The three privileges « Attendentes quomodo » of Alexander III. Revision, use and tradition of papal documentation among the Cistercians

Between 1169 and 1173 Alexander III sent Alexander, abbot of\r\nCîteaux, and all the other abbots of the order three general privileges Attendentes\r\nquomodo. These privileges, similar, but not identical to one another, were an\r\nabsolute innovation for the order and allowed the Cistercians to derogate to\r\nnormal practice the correction or dismissal of abbots which cannon law granted to\r\nthe local bishop or, in appeal, to the metropolitan, or to a synod of bishops or to\r\nthe Roman Church itself. Neither Walter Holzmann in his accurate census of the\r\ndecretals, nor Chrysogonus Waddell, who analysed the Cistercian papal documentation\r\nin relation to manuscript traditio noticed the existence of the three documents\r\nin some way different and independent, but they were satisfied, despite the\r\ndifferent dates, with tracing all the copies preserved of the Attendentes quomodo to\r\nthe privilege of 4 July 1169, catalogued as JL 11632. Actually the three versions of\r\nthe papal document for centuries took parallel paths. While version 2 entered\r\nlegitimately in the official bullaria of the order, version 1 (15 January 1169), similar\r\nin contents to version 3 (16 January 1173), left its indelible traces in canon law and\r\nassumed validity for all religious life. Thus the transmission of documents of\r\nconsiderable importance has proven to be intricate and took unexpected and\r\nundesired paths, even for an order such as the Cistercians which tried with\r\ndifficulty to make unanimitas one of the best instruments for its development.