Bulla Milites Templi (1144)
Milites Templi (“Warriors of the Temple”) - bull of Pope Celestine II dated January 9, 1144 (Lateran). Commands the clergy to protect the brothers of the Temple and encourage the people to collect in their favor; grants indulgence to donors (a seventh part of the imposed penance); allows churches to be opened once a year in places under interdict upon the arrival of brothers (excluding excommunicated ones).
Confirms and develops privileges Omne Datum Optimum; see also Militia Dei.
Text of the bullTextus bullae
Celestinus episcopus servus servorum Dei. Venerabilibus fratribus, archiepiscopis, episcopis, abbatibus et universis ecclesiarum praelatis ad quos litterae istae pervenerint, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem.
Milites Templi Ierosolimitani, novi sub tempore gratiae Machabei, abnegantes saecularia desideria et propria relinquentes, tollentes crucem suam, secuti sunt Christum. Ipsi sunt per quos Deus Orientalem ecclesiam a paganorum spurcitia liberat, et Christiani nominis inimicos expugnat. Ipsi pro fratribus animas ponere non formidant, et peregrinos ad loca sancta proficiscentes, in eundo et redeundo ab incursibus paganorum defensant; et quoniam ad tam sanctum et pium opus explendum, propriae facultates non suppetunt, fraternitatem vestram praesentibus litteris exhortamur, quatinus, unde eorum suppleatur inopia, populum vobis a Deo commissum collectas facere moneatis.
Quicumque vero de facultatibus sibi a Deo collatis, eis subvenerit, et in tam sancta fraternitate se collegam statuerit eisque beneficia persolverit annuatim, septimam ei partem iniunctae paenitentiae, confisi de beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli meritis, indulgemus. Si vero excommunicatus non fuerit et eum mori contigerit, ei cum aliis Christianis sepultura ecclesiastica non negetur.
Cum autem fratres ipsius Templi, qui ad collectam suscipiendam destinati fuerint, in civitatem, castellum vel vicum advenerint, si forte locus ipse interdictus sit, in iocundo eorum adventu, pro Templi honore et eorundem militum reverentia, semel in anno aperiantur ecclesiae et, exclusis excommunicatis, divina officia celebrentur.
Quae vero de non excommunicatis eorundem militum fratribus ecclesiasticae sepulturae tradendis, et ecclesiis, in eorum adventu, excommunicatis exclusis, semel aperiendis, a nobis statuta sunt, mandando vobis praecipimus, ut per vestras paroecias faciatis irrefragabiliter observari.
Praeterea fraternitati vestrae rogando mandamus, quatinus personas eorum et bona, pro caritate beati Petri et nostra, manuteneatis et nullam eis irrogari lesionem vel iniuriam permittatis.
Datum Laterani IV idus ianuarii.
Bishop Celestine, servant of the servants of God. To the venerable brethren, archbishops, bishops, abbots and all prelates of the churches to whom these letters reach, salvation and apostolic blessing.
The warriors of the Jerusalem Temple, new in the time of grace, the Maccabees, rejecting worldly desires and leaving their own, taking up their cross, followed Christ. Through them, God frees the Eastern Church from the filth of the pagans and defeats the enemies of the Christian name. They are not afraid to lay down their souls for their brothers and protect pilgrims going to holy places on their way there and back from pagan attacks; and since they lack their own means to carry out such a holy and pious work, with these letters we exhort your brotherhood so that you convince the people entrusted to you by God to organize collections from which their needs would be met.
To everyone who, from the means given to him by God, helps them and in such a holy brotherhood places himself as a comrade and annually shows them benefits, we grant the seventh part of the imposed penance, trusting in the merits of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. If he is not excommunicated and happens to die, church burial with other Christians will not be denied him.
When the brothers of the Temple itself, sent to receive the collection, come to a city, castle or village, if by chance the place is under interdict, upon their joyful arrival, for the honor of the Temple and reverence for the same soldiers, once a year let the churches be opened and, with the exception of those excommunicated, let the divine services be performed.
The same thing that we have decreed about giving church burial to the non-excommunicated brothers of the same soldiers and about the one-time opening of churches upon their arrival with the exclusion of those who have been excommunicated, we command you to make this inviolably observed upon your arrivals.
In addition, we ask your brotherhood to command that, for the sake of the love of Blessed Peter and ours, you support their persons and property and do not allow them to cause any harm or insult.
Given in the Lateran on the 4th Ides of January.