fairs, and knowing our
paternal solicitude, they have supplicated us to come to their rescue in
this their hour of spiritual need. Our hearts have been moved by the
prayers of the people of Greenland, but not being sufficiently acquainted
with the circumstances, we direct and command you, or either of
you,[73-1] beloved brothers, who as we understand are the bishops living
nearest to that island, to institute a diligent inquiry as to whether
things are as they have been reported to us, and if you should find them
so, and the number of people warrant it, and if they are in a condition
to provide sufficiently, we command you or either of you, to send worthy
priests who will minister to them, erect churches, govern parishes, and
administer the sacraments.

Moreover, if you or either of you should deem it expedient, and in this
you will consult, of course, the metropolitan,[73-2] if his residence be
not too far away from you, we empower you to select and consecrate a
bishop, having first required him to take the usual oath to us and the
Roman See. Be mindful, however, that we burden your conscience with this
work, and we grant you, or either of you, full authority to carry it out,
even if there should exist any constitution of the Apostolic See, general
councils, canonical or other statutes to the contrary.

Given at Rome as dated above in the second year of our pontificate.

LETTER OF ALEXANDER VI.; WRITTEN IN THE FIRST YEARS OF HIS
PONTIFICATE[73-3]

It has been reported to us that in the diocese of Gardar in Greenland,
situated at the confines of the known world, the inhabitants, because of
the scarcity of bread, wine and oil, live for the most part on dried fish
and milk products. Wherefore because of the difficulty of passing through
such immense quantities of ice, and likewise because of the poverty of
the land, and the scant means of living, ships rarely visit its shores.
We have learned in fact that no vessel has touched there during the past
eighty years, and if a voyage be made at all, it must be in the month of
August, when the ice has broken up. On this account, during eighty years
no bishop or priest has resided personally among those people, and by
reason of this, we are informed that many who were formerly Catholics
have forgotten the faith of their baptism, and that no memory of the
Christian religion is found, except a corporal, which is shown to the
people once a year, and on which it is said the last