4. The Franciscans of Thorn defend the Teutonic Order: summary

= Medival Sourcebook   (https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/12-13Cbalticcrusade.asp#_Toc378084757)

From: the same, no. 65.
The Guardian of the Minorites (Franciscans) of Thorn and the brothers of the Franciscan convent in Prussia write to Pope Alexander IV. They defend the Teutonic Order against the accusations made against it before the Pope: 28 July 1258.

Summary: they state that Brother Gerhard the commander, and the Brothers of the Teutonic Order are not a little perturbed by the calumnies and false accusations which have been undeservedly made against them. Since the Brothers’ tranquillity and peace is without doubt the tranquillity and salvation of the adjacent provinces, ‘who place themselves like an impregnable wall against the enemy for the house of Israel’ (i.e. Christendom), the Friars are writing this letter in the Brothers’ defence without being asked.
The wording is not identical to the previous letter but identical phrases are used. This letter also talks of the Brothers’ magnificent struggles against the Prussians with the standard of the holy cross in hand, and the laws they impose on the new converts which do not deviate from the rite of true Christians. The friars know this for a fact.  They also refer to them spreading the Christian faith as in the previous letter, and emphasize that the brothers have left much and great dignities in the world, and say that they expose their property and bodies. ‘So God forbid that they should violate the statutes of their profession and would be found acting contrary to their profession.’ Furthermore:
1) How could it be true that they would prohibit the preaching of God’s word? – since they most earnestly encourage religious and learned ecclesiastics to join them, especially if they can find any who know the Prussian language for teaching the people the orthodox faith.
2) They are not slow in carrying out papal commands, since they honour the Holy Roman Church as lord and master, love its messengers and observe imperial orders in all their deeds especially those made with Papal approval.
3) It is not true, as it was claimed, that the Brothers prohibit the correction of incest and adultery and similar things, since they mortify such things in themselves and hunt them out of others.
4) They never forbid oratories to be built or catholic ministers set up in them, who administer the Christian sacraments.
5) The Friars deny that the Brothers destroy old churches.
6) The Brothers do not impede the sacraments of burial, confession, baptism, Eucharist and the rest; this would be irrational since they are faithfully intent on all the rites of the Church.
7) They do not oppress the new converts by enslaving them, since they give them the true liberty with which Christ freed us, if they have the chance, even when they don’t want it and refuse it. And they provide mercifully and paternally for them in all spiritual and temporal matters.

The Friars end their letter by pleading that the pope will deign to show favour on the Brothers of the Teutonic Order, since the Brothers are the prison and chain of the barbarians, and their role is to lead the barbarians willingly into captivity in the Lord’s flock.