3068

April 12. Naples. Pope Alexander IV writes to the archbishops, bishops, and cathedral chapters of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, describing the abuse whereby insatiable greed has resulted in five or more people having been accepted as canons and brothers in every one of their churches on papal or legatine authority without there being any vacant prebend. Taking into consideration the fact that each of their churches has only eight prebends, as is asserted, and so many people expecting a prebend is scandalous, horrible, and dangerous to their souls, for the peace and tranquillity of their overburdened churches, the pope has ordained that in each church only the two of those expecting a prebend who have temporal priority (qui sint tempore potiores) shall remain, the one received on papal authority having preference for a prebend over the other, but if both have been received on papal authority, obtaining the prebends shall be according to the law. The pope completely annuls the receptions of the others and frees the addressees from any obligation toward them.