Dagome Iudex as a Prototype of Concordats

Abstract

The reform of the Church carried out in the 11^th century by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) led to increasing the standards of religious and disciplinary life. The pope’s collaborator in the reform, Cardinal Deusdedit, prepared Collectio canonum. This work, in which he included documents attesting the territories placed under the protection of the Apostolic See, contained the regesta of the document known as Dagome iudex after the name of the ruler. This document attests to the fact that Mieszko I places Poland under the protection of the Apostolic See. The boundaries of the state outlined in the document, from the Baltic Sea to Prussia, Rus’ in the east, Moravia in the south, the Oder in the west, constitute a historical description of Piasts’ lands. The legal transaction referred to in the document with the word “contulisse” (transfer) consisted in transferring the Polish state to the Apostolic See. In return, the Polish state was placed under its protection. It resulted in establishing a certain legal relationship between the Polish state and the Apostolic See. The protection of the latter constituted moral security against other countries attacking the territory of Poland. This legal act entailed the duty to pay tribute to the Apostolic See. The political goal of Mieszko I’s decision was to secure the country against the attacks from its neighbours. A long-term objective in the area of relationships with the church was an opportunity to build Poland’s own ecclesiastical structures. Through this legal act, Poland entered the area of political-ecclesiastical-legal relationships with the Apostolic See. Thus, Dagome iudex can be seen as a prototype of future concordats which regulate the relationships between countries and the Apostolic See, as well as the relationships between the state and the Church in a given country.