super certis insulis Lasamillis nuncupatis, per prefatum regem inventas et occupatas, ex alia partibus, lis, controversia, et questionis materia exorte fuissent, partes ipse litibus, controversiis, et questianibus hujusmodi obviare, ac pacem et concordiam inter se pro subditorum suorum commoditate nutrire et vigere desiderantes, ad certas honestas concordiam, conventionem, et compositionem devenerunt, per quam inter cetera voluerunt quod Portugalie et Algarbiorum a certis Castelle vero et Legionis regibus pro tempore existentibus a certis aliis locis usque ad certa alia loca tunc expressa per dictum mare navigare et insulas novas perquirere et capere ac sibi retinere liceret, prout in quodam instrumento publico desuper confecto dicitur plenius contineri. Quare pro parte prefati Emanuelis Regis nobis fuit humiliter supplicatum, ut concordie, conventioni, et compositioni predictis pro illorum subsistencia firmiori robur apostolice confirmationis adjicere, ac alias in premissis oportune providere de benignitate apostolica dignaremur.
Nos igitur, qui inter personas quascumque, presertim regali dignitate fulgentes, pacem et concordiam vigere intensis desideriis affectamus, de premissis certam noticiam non habentes, hujusmodi supplicationibus inclinati, fraternitati vestre per apostolica scripta mandamus, quatinus vos vel alter vestrum, si est ita, concordiam, conventionem, et compositionem predictas, ac prout illas concernunt, omnia et singula in dicto instrumento contenta, et inde secuta quecunque de utriusque regis consensu approbare et confirmare, illamque perpetue firmitatis robur obtinere decernentes, auctoritate nostra curetis, supplentes omnes et singulos defectus, si qui forsan intervenerunt in eisdem. Et nichilominus, si confirmationem et approbationem predictas per vos vigere presencium fieri contigerit, ut prefertur, faciatis dictam concordiam inviolabiliter observari, ac eosdem reges concordia et illius confirmatione et approbatione predictis pacifice gaudere, non permittentes eos inter se, aut per quoscunque alios, desuper indebite molestari, contradictores auctoritate nostra, appellatione postposita, compescendo. Non obstantibus constitutionibus et ordinationibus apostolicis contrariis quibuscunque, aut si eisdem regibus vel quibusvis aliis, communiter vel divisim, ab Apostolica sit Sede indultum, quod interdici, suspendi vel excommunicari non possint, per litteras apostolicas non facientes plenam et expressam ac de verbo ad verbum de indulto hujusmodi mentionem.
Datum Rome apud Sanetum Petrum, anno Incarnationis Dominice millesimo quingentesimo [quinto], nono kalendas Februarii, pontificattts nostri anno tercio.
Jo. De SALDANA
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Pope Julius II re-affirms the right of the Catholic kingdoms of Spain and Portugal to divide up the world between them for conquest and colonization, and to mediate disputes arising between them over the newly discovered colonial territorial possessions overseas. The Papacy had an ambition to use its Catholic client states in Europe to bring the colonized nations under Papal rulership over the succeeding centuries.
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