“Universis præsentes litteras inspecturis, notum facimus et attestamur Venerabilem Carolum Chiniquy, Temperantiæ Apostolum, Nostræ Diocœcis Sacerdotem, Nobis optime notum esse, exploratumque habere illum vitam laudabilem et professione Ecclesiastica consonam agere, nullisque ecclesiasticis censuris, saltem quæ ad nostram devenerunt Notitiam innodiatum: qua propter, per viscera Misericordiæ Dei Nostri, obsecramus omnes et Singulos Archiepiscopos, Episcopos, cœteras que Ecclesiæ dignitates ad quos ipsum declinare contingent, ut eum, pro Christi Amore, benigne tractare dignentur, et quando cumque ab eo fuerint requisiti, Sacrum Missæ Sacrificium ipsi celebrare, nec non alia munia Ecclesiastica, et pietatis opera exercere permittant, paratos nos ad similia et majora exhibentes: In quorum fidem, præsentes litteras signo sigilloque nostris, ac Secretarii Episopatus nostri subscriptione communitas expediri mandavimus Marianopoli, in Œdibus Nostris Beati Jacobi, anno millesimo quinquagesimo. Die vero mensis Junii Sexta.”
“✠IG. Epus. Marianopolitanensis.”
“J. O. PARE, Can. Secrius.”
Translation.
IGNATIUS BOURGET, by the Divine Mercy and Grace of the Holy Apostolic See, Bishop of Montreal.
To all who would inspect the present letters, we make known and certify that the venerable Charles Chiniquy, “Apostle of Temperance,” Priest of our Diocese, is very well known to us, and we regard him as proved, to lead a praiseworthy life, and agreeable to his ecclesiastical profession. Through the tender mercies of our God, he is under no ecclesiastical censures, at least, which have come to our knowledge.
We entreat each and all, Archbishop, Bishop and other dignitaries of the church, to whom it may happen that he may go, that they, for the love of Christ, entertain him kindly and courteously, and as often as they may be asked by him, permit him to celebrate the holy sacrifice of the mass, and exercise other ecclesiastical privileges of piety. Being ourselves ready to grant him these and other greater privileges. In proof of this we have ordered the present letters to be prepared under our sign and seal, and with subscription of our secretary, in our palace of the blessed James, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty, on the sixth day of the month of June.
✠IGNATIUS. Bishop of Marianopolis.
By order of the most illustrious and most Reverend Bishops of Marianopolis, D. D.
J. O. Pare, Canon,