Papal letter grants Sigurd Havtoresson his own confessor
DN 7/229 · 14 July 1351 · Avignon
What the letter says
On 14 July 1351 Pope Clement VI sends identical letters from Avignon to the bishops Salomon of Oslo, Jon of Garðar in Greenland, Håvard of Hamar and Orm of Hólar in Iceland, to the knights Sigurd Havtoresson and Ogmund Finnsson and to the canon Lodin Toresson in Nidaros. The letters give them the right to choose their own confessor, who at the hour of death can grant them forgiveness for all their sins.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
a. Clement, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the venerable brother Salomon, bishop of Oslo, greeting and apostolic blessing. Prouenit [etc.; the rest of the letter text is not reproduced in the edition]. Given at Avignon on 14 July (the second day before the ides of July) in the tenth year of our pontificate [1351]. b. In the same way to the venerable brother Jon, bishop of Garðar [in Greenland]. Given as above. c. In the same way to the venerable brother Håvard, bishop of Hamar. Given as above. d. In the same way to the venerable brother Orm, bishop of Hólar [in Iceland]. Given as above. e. In the same way to the beloved son, the noble man Sigurd Havtoresson, knight in the diocese of Oslo. Given as above. f. In the same way to the beloved son Ludovicus Thorie [Lodin Toresson], canon in Nidaros. Given as above. g. In the same way to the beloved son, the noble man Ogmund Finnsson, knight in the diocese of Bergen. Given as above. [According to the editor's summary the letter gives the recipients the right to choose their own confessor, who at the hour of death can grant them remission of all their sins.]
Original text (excerpt)
a. Clemens episc. s. s. d. uenerabili fratri Salomoni episcopo Osloensi sal. et ap. ben. Prouenit [etc.] Datum Auinione .ij. Idus Julij pont. n. anno decimo. b. In eod. modo uenerabili fratri Johanni episcopo Gardensi. Dat. ut supra. c. In e. m. uener. fratri Hauardo episcopo Hamarensi D. u. s. d. In e. m. uen. fratri Ormero episcopo Holensi. D. u. s. e. In e. m. dilecto filio nobili uiro Sighuardo *Harthorie militi Osloensi. D. u. s. f. In e. m. dilecto filio Ludouico Thorie canonico Nidrosiens
Background
Sigurd Havtoresson of Sudreim later married Ingeborg Erlingsdatter and became lord of Giske. The letter is a papal letter, and at this time the Pope resided in Avignon in southern France. Letters like this, granting a free choice of confessor and full remission of sins at the hour of death, were sought by many after the Black Death of 1349, when death came suddenly and many died without a priest. That Sigurd is on the same list as four bishops shows how high he stood. It was probably envoys from Norway to the papal court who applied for the whole group at the same time. The letters were entered in the papal registers, and that is why they are known today.
People: Sigurd Havtoresson