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The Medieval Church · 1059
The Papal Election Decree
Pope Nicholas II · d. 1061
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What it is
A ruling that the cardinal bishops shall choose the pope, with the rest of the clergy and people assenting afterwards and the emperor's role reduced to a courtesy.
Why it lasted
The origin of the College of Cardinals and of papal elections as they are still conducted.
Where to read it
Public domain and free to read in full, though not held here. The archives below have it.
These open a search on each archive rather than a direct link, which is the honest way to point at an edition nobody here has checked line by line.
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