A frequent celebration of general councils is an especial means for cultivating the field of the Lord and effecting the destruction of briars, thorns, and thistles, to wit, heresies, errors, and schism, and of bringing forth a most abundant harvest. The neglect to summon councils fosters and develops all these evils, as may be plainly seen from a recollection of the past and a consideration of existing conditions. Therefore, by a perpetual edict, we sanction, decree, establish and ordain that general councils shall be celebrated in the following manner, so that the next one shall follow the close of this present council at the end of five years. The second shall follow the close of that, at the end of seven years, and councils shall thereafter be celebrated every ten years in such places as the Pope shall be required to designate and assign, with the consent and approbation of the council, one month before the close of the council in question, or which, in his absence, the council itself shall designate. Thus, with a certain continuity, a council will always be either in session, or be expected at the expiration of a definite time. This term may, however, be shortened on account of emergencies, by the Supreme Pontiff, with the counsel of his brothers, the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, but it may not be hereafter lengthened. The place, moreover, designated for the future council may not be altered without evident necessity. If, however, some complication shall arise, in view of which such a change shall seem necessary, as, for example, a state of siege, a war, a pest, or other obstacles, it shall be permissible for the Supreme Pontiff, with the consent and subscription of his said brethren or two-thirds of them (duarum partium) to select another appropriate place near one determined upon, which must be within the same country, unless such obstacles, or similar ones, shall exist throughout the whole nation. In that case, the council may be summoned to some appropriate neighboring place, within the bounds of another nation. To this the prelates, and others, who are wont to be summoned to a council, must betake themselves, as if that place had been designated from the first. Such change of place, or shortening of the period, the Supreme Pontiff is required legitimately and solemnly to publish and announce one year before the expiration of the term fixed, that the said persons may be able to come together for the celebration of the council within the term specified. . . .
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Pogostno obhajanje vesoljnih cerkvenih zborov je prvenstven način za obdelavo Gospodove njive. Koncil ruva plevel, trnje in osat krivoverstva, napak in razkolov, popravlja odklone, obnavlja, kar je poškodovanega in prinaša bogat in rodoviten pridelek za Gospodov vinograd. Zanemarjanje koncilov pa po drugi strani širi in spodbuja omenjena zla. Ta sklep smo naredili, ko smo se spominjali na pretekle čase in premišljevali o trenutnem stanju. Zategadelj ugotavljamo, uveljavljamo in ukazujemo ter zapovedujemo, z večno veljavnim odlokom, da bodo vesoljni cerkveni zbori potekali odslej na naslednji način. Prvi bo sledil takoj, pet let po koncu tega koncila, drugi sedem let po končanem drugem koncilu, nato pa bodo potekali za vedno koncili vsakih deset let.
Potekati morajo v krajih, ki jih je dolžan imenovati vrhovni duhovnik in določiti zadnji mesec poteka predhodnega koncila s potrditvijo in soglasjem koncila, ali pa, če papež to opusti, je dolžan kraj izbrati cerkveni zbor sam.
S takim nadaljevanjem bo obstajal vedno en koncil v zasedanju ali pričakovanju naslednjega na koncu določenega obdobja, ki ga lahko skrajša najvišji duhovnik s soglasjem svojih bratov kardinalov svete Rimske Cerkve, kadarkoli se pokaže potreba, a v nobenem primeru naj to obdobje ne bo daljše.
Določeno mesto za zborovanje prihodnjega koncila naj se ne menja brez očitne nuje. Če pa se po naključju dogodi, da je treba zamenjati rečeni kraj v kakih nujnih okoliščinah, na primer zaradi obleganja, vojne, bolezni ali kakih drugih podobnih razmer – potem ima papež pravico – po pisnem soglasju njegovih omenjenih bratov ali vsaj njihovih dveh tretjin, zamenjati za drug kraj, ki je primeren in dokaj blizu kraju prejšnjega dogajanja. To pa mora biti znotraj istega naroda, razen, če enak in podoben zadržek obstaja po vsej deželi. V slednjem primeru lahko skliče koncil na drugem primernem kraju, ki je blizu, vendar v drugi državi, a je primeren za ta namen. Zagotovljen pa mora biti lahek dostop prelatom in drugim osebam, ki so običajno povabljene na koncil, da se ga udeležijo z isto lahkoto kot če bi se vršil na prejšnjem kraju. Vrhovni duhovnik je dolžan, da razglasi in objavi spremembo kraja ali skrajšanje časa v pravni in slovesni obliki v enem letu pred določenim dnevom, zato, da se bodo mogle omenjene osebe udeležiti koncila v dogovorjenem času.
Konstanški koncil, 39. seja. Odlok Pogostno.
Konstanca, 9. oktober leta Gospodovega 1417.
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