''Quum memoranda'' was a papal bull issued by

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a ...

in 1809. It was a response to a decree issued by Emperor Napoleon, on 17 May 1809, which incorporated the remnants of the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct Sovereignty, sovereign rule of ...

into the

French Empire French Empire (french: Empire Français, link=no) may refer to: * First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon I from 1804 to 1814 and in 1815 and by Napoleon II in 1815, the French state from 1804 to 1814 and in 1815 * Second French Empire, led by Nap ...

, during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. The bull was published on 10 June, the day of the decree's proclamation in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, capital of the Papal States, with an

excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

of Napoleon (though not by name) and all those who had contributed to what the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

saw as a violation of its

temporal power Temporal power is a term of art in medieval and early modern political philosophy to refer to worldly power, as contrasted with spiritual power. * The temporal power (simply), the state (polity) or secular authority, in contrast to the Church or sp ...

. French troops had already occupied

in February 1808, followed by the Marches, and in April of that year a decree by Napoleon announced the annexation of the Church States, although without affecting the pope's power in the capital. In May 1809, however, two more decrees were published, with the first declaring that the "temporal pretensions of the Pope were irreconcilable with the safety, tranquility, and prosperity of the Empire". This was proclaimed by the French authorities in Rome, on 10 June 1809, thus ending the secular power of the already weakened Holy See. Pius, after some hesitancy, released the excommunication bull later in the same day, thanks to the insistence of his advisor Cardinal Pacca. By the following morning, issues were already posted on the walls of the three major churches of Rome,

Saint Mary Major The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the larges ...

, Saint John Lateran and

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupa ...

Excerpt

Aftermath

The relationship between the Empire and the Holy See only deteriorated further. Soon French military authorities decided for an abduction of the pope, with the intention of better securing control of Rome. After initial hesitation General Sextius Miollis, commander of the French garrison in the city, allowed the operation to proceed, as Colonel Étienne Radet argued that Rome could no longer be governed unless a display of strength was made. In the early hours of 6 July, less than a month after the issuing of the ''Quum memoranda'', a French unit led by Radet stormed the

Quirinal Palace The Quirinal Palace ( it, Palazzo del Quirinale ) is a historic building in Rome, Italy, one of the three current official residences of the president of the Italian Republic, together with Villa Rosebery in Naples and the Tenuta di Castelporzi ...

and arrested Pius, who was then taken to a carriage and departed the city. After short stays in

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and

Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...

, a large house in

Savona Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea. Savona used to be one of the chief seats ...

was chosen as a suitable place for Pius to settle in his exile, while still being allowed to conduct ceremonies and receive visits from the local population.

Napoleon's reconciliation

As he later reconciled with the Catholic Church, Napoleon's excommunication was lifted. During the exile in

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three consti ...

, he spoke to General Montholon of Pope Pius VII as "an old man full of tolerance and light", adding that "fatal circumstences embroiled our cabinets. I regret it exceedingly". After the former emperor asked for a

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

, saying "it would rest my soul to hear Mass", Pius successfully petitioned

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to accept his request and sent the Abbé Vignali to Saint Helena. Napoleon died on 5 May 1821, in Longwood House, having received in his final days the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...

and the

last rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortal ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Full text
(in Italian) in the website of the Holy See Excommunication Documents of Pope Pius VII 19th-century papal bulls 1809 in Christianity Napoleon Foreign relations of the Holy See

Excerpt

Aftermath

Napoleon's reconciliation

See also

References

External links