3195

March 18. Lateran. Pope Alexander IV writes to the master and brothers of the knighthood of the Temple of Jerusalem, relating that, since he established some things because he wanted the concession or collation of priories to be done purely and cleanly according to God, he was asked on their behalf to explain his intention to them more fully. The pope explains that a while ago he learned that abbots with priors whom they install in their priories, before or after this installation, were accustomed to receiving a certain sum of money or a certain portion of the income of those priories, such that, with these priors paying this money or portion or perhaps an annual pension or a rent to the abbots, the customary hospitality or alms was thereby taken away in those priories and the number of those serving was reduced, and the business of those priories was less carefully dealt with, since it happened that less worthy priors were installed or ordained in them. The pope then describes the measures he took on the advice of the cardinals, without saying that it applies to the addressees or Jerusalem.