ancient conventions entered into with monasteries, or other pious places, or churches not parochial, which shall remain inviolate. But, in those places or provinces, where it is the custom that neither food, nor money, nor anything else be received by the visitors, but that all be done gratuitously, the same shall there be retained. But if any one, which far be it, shall presume to receive anything more than is prescribed in any of the cases above mentioned; besides the restitution of double the amount, to be made within a month, he shall also be mulcted, without any hope of pardon, in the other penalties contained in the constitution of the general Council of Lyons, which begins, Exigit; as also in the other penalties [enacted] in the provincial synod, at the discretion of that synod. But patrons shall not presume in any way to interfere in those things which regard the administration of the sacraments; nor shall they mix themselves up with the visitation of the ornaments of the church, or its revenues arising from landed property, or from the rental of buildings,[1] excepting so far as they are competent to do this by the institution, or foundation; but the bishops shall themselves attend to these things, and shall take care that the revenues of those buildings be expended upon purposes necessary and useful for the church, as shall to them seem most expedient.
CHAPTER IV.
The holy synod desirous that the office of preaching, which peculiarly appertains to bishops, may more frequently be exercised for the welfare of the faithful, in accommodating more aptly to the use of the present times the canons elsewhere set forth on this subject, under Paul III., of happy memory, ordains, that the bishops shall themselves in person, each in his own church, announce the sacred Scriptures and the divine law, or, if they shall be lawfully hindered, by those whom they shall appoint to the office of preaching; and in the other churches by the parish priests,
- ↑ Fabricarum proventibus.
