Ordinationum Documenta Pontificia de Regnis Sacrae Coronae Hungariae (1426–1523). Ex Libris Formatarum Camerae Apostolicae collecta. Klerikusszentelések a Római Kúriában a Magyar Szent Korona országaiból (1426–1523). Az Apostoli Kamara Libri Formatarum bejegyzései (CVH I/18), ed. TAMÁS FEDELES, Budapest–Róma 2021.
The ordination of the clerics in the territory of the medieval Orbis Christianus was an ordinary act. Time after time, those young foreigners, like from the territory of the Carpathian Basin, who wanted to take the various grades of the holy orders, occurred in the Roman Curia. The curial promotion of the foreigners became multitudinous from the 15th century, which phenomenon was later aptly called tourism of ordination (turismo delle ordinazioni) by the international secondary literature. Although, the curial ordination of those who were of Hungarian origin and possessed church benefices in Hungary is well-known by the Hungarian medieval studies, since the entries of the papal books of supplications (Registra supplicationum) – that were previously analysed and published – include numerous supplications related to ordinations, the details of the promotions have yet to be known.
This present cartulary is essential, since it publishes the Hungarian-related entries of the Libri formatarum, which documents the foreign clerics’ promotion and can be found in the Camera Apostolica fond of the Archivio Aposolico Vaticano. This register-series was kept in the Apostolic Chamber fond of the State Archives of Rome until the beginning of the 20th century, and then during the First World War – along with many other archival documents – it was moved to the Vatican Apostolic Archives through exchange. In line with the chamber volumes kept in the state archives, these volumes are also in a small folio format, they are bound in white parchments and contain paper sheets. Altogether 14 resister-books survived, which cover the period between 1425 and 1524. This volume includes altogether 1001 entries, which contain the documents related to 783 persons’ promotion. As 50 Hungarian clerics obtained only ordination licences (littera dimissoria), altogether 743 participated in the actual curial promotions. There must have been more Hungarian clerics ordained in the Roman Curia, yet it is only a speculation due to the destruction of sources. Out of the 14 Hungarian dioceses of the period, 12 are mentioned in the promotional documents, which were further complemented by 4 other missionary bishoprics (episcopatus in partibus infidelium) that possessed no territories. Regarding the division among the sees, the dominance of Esztergom (22%), Eger (19%), furthermore Transylvania and Zagreb (15-15%) is inevitable. They are followed by Veszprém (6%) and Pécs (5%). Clerics from Győr and Várad (Oradea) appeared almost in equivalent proportion (4-4%), a bit lesser number came from the dioceses of Kalocsa-Bács and Vác (3-3%), while the proportion of Csanád (Cenad) and Nyitra (Nitra) is the smallest (1-1%).
The text-edition is accompanied by an introduction that summarizes the topic’s secondary literature, and presents the most important details of the issue and the collected material; furthermore by a comprehensive index of people and places.