Papal Bull Ex commisso nobis
Pope Eugene III issues the papal bull 'Ex commisso nobis', officially calling for the Second Crusade in response to the fall of the County of Edessa to Muslim forces. The document is read aloud in the
Setting
The Lateran Palace's grand audience hall, adorned with religious iconography and medieval tapestries. The hall is vast, with high vaulted ceilings and stone walls that echo with the murmurs of clergy and nobility gathered for this solemn occasion.
Characters
Pope Eugene III
primary
An elderly man in his late 60s, with a frail yet dignified frame. His thin, white hair is neatly trimmed, and his pale skin bears the marks of age. His deep-set, piercing blue eyes convey both wisdom and authority. A prominent nose and thin lips complete his solemn countenance.
Cardinal Deacon
secondary
A man in his late 50s with a lean but sturdy frame, his sharp features accentuated by deep-set eyes and a prominent nose. His thinning grey hair is neatly tonsured in the clerical fashion, and his hands bear the ink stains of frequent writing.
Abbot
secondary
A middle-aged man of slight but sturdy build, with a tonsured head and a neatly trimmed beard. His face bears the marks of asceticism—deep-set eyes that suggest both wisdom and weariness, and a furrowed brow from years of contemplation. His hands, clasped before him, are calloused from manual labor as much as prayer.
Scribe
background
A middle-aged cleric with a lean build, his face showing signs of long hours spent in dim candlelight. His hands are stained with ink, and his fingers bear the calluses of a lifetime spent writing. His dark brown hair is tonsured in the clerical fashion, and his hazel eyes dart between his parchment and the proceedings with nervous energy.
Guard
background
A tall, broad-shouldered man in his late 30s, with a weathered face marked by a prominent scar across his left cheekbone. His thick hands grip the shaft of his halberd firmly, knuckles whitened from pressure. Short, dark brown hair frames a square jawline kept clean-shaven in military fashion.
Dialog
Pope Eugene III
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti... Ex commisso nobis a Deo officio, we must now raise the standard of the Cross against the infidels who defile the Holy Land.
Cardinal Deacon
As the Holy See has determined, this bull calls for a new expedition—the Secundus Passagium—to reclaim Jerusalem. May God guide those who take up this sacred duty.
Abbot
The cost will be great, not only in gold but in the blood of the faithful. Yet, if it is the will of Christ and His Church...
Pope Eugene III
Indeed, my son. But as Saint Bernard writes—'Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.' Let it be so.
Cardinal Deacon
The bull also grants plenary indulgence to all who take the Cross. The faithful must know their sacrifice is not in vain.
Abbot
Then may the Martyrs intercede for them. And may Rome’s hand be steady in the days to come.