1The condemnation and excommunication of Elizabeth and her adherents, with an addition of other punishments.

2Pius Bishop, servant of the servants of God, in lasting memory of the matter.

3He that reigneth on high, to whom is given all power in heaven and earth, has committed one holy Catholic and apostolic Church, outside of which there is no salvation, to one alone upon earth, namely to Peter, the first of the apostles, and to Peter's successor, the Bishop of Rome, to be by him governed in fullness of power. Him alone He has made ruler over all peoples and kingdoms, to pull up, destroy, scatter, disperse, plant and build, so that he may preserve His faithful people, knit together with the girdle of charity, in the unity of the Spirit and present them safe and spotless to their Savior.

4Section 1. In obedience to which duty, we, who by God's goodness are called to the government of the aforesaid church, spare no pains, and labor with all our might that unity and the Catholic religion, which their author, for the trial of his children's faith and our correction, has suffered to be afflicted with such great troubles, may be preserved entire. But the number of the ungodly has so much grown in power that there is no place left in the world which they have not tried to corrupt with their most wicked doctrines; and among others, Elizabeth, the pretended queen of England and a slave of wickedness, has assisted in this, with whom as in a sanctuary the most pernicious of all have found refuge. This very woman, having seized the crown and monstrously usurped the place of supreme head of the church in all England together with the chief authority and jurisdiction belonging to it, has once again reduced this same kingdom, which had already been restored to the Catholic faith and to good fruits, to a miserable ruin.

5Section 2. For having with a strong hand prohibited the use of the true religion, which after its earlier overthrow by Henry VIII (a deserter therefrom), Mary, the lawful queen of famous memory, had with the help of this See restored, she has followed and embraced the errors of the heretics. She has removed the royal Council, composed of the nobility of England, and has filled it with obscure men, being heretics; oppressed the followers of the Catholic faith; instituted false preachers and ministers of impiety; abolished the sacrifice of the mass, prayers, fasts, choice of meats, celibacy, and Catholic ceremonies; and has ordered that books of manifestly heretical content be propounded to the whole realm and that impious rites and institutions after the rule of Calvin, entertained and observed by herself, be also observed by her subjects. She has dared to eject bishops, rectors of churches, and other Catholic priests from their churches and benefices; to bestow these and other things ecclesiastical upon heretics, and to determine spiritual causes; has forbidden the prelates, clergy and people to acknowledge the Church of Rome or obey its precepts and canonical sanctions; has forced most of them to come to terms with her wicked laws, to abjure the authority and obedience of the pope of Rome, and to accept her, on oath, as their only lady in matters temporal and spiritual; has imposed penalties and punishments on those who would not agree to this and has exacted them of those who persevere in the unity of the faith and the aforesaid obedience; has thrown the Catholic prelates and parsons into prison where many, worn out by long languishing and sorrow, have miserably ended their lives. All which things, seeing they are manifest and notorious among all the nations; they are so well proven by the weighty witness of many men that there remains no place for excuse, defense or evasion.

6Section 3. We, seeing impieties and crimes multiplied one upon another, and moreover that the persecution of the faithful and afflictions of religion daily groweth more severe under the guidance and by the activity of the said Elizabeth, and recognizing that her mind is so hardened and indurate that she has not only despised the pious prayers and admonitions with which Catholic princes have tried to cure and convert her, but has not even permitted the nuncios sent to her in this matter by this See to cross into England, are compelled by necessity to take up against her the weapons of justice, though we cannot forbear to regret that we should be forced to turn upon one to whose ancestors the whole state of Christendom has been bounden. Therefore, resting upon the authority of him whose pleasure it was to place us (though unequal to such a burden) upon this supreme justice-seat, we do out of the fullness of our apostolic power declare the foresaid Elizabeth to be a heretic and favorer of heretics, and her adherents in the matters aforesaid to have incurred the sentence of anathema and to be cut off from the unity of the body of Christ.

7Section 4. And moreover, we declare her to be deprived of her pretended title to the kingdom aforesaid, and of all dominion, dignity and privilege whatsoever;

8Section 5. And also declare the nobles, subjects and people of the said realm and all others who have in any way sworn oaths unto her, to be forever absolved from any such oath and from any duty arising from duty, lordship, allegiance and obedience; and we do, by authority of these presents so absolve them, and so deprive the same Elizabeth of her pretended title to the crown and all other the abovesaid matters. We charge and command all and singular the nobles, subjects, peoples and others aforesaid that they do not dare obey her orders, mandates and laws. Those who shall act to the contrary we include in the like sentence of excommunication.

9Section 6. Because in truth it may prove too difficult to take these presents to all places wheresoever it shall be needful, we will that copies made under the hand of a notary public and sealed with the seal of a prelate of the Church or of his court shall have such force and trust in and out of judicial proceedings, in all places among the nations, as these presents would themselves have if they were exhibited or shown.

10Given at St. Peter's at Rome, on 27 April 1570 of the Incarnation, the fifth of the calends of May, in the fifth year of our pontificate.