Page "Febronianism" Paragraph 10

In drawing up the Punctation he took no active part, but it was wholly inspired by his principles.

It consisted of twenty-three articles, which may be summarized as follows.

Bishops have, in virtue of their God-given powers, full authority within their dioceses in all matters of dispensation, patronage and the like ; papal bulls, briefs, etc., and the decrees of the Roman Congregations are only of binding force in each diocese when sanctioned by the bishop ; nunciatures, as hitherto conceived, are to cease ; the oath of allegiance to the pope demanded of bishops since Gregory VII's time is to be altered so as to bring it into conformity with episcopal rights ; annates and the fees payable for the pallium and confirmation are to be lowered and, in the event of the palhum or confirmation being refused, German archbishops and bishops are to be free to exercise their office under the protection of the emperor ; with the Church tribunals of first and second instance ( episcopal and metropolitan ) the nuncios at Cologne are not to interfere, and, though appeal to Rome is allowed under certain national safe-guards, the opinion is expressed that it would be better to set up in each archdiocese a final court of appeal representing the provincial synod ; finally the emperor is prayed to use his influence with the pope to secure the assembly of a national council in order to remove the grievances left unredressed by the council of Trent.