Oration “Habemus fidem” of Pope Pius II (November 1462, Rome). Edited and translated by Michael von Cotta-Schönberg. 4th version. (Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II; 71)

Published as part of project Edition and Translation of the Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius IIIn November 1462, an embassy came to Pope Pius II from the King of Bosnia, Stefan Tomašević, to seek aid from the pope against the Turks, expected to launch a major assault against Bosnia in the near future. The pope replied to the ambassadors’ address with the very brief oration “Habemus fidem”, in which he promised what help the papacay was able to give, exhorted the king to reconcile and ally himself with Hungary, and promised to erect Roman Catholic dioceses in Bosnia. He formally denied the petition for a crown to be sent to the king, referring that matter to the king’s feudal overlord, King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (secretly instructing his legate to crown the king anyway). It would all be for nothing since next year the Turks invaded and conquered Bosnia