Oration “Magna pars vestrum” of Pope Pius II (1 June 1459, Mantua). Edited and translated by Michael von Cotta-Schönberg. 7th version. (Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II; 43)

Published as part of project Edition and Translation of the Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius IIShortly after his coronation, Pope Pius II summoned the European rulers to a Congress in Mantua to discuss a joint military response to the Turkish invasion of Europe, a “crusade”. The congress was to open on 1 June 1459. On that date, very few participants had arrived in Mantua, and it was not known how many more would come. The pope gave a short oration to the envoys who were present, expressing his disappointment that so few had arrived on time, and the hope that more would come