⁷ Clearly, a life like his, so holy, so heroic, and so outstanding, was sufficient to win for him a place in the Church Triumphant. Yet because the Church Militant sees only outward appearances and does not presume to judge by her own authority those things not in her domain, it does not presume to venerate people for their way of life alone because sometimes even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ^{2 Cor 11:14} But the almighty and merciful God, by whose grace the above-mentioned servant of Christ served him in such a worthy and admirable manner, has not permitted such a marvelous lamp to remain hidden under a bushel basket. Rather, God has shown that he wishes it to be placed on a lampstand to give the consolation oflight to those in the house ^{Mt 5:15} by declaring through numerous and outstanding miracles that Francis’s life was pleasing to God and that his memory should be venerated by the Church Militant.

⁸ Therefore, since the marvelous facts of his glorious life are fully known to us because of the great familiarity that he had with us while we were placed in a lesser position, and since we have been convinced by reliable witnesses of his many splendid miracles, we are confident that, through the mercy of God, we and the flock committed to us will be helped by his prayers, and that we will have as a patron in heaven him who was our close friend on earth. And so, with the advice and consent of our brothers [the cardinals], we have decided to inscribe him as worthy of veneration in the catalog of the saints.

⁹ We decree that his birthday [into heaven] be celebrated devoutly and solemnly by the whole Church on the fourth of October, the day on which he was freed from the prison of the flesh and reached the heavenly realms.

¹⁰ Therefore, we ask, counsel, and exhort all of you in the Lord, commanding you by this apostolic letter, that on the day aforementioned, you intently dedicate yourself to the divine praises, to honor his memory and humbly implore his protection, so that, through his merits and intercession, we may attain fellowship with him by the help of God, who is blessed forever and ever.

Given at Perugia on the nineteenth day of July (1228), in the second year of our pontificate.

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⁶ Sanè licet ejus vita tam sancta, tam strenua, & praeclara sibi sufficeret ad obtinendum consortium Ecclesiae triumphantis; quia tamen Militans, quae solummodò videt in facie, non praesumit de his, qui de suo foro non sunt, auctoritate propria judicare; ut illos pro vita tantùm venerando assumat, praesertim quia nonnunquam Angelus Satanae in lucis Angelum se transformat; Omnipotens, & misericors Deus, de cujus munere venit, quod praedictus famulus Christi dignè sibi, & laudabiliter deservivit, tantam lucernam absconditam sub modio remanere non patiens, sed eam volens super Candelabrum collocari, his, quis sunt in Domo, luminis solatium praebituram, vitam ejus sibi fuisse acceptam, & ipsius memoriam esse a militanti Ecclesia venerandam, multis, & praeclaris miraculis declaravit.

⁷ Cum igitur gloriosae vitae ipsius insignia ex multa familiaritate, quam Nobiscum habuit in minori officio constitutis, plenè cognita nobis essent; & de miraculorum coruscatione multiplici per testes idoneos Nobis facta fuerit plena fides; condfidentes per Dei misericordiam nos, & Gregem nobis comissum ejus suffragiis adjuvari; & quem familiarum habuimus in Terris, habere Patronum in Coelis; habito Fratrum nostrorum consilio, & assensu, ipsum adscribi decrevimus Sanctorum Catalogo venerandum.

⁸ Statuentes, ut IV. Nonam Octobris, die videlicet, quo a carnis ergastulo absolutus ed aetherea Regna pervenit, ab universali Ecclesia natalitia ejus devotè, ac solemniter celebrenter.

⁹ Quocirca Universitatem vestram rogamus, monemus, & exhortamur in Domino, per Apostolica vobis Scripta mandantes, quatenus die praedicto in commemoratione ipsius divinis laudibus alacriter insistentes ejusdem patrocinia humiliter imploretis; ut ipsius intercedentibus meritis ad ejus mereamini consortium pervenire, illo praestante, qui est benedictus in saecula saeclorum. Amen.

Datum Perusii XIV. Kal. Augusti Pontificatus Nostri Anno Secundo.