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Revision as of 21:29, 2 February 2008 by Per Honor et Gloria (talk | contribs) (Creation)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Viam agnoscere veritatis was a letter written by Pope Innocent IV to the Mongol ruler Baichu in March 1248. The letter was transmitted through the Mongol envoys to Lyon Aïbeg (a Turcophone Christian, possibly a Uighur) and Serkis (a Nestorian, possibly Syrian). The envoys had stayed at Lyon for about a year, before returning to the Mongol realm on November 22, 1248. The letter appealed to the Mongols to stop their killing of Christians, and deplored the delays in establishing a general alliance between the Christians and the Mongols. They left back for the Mongol realm on November 22, 1248.
Content of the letter:
"... regi et populo Tartarorum viam agnoscere veritatis. Humana enim natura, cum esset rationalis, erat eterna
veritate tanquam optimo suo cibo pascenda; set pena peccati mortalibus detenta vinculis ad hoc est diminutionis redacta, ut per coniecturas rerum visibilium ad intelligenda invisibilia niteretur cibi rationalis. Pro humani ergo redemptione generis se hostiam exhibens, et demum resurgens a mortuis ac in celum ascendens, vicarium sibi reliquit in terris, cui animarum curam commisit, tradens sibi claves regni celorum, per quas ipse suique per eum successores potestatem aperiendi omnibus et claudendi eiusdem regni ianuam obtinerent. Unde predicti vicarii disponente Domino nos licet inmeriti successores effecti, ad vestram aliorumque salutem
nostre intentionis dirigimus aciem, ut errantes in viam veritatis educere omnesque lucrifacere Deo valeamus. propter quod ad vos dilectum filium fratrem Laurentium de Protugal et socios eius latores presentium ordinis fratrum Minorum, ut ipsum Dei filium Iesum Christum salutaribus eorum eruditionibus agnoscentes, suum gloriosum nomen Christinae fidei observatione colatis, duxmius destinando. “
— MGH Epp. Saec. XIII 2, No. 102 (Lyon, 5. March 1245)
Notes
- Runciman, p.259
- David Wilkinson, Studying the History of Intercivilizational Dialogues
- Runciman, p.259
- "Histoire des Croisades", Rene Grousset, p523
- Roux, Histoire de l'Empire Mongol, p.316
References
- Sandra Brand-Pierach, Ungläubige im Kirchenrecht, Text of the letter p.174
- Roux, Jean-Paul, Histoire de l'Empire Mongol
- Grousset, Rene, Histoire des Croisades
- Runciman, Steven, History of the Crusades