Prologue

The Apostolical Confirmation of the Rule, which our holy Father Saint Francis gave unto our holy Mother Saint Clare.

INNOCENT, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God, to our beloved daughters in Jesus Christ, CLARE, Abbess, and to the other Sisters of the Monastery of Saint Damian, at Assisium, health and Apostolical benediction.

The Apostolical See is accustomed to condescend to all pious requests, and graciously to favour the good and holy desires of those who do propose them; and therefore because you have humbly requested of us to approve and corroborate with our Apostolical confirmation, the rule according to which you are to live in common, in one spirit, and in the profession of most high poverty, the same rule having been given you by the holy father Saint Francis, and which you received with great content and joy; which rule also our venerable brother the Bishop of Ostia has approved, as is amply expressed and declared in the letters of the said Bishop, conformably to the command which we gave him to confirm it, with our Apostolical authority committed to him in this part. We therefore now, condescending to your devout petition, do again confirm by these present letters the said rule with our Apostolical authority, inserting the tenor of the said letters word by word in these present letters, as follows:

Hugolin, by the grace of God, Bishop of Ostia and of Veletri, to his most dear mother and daughter in Jesus Christ, Clare, Abbess of Saint Damian, at Assisium, and to her sisters as well present as to succeed, health and paternal benediction: for as you, my dearly beloved daughters in Jesus Christ, having contemned the pomps and delights of this world, and intending to follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ and of his most holy Mother, have chosen to remain enclosed to serve God; we, applauding your holy resolution, with good will and paternal affection, courteously grant you your demands and holy desires; and we confirm, by the Pope’s authority and ours, for you and for all those who shall succeed in your Monastery, the form and rule of life, of holy union and of most high and sublime poverty, which the glorious father Saint Francis hath given you to observe, as well by word as by writing, which rule is here underneath specified as follows: