Vineam Domini - Aftermath

Aftermath

The Constitution arrived in France while the Assembly of the French Clergy was in session. It was accepted by the Assembly on 21 August; not, however, before it had been decided to accompany the Constitution with the declaration that

"the papal constitutions are binding on the whole Church when they have been accepted by the bishops",

thus making it appear that the Constitution received its binding force by the acceptance of the bishops. On 31 August, the Constitution was made a state law. It was accepted by all the French bishops with the exception of Percin de Montgaillard, Bishop of Saint-Pons, who published a mandement in defence of "respectful silence". The mandement was censured by Clement XI on 18 January 1710, and the bishop finally submitted in a long letter to Clement on 28 February 1713. The Sorbonne accepted the Bull on 1 September 1705. The nuns of Port-Royal refused to accept it, except with certain restrictions, and, in consequence, the king obtained the pope's permission to suppress their monastery.

On 31 August 1706, Clement XI addressed a Brief to Cardinal Noailles and another to Louis XIV, in which he scathingly reproved the French bishops for "usurping the plenitude of power which God has given exclusively to the Chair of St. Peter", and demanded that they recant the scandalous declaration which they had appended to his Constitution "Vineam Domini". After various evasions Cardinal Noailles was finally prevailed upon, as the president of the Assembly, to sign, on 29 June 1711, a document drawn up by the pope in which it was expressly stated that the acceptance of the bishops is not necessary to give the papal constitutions their binding force.