To the dean, namely, one hundred and fifty libras [literally “pounds”] pesos de Tepuz[que], as commonly styled in these countries, whereof each is worth eight silver reals of Castilian money.
To the archdeacon, one hundred and thirty; to each of the dignities, as many; to each of the canons, one hundred; to each of the portionarii, seventy; to the halves, thirty-five; to each of the chaplains, twenty; to each acolyte, twelve; to the organist, sixteen; to the notary, as many; to the beadle, as many; to the econome, however, fifty; to the dogcatcher, verily twelve libras of gold of the above value. Thus do we now and henceforth, in accordance as said with the written order, apply and assign the fruits, revenues, and perquisites as soon as the increase thereof shall warrant.
And inasmuch as said we wish the benefice to be for duty fulfilled, we strictly order and command, in virtue of holy obedience, that the said stipends be daily distributions [to be] assigned [and] distributed daily among those taking part in both each night and day hour on account of their fulfilment of the said duties. Accordingly, no one from dean to acolyte inclusively, who has been absent from any [recitation of] hour in choir, shall receive the stipend or distribution for that hour; and any official who has failed to exercise or fulfil his duty, shall similarly be mulcted each time in so much of his salary as would correspond to the distributions withheld from absentees, the same to be divided among those who are present.
We wish also, and under the same authority ordain, that all and singular the dignities, canons, and portionarii of our said cathedral church be held to residence and service for nine continuous or interrupted months. Otherwise, we or our successors for the time being, or sede vacante,[7] the chapter, shall be bound, the delinquent first having been summoned and heard (should he not have or allege a just and reasonable cause), to pronounce the said dignity [personatum], canonry, or portio, vacant, regard being had, should he be a capitular, to the Council of Trent; and, moreover, to provide a fit incumbent for that canonry, or that dignity, for presentation to his Catholic Majesty or his successors in the Spanish kingdoms only. A just cause herein for absence we define to be illness, provided, however, the ill beneficiary stay in the city, or the suburbs of the city; or should he have incurred illness, outside the city, when returning or preparing to return thither; provided, however, he can show by legal proofs that he was absent with leave of the bishop or of the chapter, and for the sake or advantage of the Church. Accordingly, let both[8] these be concurrent in his absence.
Moreover, we wish and by apostolic authority establish, decree, and command, that the fruits, revenues, and income of all tithes both of the cathedral and of other churches of the said city and diocese be divided into four equal parts, whereof one shall belong to us and the bishops our successors, for all times forever, for the maintenance of the episcopal dignity; and in order that with greater decency, and in view of the exigencies of the pontifical office, we may be enabled to maintain our rank, we are to receive this without any decrease for our episcopal revenues. To the deans, the chapter, and the other ministers of the church as above we assign another fourth part, to be divided among them in the manner set forth previously. The other two fourths we decree shall be again divided into nine parts, whereof we apply two to his royal Majesty to be presented to him in all times to come forever, in token of his suzerainty and right of patronage, as well as of his conquest of these kingdoms. The remaining seven parts of all tithes whatsoever, we require shall be divided into two, whereof four of the said seven we assign to the parish priests of our cathedral church as chapter table so that the church be better administered; of these four parts, we and our successors assign to each rector sixty pesos (as commonly styled). To the sacristan, however, [we assign] forty, the rectors to have all the first fruits excepting an eighth part thereof which we assign to the sacristan. Moreover, to the end that they may be more easily found, whenever the sacraments are to be conferred and other church duties attended to, the same rectors shall daily be present at the chief mass and evening hours only in choir; and until such time as the fruits shall have increased In each of the parish churches of the said city as well as of our whole diocese, we apply as benefices to be erected and created in each of the said churches the said four parts of the said seven. We declare, moreover, that in similar manner the eighth part of the said four parts applied for benefices, is to be given to the sacristan of each parish church of our said city and diocese. Moreover we wish and ordain that, our cathedral church being excepted in all the parish churches of our said city and diocese, as soon as they can conveniently be erected, as many simple benefices be created and established as [may be warranted] by the amount of the revenues of the said four parts thus applied to these benefices. A suitable and decent support, however, is to be assigned to the clerics to whom benefices should be given. Accordingly, the number of the said benefices has not been determined, but as soon as the fruits increase in these churches, let the number of ministers also increase. And whenever, for any reason, it happens that the said simple benefices of service, which for the time being, as said, may be created in the said churches, fall vacant, we wish provision to be made, and therefore decree, that, after [due] competition and examination, the said benefices are to be conferred only on the children, the patrimonial descendants, of the settlers who come thither from Spain to the said province, or who hereafter may come thither for the sake of becoming residents. This shall be done until such time in the future, when we, or our successors, shall have seen and recognized that the Christianity and capacity of the Indians is such that the said benefices may be conferred on them. Then they shall and must be conferred on the Indian natives also in accordance with the aforesaid form. Moreover, we wish and by apostolic authority decree and declare that, after the said benefices in the parish churches of this city as well as in the churches of our whole diocese have once been erected and created by us or our successors for the first time, the collation of the same benefices on the patrimonial children, according to their number or capacity, or on others in default of patrimonials, is to be made by presentation to the said Catholic sovereigns or their vicegerents and not otherwise, as provided by law and apostolic authority. But since principally and chiefly the care of souls of the said city [and] of our whole diocese is incumbent on us and our future successors, as being those who, according to the apostolic saying, are to render an account thereof on the day of Judgment, by our aforesaid authority and tenor we wish and ordain that in our cathedral church, and in all the parish churches of the said city and of our diocese, we, and the prelates for the time being, commend and enjoin the care of souls, according to our free choice, on any beneficiary or beneficiaries of the churches themselves, or on anyone else even a non-beneficiary for the time being, and under such form as shall seem to us best to ensure the care of the said souls; moreover, recognizing that we, and all our successors, shall be at the Divine Judgment, we exhort and require them in this commission of souls to have no respect of persons, but to regard solely the advantage and safety of the souls entrusted to them by God. And to the end that whoso undertakes the aforesaid care of souls, receive also some temporal gain, to each one of them we assign all the first fruits of that parish, whereof he has undertaken the care of souls, a portion, however, as above designated to be given to the sacristan. Moreover, we wish and ordain that the appointment and removal of the sacristans of all the churches of our diocese be always at the will and discretion of ourselves and our successors for the time being, together with the readjustment of their salary, whenever the said eighth part, which as provided should be paid them, amounts to a large sum, in which case whatever amount shall have been withdrawn from the said eighth part by us or our successors is to be set aside for the maintenance fund of the church itself, or some increase of divine worship, and for no other use. Likewise the three remaining parts of the said seven are to be divided into two equal parts, whereof we freely assign one, namely, one-half of the said three parts, to the church maintenance fund of each of the above towns [i.e., towns in the diocese where churches may be established]; the remaining part, however, namely, the other half of the said three parts, we assign to the hospitals of each town, from which half or part so applied the said hospitals are to pay a tenth to the principal hospital standing in the place where the cathedral church shall be. But inasmuch as at present no hospitals have been founded in the towns of our diocese, nor does the necessity of the poor require any, as moreover in this city the sick poor are cared for in the royal hospital, we ordain that the revenue due the hospitals from the said half of the three parts go by right to the seminary, or college, for the support therein of poor students, wherein, according to the decree of the holy Council [of Trent] ministers are trained and taught in order that later on they may serve divine worship and the dioceses of our Church more worthily. And this is to hold until, on account of exigencies of place and time, some other arrangement be made by the aforesaid Catholic Majesty, or ourselves, or our successors.