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The most blessed lord Pope Gregory VII held a general council during the seventh year of his pontificate in the Lateran basilica of our Savior and St. John the Baptist, which is also called the basilica of Constantine. In the course of it he rose and called all to silence, and said:
Our brothers and fellow priests, you know, indeed all this holy council knows and understands, that, although there are many monasteries beyond the mountains which have been nobly and religiously founded to the honor of Almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, there is one amongst the others in those parts which belongs to St. Peter and to this church by an especial right as a peculiar possession—I mean Cluny, which from the very first was principally given over to the honor and protection of this holy and apostolic see. By God’s mercy it has come to such a height of excellence and religion under its religious and holy abbots that it surpasses all other monasteries, even much older ones, as I well know, in the service of God and in spiritual fervor. I know of no other in that part of the world to which it can at all be compared. For there has never been an abbot of it who was not a saint; its abbots and monks have never in any way dishonored their sonship of this church nor bowed the knee to Baal and the Baalim [like] Jeroboam. They have always copied the liberty and dignity of this holy Roman see which they have enjoyed from the beginning, and from generation to generation they have nobly preserved for themselves its authority. For they have never bent their necks before any outsider or earthly power, but they have remained under the exclusive obedience and protection of St. Peter and this church. We accordingly will and by apostolic authority we affirm and lay down that no person whatsoever, small nor great, and no power whatsoever, no archbishop nor bishop, no king, duke, marquis, prince, count, nor even any legate of mine, may ever open his mouth nor exercise any power against this place and monastery. According to the terms of our privilege and the authority of our predecessors, it is altogether to possess fully and perpetually the immunity and liberty which have been granted to it by this see. Covered by apostolic wings and by them alone, it is to breathe freely, away from all commotion and from every attacking storm. It is to enjoy perpetual and pleasant peace in the bosom of this holy church, to the honor of Almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.
So the pope turned to the right side of the council and asked them, “Does this please you? do you approve?” They answered, It pleases us, we approve.” He turned to the left and asked again in the same way. The holy council gave the same answer, “It pleases us, we approve.” After these words which he spoke standing at the papal throne, the lord pope took his seat.
This Webpage was created for a workshop held at Saint Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, California in 1990
