of holy religion seems to come from the aforesaid Order. Thus it seems to us both fitting and opportune that for the veneration of the same Father, a special church should be built in order to hold his body.

For such a work, the assistance of the faithful is needed, and we believe that it is beneficial for your salvation if you show yourselves to be devoted children and extend a helping hand. Therefore, we beg all of you, we admonish and exhort you in the Lord, and, for the remission of your sins, we enjoin you, that for this work you donate pious alms from the riches bestowed on you by God and subsidies imposed from the gratitude of love, so that through this and other good works which you perform through God’s inspiration, you might be able to arrive at the prize of eternal happiness.

And we, invoking the mercy of almighty God and by the authority of his holy Apostles Peter and Paul, graciously grant to all the benefactors of this work the remission of forty days of penance imposed upon them.

Given at Rieti, the twenty-ninth of April, in the second year of our pontificate (1228).

H) Mira circa nos of Gregory IX (1228)

With this document, the Pope proclaimed Francis as a saint of the Church. While the actual ceremony of canonization took place in Assisi on July 16, 1228, this document was promulgated three days later in Perugia.

Gregory, Bishop, Servant of the servants of God, to our venerable brothers, the archbishops and bishops; and to our beloved sons, the abbots, deans, archdeacons, and other prelates of churches: health and apostolic benediction.

¹ “O wondrous condescension of the divine mercy for us! How boundless the depths of God’s love, which sacrificed a Son to ransom a slave!”^a Yet God does not withhold the gifts of his compassion, but still protects with his continual care the vineyard which his right hand has  planted.^b Even at the eleventh hour, God has sent workers to cultivate

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ita quod in Deserto hujus Mundi Sacrae Religionis honestas videatur procedere ab Ordine supradicto; dignum providimus, & conveniens, ut pro ipsius Patris reverentia specialis aedificetur Ecclesia, in qua ejus Corpus debeat conservari.

Cum igitur ad opus hujusmodi subventio sit Fidelium opportuna; & expedire credimus saluti vestrae, si exhibeatis vos in hoc devotionis filios; & manus auxilii porrigatis: Universitatem vestram rogamus, monemus, & exhortamur in Domino, atque in remissionem vobis injungimus peccatorum; quatenus eidem operi de bonis a Deo vobis collatis pias eleemosynas, & gratia charitatis subsidia erogetis; ut per subventionem vestram tam pium opus valeat consummari; & vos per haec, & alia bona, quae Domino suggerente feceritis, ad aeternae possitis felicitatis bravium pervenire.

Nos enim de Omnipotentis Dei misricordia, & Beatorum Petri, & Pauli Apostolorum ejus auctoritate confisi omnibus eidem operi benefacientibus quadraginta dies de injuncta sibi poenitentia misericorditer relaximus.

Datum Romae III. Kalendas Maii, Pontificatus Nostri Anno Primo.

Mira circa nos of Gregory IX (1228)⁷

Gregorius &c. Venerabilibus Fratribus Archiepiscopis, Episcopis &c.

Mira circa Nos divinae pietatis dignatio, & inaestimabilis dilectio charitatis, qua filium pro servo tradidit redimendo, dona suae miserationis non deferens, & vineam dextera ejus plantatam continua protectione conservans, in illam, qui salubriter ipsam excolant, evellentes sarculo, ac vomere, quo Samgar sexcentos Philisthaeos percussit, spinas, & tribulos ex eadem, Operarios etiam in undecima hora transmittit,