Letter of Pope Clement VII to Pierre d'Arcis, Bishop of Troyes

Clement, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to our venerable brother Peter, bishop of Troyes, greetings.

Some time ago, our beloved son Peter, priest cardinal of the title of Saint Susanna, whom we then sent to our dearest son in Christ Charles, the illustrious king of the Franks, on certain business of ours and of the Roman Church, had from us the authority, for the duration of that mission, in the cities, dioceses, and provinces through which he would pass going and returning and where he might happen to stay, to do everything that a cardinal of the Roman Church, exercising the office of legate, can do within the limits of his legation. While passing through the province of Sens, in which the diocese of Troyes lies, he granted by his letters to our beloved son, the noble man Geoffrey, lord of Lirey, of that diocese, that he could cause a certain figure or representation of the Shroud of our Lord Jesus Christ, which had previously been reverently placed in the church of Blessed Mary of Lirey and later, for certain reasons, transferred and kept elsewhere, to be placed and set again in that same church. And that figure, by virtue of this permission, was, as we have learned, decently replaced in that church.

Afterwards, approving and ratifying that permission, we, with certain knowledge, confirmed it, and we granted to our beloved sons the dean and chapter of that church that they could publicly display that same figure and cause it to be displayed to the people whenever it should be appropriate, notwithstanding your contrary prohibition. Later, concerning the manner of such an exhibition, we judged that certain rules and a certain form should be established and ordered, as is more fully contained in our letters drawn up on this matter.

And because, as the petition presented to us on behalf of the said Geoffrey stated, you have caused and procured certain obstacles to be set up against these things by the aforesaid king and his people, we, wishing that our grant, statute, and ordinance in this matter attain their due effect, by the tenor of these present letters, and under penalty of excommunication, which, if you act otherwise, we will that you incur, expressly command you that you cause and procure those obstacles to be completely removed in reality and with effect, provided that, in such exhibitions, our aforesaid statute and ordinance are observed inviolably.

Given at Avignon, 6 January, in the twelfth year.