Purposes of the Vatican. 207 



once converted, confirm thy brethren."* The apostles and men 

 who have successively risen to the government of the apostolic 

 see since the blessed Peter have likewise striven with unfailing- 

 zeal to accomplish the same, and either personally or by means 

 of their legates they have endeavored to their utmost to correct 

 whatsoever needed correction and to decree whatsoever was 

 required. Our predecessor of happy memory, Pope Eugene, 

 following in their footsteps, was anxious, in accordance with the 

 duty of his office, to correct in the kingdom of Norway all that 

 seemed to demand correction, by sowing therein the word of 

 faith, and what he himself was unable to do, owing to his care 

 of the universal church, he entrusted for execution to his legate 

 Nicholas, then bishop of Albano and later Roman pontiff, who, 

 having gone to that country, loaned out, obediently to the com- 

 mands of his master, the talent he had received, and like a faith- 

 ful and wise servant endeavored to derive an increase therefrom. 

 Among other things which he there accomplished to the glory of 

 God's name and the credit of his ministry, according as he had 

 been commanded by our aforesaid predecessor, he bestowed the 

 pallium upon thy predecessor John, and lest the province of Nor- 

 way should lack the supervision of a metropolitan he designated 

 the city of Nidras, now under th}^ charge, as the metropolitan 

 see in perpetuity of the said province and gave to it as suffrage 

 sees in perpetuity Aslo, Amatrip, Bargen, Stavangri, the Orkney, 

 Faroe, and Subraie island's, Iceland and Greenland, ordering 

 the bish-ops of the same to obey him and his successors as their 

 metropolitans. Lest, therefore, any one should ever presume 

 to violate the order of the aforesaid legate, we, after the ex- 

 ample of the above-mentioned Eugene, of happy memor}^ of 

 Alexander and of Clement our predecessors and Roman pon- 

 tiffs, confirm the same order by apostolic authority, and by the 

 present ordinance decreeing that the cit}^ of Nidras is to be for- 

 ever regarded as the metropolitan see of the above-mentioned 

 cities ; that their bishops are to obey thee and thy successors as 

 their metropolitan, and to receive from your hands the grace of 

 consecration ; that thy successors, however, are to come to the 

 Roman pontiff alone, in order to receive the gift of consecration, 

 and that they are to be subject to the Roman church alone. 

 Moreover, thy fraternity will use the -pallium which has been 

 given thee, the emblem of the plenitude of the pontifical office, 

 within church onlv during the solemn celebration of mass 



