Editor's Note: Based on information provided by the Curia, this Patriarchal Constitution merely summarizes and details centuries-old existing privileges that were also expressed in other earlier legislation. This new constitution was promulgated to compile relevant information into one single legal document.
PATRIARCHAL CONSTITUTION
Omnipotens Deus
DON RVTHERFORDVS I PONT. MAGNVS
ALMIGHTY God is the sole supreme ruler of the heavens and the earth. The representative of God on earth is the Holy Church of Christ, which was given and continues to enjoy supreme authority. Above the Holy Church and her officials, no civil potentate or government may stand. We, the Anglo-Italian Imperial Patriarchate in memory of St. Stephen the Deacon and Protomartyr, likewise are, by privilege of the Roman See and Apostolic authority, have been, are, and remain in perpetuity a supreme and sovereign entity, independent of and not subject to in any way all civil governments on earth that have existed, currently exist, or will ever exist in the future. This is applicable not only within the traditional titular territories of the Imperial Patriarchate, Patriarchal States, and Legations, but in all geographical locations.
The Florentine Archfather, Legate of Christ, Custodian of the Apostolic See of Saint Mark in Aquilaea, successor of Pope Leo X, by right of ancient tradition and privilege, holds the Imperial dignity and co-imperial rank. He is subject to no earthly power, potentate, or authority, and is therefore subject to God alone. In dignity of precedence, he ranks below only two persons, viz., first, the Holy Father, and second, the Holy Roman Emperor of the First Reich.
An ecclesiastical sovereign state need not maintain current physical, territorial, geographical borders. Just as a corporation may not have physical property or a storefront, yet nevertheless it possesses all the rights and status of a corporation, so too does an ecclesiastical state without borders maintain all the rights and status of a sovereign nation. The Imperial Patriarchate has titular territory to which it rightly lays claim, but over which it does not exercise direct governmental administration. Nevertheless, the Imperial Patriarchate maintains by ancient right the rights to make and enforce laws, to raise and maintain a military, to coin money and stamps, to enter into treaties with sovereign states, and all other rights appertaining to a sovereign state.
It is noted that the concept of overlapping jurisdictions in neither uncommon nor new. There are adundant examples, past and present, of geographical territories that have multiple extant government authorities claiming and exercising legislative, judicial, and executive authority therein. Such authorities may conflict with each other. The Imperial Patriarchate, with authority under God, maintains rightful supremacy in any an all cases.
Given at the Court of St. Mary of Walsingham in the House of St. Stephen this 25nd day of March, the Feast of the Annunciation, feast day of the Court of St. Mary of Walsingham, in the year of our Lord 2020.
