Cum universi facts for kids
Cum universi was an important letter, called a papal bull, written by Pope Celestine III. It was released on March 13, 1192. The name Cum universi means "With the yoke" in Latin.
This special letter changed the history of the church in Scotland. Before Cum universi, the Archbishop of York in England claimed to have authority over the Scottish church. This bull ended that claim. It made the Scottish church independent, meaning it could make its own decisions without being controlled by York.
Contents
Why Was This Bull Needed?
Before Cum universi was issued, the church in Scotland did not have its own main leader, called a metropolitan or archbishop. The Pope Paschal II tried to make the Archbishop of York the leader for Scotland around the year 1100. He sent a letter telling Scottish bishops to obey the Archbishop of York.
However, the Scottish bishops did not want to obey the Archbishop of York. They refused to accept his authority.
Later, when Archbishop Thurstan of York became archbishop, he tried even harder to make Scotland recognize York's power. Even though different popes told the Scottish bishops to obey York, the bishops of St. Andrews and Glasgow still refused. They were supported by Scottish kings like King Alexander I and King David I.
In 1125, Pope Honorius II asked King David to let a special messenger, called a papal legate, come to Scotland. This messenger was supposed to investigate the problem between Archbishop Thurstan and the Scottish bishops. But this investigation did not solve anything. The pope then asked the Scottish bishops to come to Rome in 1127 to discuss the issue, but that meeting also did not happen.
How Scottish Bishops Were Consecrated
During this time of disagreement, a new Scottish bishop usually needed to be officially made a bishop (called consecration) by the Archbishop of York. But sometimes, both the Scottish bishop's position and the Archbishop of York's position were empty at the same time.
Because of this, some Scottish bishops, like Bishop John and Herbert, were consecrated directly by the pope himself. This practice continued even when the Archbishop of York's position was not empty. For example, Engelram was consecrated by Pope Alexander III. Later, Jocelyn was consecrated by a papal legate in France.
What Rights Did the Bull Give?
The Cum universi bull was created because of all these disagreements. For the first time, the church in Scotland was called a single entity: the Scotticana ecclesia (Scottish church). This included important areas like St. Andrews, Glasgow, and other regions.
The bull then clearly listed the special rights given to the Scottish church:
- The Scottish church was a "special daughter" of the Holy See (the Pope's authority). This meant it reported directly to the Pope, with no one in between.
- No one could stop church services or activities (impose an interdict) in Scotland except the Pope or his special messenger.
- No foreigner could be a special messenger (legate) in Scotland unless the Pope specifically sent them.
- The freedoms and rights of the Scottish kingdom and its churches, which were given by earlier popes, were confirmed by Pope Celestine.
- Any disagreements that started within Scotland could not be judged outside of Scotland. The only exception was if someone directly appealed to the Pope himself.
This bull was a very important moment for the mediæval Scottish church. It helped remove English influences from how the church in Scotland was run.
See also
- Archbishop Thurstan of York
- Bishop John
- Herbert
