THE NEW CONSTITUTIONS OF THE EMPEROR LEO. |
~ XII ~ |
CONCERNING
THE USE OF THE SHOPS OF THE GREAT CHURCH. |
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( S. P. Scott, The Civil Law, XVII, Cincinnati, 1932 ). |
The
Same Emperor to Stephen, Most Holy Archbishop of Constantinople, and
Universal Patriarch. |
Constantine,
the first Christian Emperor, who exalted the brilliancy and majesty
of the Imperial throne, thinking that it was not unworthy of his royal
care and the glory of his illustrious deeds to provide for the burial
of poor persons who did not, after their death, leave anything for their
interment, devoted to this purpose the income from a certain number
of shops attached to the Holy Church of this City. Then the emulation
of the pious was exerted to obtain the benefits resulting from this
decree, and although the rents were sufficient, their benevolence induced
them to greatly increase the sums obtained. But, at present, this praiseworthy
duty is not discharged with the diligence that this three and four times
fortunate prince decided to be necessary, for We are aware that the
Church, after it collects these rents, although it does not make use
of them to defray the expenses of public worship, to which they were
devoted in the beginning, applies them to other things; and, in consequence,
We order that these sums should be used for the purpose for which they
were destined by Constantine, and that they can never be used for anything
else, but that the object of their disbursement shall remain unaltered
and inviolate. All the shops whose rents are set apart as aforesaid
are eleven hundred in number. |
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