Urban VIII

To all the faithful of Christ who shall scan these present letters, health and apostolic benediction.  In fulfilment of our pastoral charge in regard to the safety of souls and the spread of the Catholic faith, while readily changing those things which have been wisely, ordained by the Roman pontiffs our predecessors, wherever through the teachings of experience change seems advisable, we have made some arrangements, as the same have seemed expedient in the Lord, in regard to the spread of the Catholic faith and the health of souls.

In sooth, by his letters in form similar to a brief given on the twenty-eighth day of January, 1585, and the thirteenth year of his pontificate, Pope Gregory XIII, our predecessor of happy memory, led thereto through certain reasons known at the time, issued an interdict and prohibition to all patriarchs and bishops, including even the province of China and Japan, under pain of ecclesiastical interdict and of suspension, from entering the church portals and the exercise of pontifical power, to all others besides priests, clerics, and ecclesiastical ministers, both secular and regular—­of whatsoever order, standing, degree, rank, and condition they might be—­under pain of major excommunication to be incurred ipso facto, to this effect:  that without his express license and that of the apostolic see, no one should dare go to the aforesaid countries and provinces of Japan to preach the gospel, teach Christian doctrine, administer the sacraments, or discharge other ecclesiastical duties.

Subsequently, however, Pope Clement VIII, also our predecessor of renowned memory, having learned that the countries and provinces of China and Japan, as well as of other near-by and adjacent islands, besides the neighboring kingdoms of Eastern India, were very extensive and thickly inhabited; that, moreover, in order to bring so great a multitude of souls to the Catholic faith and strengthen them with spiritual nourishment, more workmen and ministers were needed than could be levied from the religious of the Society of Jesus, therefore to all and singular the masters or priors-general of the mendicant orders for the time being did he make the following grant, to wit:  that whenever necessity required they might send—­by way, however, of Portugal only, and thence by sea to the Indias and the city of Goa—­to the local superiors of their orders resident in those lands, whomsoever of their subjects they might deem fitting and serviceable for the discharge of the said offices and ministries, provided the same were of respectable character and learning.  Again, that the religious of the said orders to be thus sent to the said countries of the Indias, as well as their fellow-members resident therein, who had been chosen and approved for the discharge of this said duty by their masters or priors-general, or other superiors, might go to the said Japan as well as its near-by and adjacent islands, and even to the said islands, countries, and provinces of China and the neighbor-kingdoms and mainland [terra firma] of Eastern India.