Letter #7145
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Ioannes LANGHANNIUSHeilsberg (Lidzbark), 1544-06-14
English register:
The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary had long been observed before the practice was abandoned by Dantiscus’ predecessor [Mauritius Ferber]. Ferber barely lived to see the second occurrence of the feast after its abolition, and indeed died on the feast day itself. Guided by the due reverence for the Mother of God, the feast’s roots in the Gospel text, and the conviction that a single day of celebration would not deprive the people of a significant amount of labour, Dantiscus is restoring the feast, along with its octave, throughout his diocese of Ermland (Warmia).
Therefore, Dantiscus instructs all the addressees to observe the restored feast with a double service [i.e. by holding a regular day’s service as well as a separate service for the feast itself]. He mandates the participation of both clergy and laity, in keeping with former observances. Furthermore, he instructs them to make a public announcement to the faithful under their care that the feast is to be celebrated.
Dantiscus points out that many of the faithful fail to show proper reverence for the Body of Christ by neglecting their duty to kneel when it is carried in procession or being taken to the sick. He therefore commands the addressees to admonish their parishioners regarding the necessity of venerating the Blessed Sacrament by kneeling. He further instructs them to inform the faithful that all adults of either sex who fail to comply with this mandate shall be liable to a penalty of twelve weeks’ imprisonment or a fine of twelve marks.
This circular ordinance is to be forwarded from parish priest to parish priest and put into effect, with the last of them required to return it to the episcopal chancery.
Manuscript sources:
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Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus
Edictum ad parrochos, ut festum Visitationis B(eatae) or B(eatissimae)⌈B(eatae)B(eatae) or B(eatissimae)⌉ Virginis restituatur sollemniterque celebretur.
Cum festum Visitationis Gloriosissimae Virginis Mariae a longissimo retro tempore celebratum, 
AAWO, AB, A2, f. 18v per
Quapropter vobis ms. nobis(!) ⌈vobisvobis ms. nobis(!) ⌉ omnibus supradictis in virtute sanctae oboedientiae mandamus, ut dictum festum cum sua octava per nos, ut praemittitur, restitutum sub sollemnitate chori et fori cantuque ab antiquo consueto ut totum duplex celebretis populoque vobis commisso celebrandum publice de ambone denuntietis.
Intelleximus etiam et oculis nostris vidimus, postquam Sanctissimum Corpus Domini vel in processionibus, vel item ad aegrotantes profertur, debitum illi cum genuflexione honorem et reverentiam a multis non deferri. Proinde vobis iniungimus, ut ex contionibus AAWO, AB, A2, f. 19r vestris ad debitam devotionem et reverentiam Sacratissimo Eucharistiae Sacramento habendam et faciendam parochianos vestros cohortetis, ut Venerabile Sacrum genuflexione honoretur on the margin⌈ut Venerabile Sacrum genuflexione honoreturut Venerabile Sacrum genuflexione honoretur on the margin⌉[2],
certifican(tes) or certifican(do)⌈certifican(tes)certifican(tes) or certifican(do)⌉
illos, quod si quis aetatis iam adultae repertus fuerit et per vos aut quoscumque ad nos delatus, qui hoc ipsum pium nostrum mandatum contempserit et genua in loco competenti coram hoc Venerabili Sacramento, cum per sacerdotem cum signo et pulsatione campanae portatur, non flexerit, quod nos illum vel illos utriusque sexus duodecim hebdomadarum in carcere vel totidem marcarum poena irremissibiliter multari committemus.
Volumus autem, ut hoc mandatum de vicino ad vicinum plebanum missum atque exsecutum, per novissimum ad cancellariam nostram reportetur.
Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌈Dat(ae)Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌉ in arce nostra