In Nomine Domini
Encyclopedia
In nomine Domini, named for its Latin
incipit
("In the name of the Lord"), is a papal bull
of Pope Nicholas II
and canon
of the Council of Rome, promulgated on April 13, 1059, establishing cardinal-bishops as the sole electors of the pope, with the consent (as determined by the cardinal-bishops) of cardinal-deacons and cardinal-priests (followed by the laity
and the Holy Roman Emperor
), which laid the groundwork for the hierarchical preeminence of cardinals within the Roman Catholic Church
. Suffrage
was extended to all cardinals
during the schism of Antipope Clement III
in 1084, and the co-operation of the inferior clergy was dispensed with in 1189, beginning the establishment of the College of Cardinals
, which did not fully come into force until the election of Pope Innocent II
in 1130.
The bull further states that any antipope
elected contrary to the procedure laid out within it should be "subjected, as Antichrist
and invader and destroyer of all Christianity, to a perpetual anathema
."
The bull replaced the recently-challenged right of nomination of the Holy Roman Emperor
with a vague right of approbation
, following the advice of recently-elevated Cardinal Hildebrand (the future Pope Gregory VII
). Nicholas II's predecessor, Pope Stephen IX
had been elected during a period of confusion following the death of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
, and, twelve months later, the death of Pope Victor II
, whom Henry III had installed as pope. Stephen IX's election had obtained the consent of the empress-regent, Agnes de Poitou
, despite the omission of the traditional preliminaries and the waiting of the cardinals for the Imperial nomination.
The bull was followed by an alliance between the papacy and Robert Guiscard
, who was made Duke of Apulia and Calabria (which he had already conquered) and Sicily
(which he would have to recover from the Saracen
s) in exchange for an annual tribute and guaranteeing the security of the Holy See
(which began with the demolition of the castles of several Roman nobles). Nicolas II's successor, Pope Alexander II
was consecrated without the approbation
of the empress-regent (still Agnes de Poitou), and was thus opposed by the Imperial nominee Antipope Honorius II
.
In nomine Domini gained traction following the submission of Emperor Henry IV to Pope Gregory VII at Canossa in 1077, although the emperor did not formally renounce the privilege of papal appointment
until the Concordat of Worms
in 1122.
In nomine Domini also increased the power of the cardinals during a sede vacante
, which was expanded and codified in the decretal
of Pope Alexander III
, Licet de vitanda, at the time of the Third Council of the Lateran
(1179).
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
incipit
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
("In the name of the Lord"), is a papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
of Pope Nicholas II
Pope Nicholas II
Pope Nicholas II , born Gérard de Bourgogne, Pope from 1059 to July 1061, was at the time of his election the Bishop of Florence.-Antipope Benedict X:...
and canon
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
of the Council of Rome, promulgated on April 13, 1059, establishing cardinal-bishops as the sole electors of the pope, with the consent (as determined by the cardinal-bishops) of cardinal-deacons and cardinal-priests (followed by the laity
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
and the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
), which laid the groundwork for the hierarchical preeminence of cardinals within the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
was extended to all cardinals
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
during the schism of Antipope Clement III
Antipope Clement III
Guibert or Wibert of Ravenna was a cleric made antipope in 1080 due to perceived abuses of Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy, a title that lasted to his death....
in 1084, and the co-operation of the inferior clergy was dispensed with in 1189, beginning the establishment of the College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
, which did not fully come into force until the election of Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II , born Gregorio Papareschi, was pope from 1130 to 1143, and was probably one of the clergy in personal attendance on the antipope Clement III .-Early years:...
in 1130.
The bull further states that any antipope
Antipope
An antipope is a person who opposes a legitimately elected or sitting Pope and makes a significantly accepted competing claim to be the Pope, the Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. At times between the 3rd and mid-15th century, antipopes were typically those supported by a...
elected contrary to the procedure laid out within it should be "subjected, as Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
and invader and destroyer of all Christianity, to a perpetual anathema
Anathema
Anathema originally meant something lifted up as an offering to the gods; it later evolved to mean:...
."
The bull replaced the recently-challenged right of nomination of the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
with a vague right of approbation
Approbation
Approbation is, in Roman Catholic canon law, an act by which a bishop or other legitimate superior grants to an ecclesiastic the actual exercise of his ministry....
, following the advice of recently-elevated Cardinal Hildebrand (the future Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
). Nicholas II's predecessor, Pope Stephen IX
Pope Stephen IX
Pope Stephen IX was Pope from August 3, 1057 to March 1058.His baptismal name was Frederick of Lorraine , and he was a younger brother of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine, who, as Marquis of Tuscany , played a prominent part in the politics of the period.Frederick, who had...
had been elected during a period of confusion following the death of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
, and, twelve months later, the death of Pope Victor II
Pope Victor II
Pope Victor II , born Gebhard, Count of Calw, Tollenstein, and Hirschberg, was Pope from 1055 to 1057. He was one of a series of German reform Popes.-Life:...
, whom Henry III had installed as pope. Stephen IX's election had obtained the consent of the empress-regent, Agnes de Poitou
Agnes de Poitou
Agnes of Poitou, Agnes of Aquitaine or Empress Agnes was Holy Roman Empress and regent of the Holy Roman Empire from 1056 to 1062.-Family:...
, despite the omission of the traditional preliminaries and the waiting of the cardinals for the Imperial nomination.
The bull was followed by an alliance between the papacy and Robert Guiscard
Robert Guiscard
Robert d'Hauteville, known as Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily, the Fox, or the Weasel was a Norman adventurer conspicuous in the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily...
, who was made Duke of Apulia and Calabria (which he had already conquered) and Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
(which he would have to recover from the Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
s) in exchange for an annual tribute and guaranteeing the security of the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
(which began with the demolition of the castles of several Roman nobles). Nicolas II's successor, Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II , born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.He was born in Milan. As bishop of Lucca he had been an energetic coadjutor with Hildebrand of Sovana in endeavouring to suppress simony, and to enforce the celibacy of the clergy...
was consecrated without the approbation
Approbation
Approbation is, in Roman Catholic canon law, an act by which a bishop or other legitimate superior grants to an ecclesiastic the actual exercise of his ministry....
of the empress-regent (still Agnes de Poitou), and was thus opposed by the Imperial nominee Antipope Honorius II
Antipope Honorius II
Honorius II , born Pietro Cadalus, was an antipope from 1061 to 1072. He was born at Verona and became bishop of Parma in 1046. He died at Parma in 1072....
.
In nomine Domini gained traction following the submission of Emperor Henry IV to Pope Gregory VII at Canossa in 1077, although the emperor did not formally renounce the privilege of papal appointment
Papal appointment
Papal appointment is the oldest method for the selection of the pope. Papal selection before 1059 was often characterized by appointment by secular European rulers or by their predecessors...
until the Concordat of Worms
Concordat of Worms
The Concordat of Worms, sometimes called the Pactum Calixtinum by papal historians, was an agreement between Pope Calixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V on September 23, 1122 near the city of Worms...
in 1122.
In nomine Domini also increased the power of the cardinals during a sede vacante
Sede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
, which was expanded and codified in the decretal
Decretal
Decretals is the name that is given in Canon law to those letters of the pope which formulate decisions in ecclesiastical law.They are generally given in answer to consultations, but are sometimes due to the initiative of the popes...
of Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
, Licet de vitanda, at the time of the Third Council of the Lateran
Third Council of the Lateran
The Third Council of the Lateran met in March 1179 as the eleventh ecumenical council. Pope Alexander III presided and 302 bishops attended.By agreement reached at the Peace of Venice in 1177 the bitter conflict between Alexander III and Emperor Frederick I was brought to an end...
(1179).