Oration “Sextus agitur annus” of Pope Pius II (23 September 1463, Rome). Ed. and transl. by Michael von Cotta-Schönberg : (Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II; 70)

By September 1463 it was clear that Pope Pius II had managed to create the basis for a crusade alliance between Hungary, Venice, Burgundy, and the Papacy. Before proceeding to the final negotiations, it was necessary for him to obtain the consent to the crusade of the College Cardinals: in his coronation oath he had promised to make the crusade against the Turks his highest priority and to act in this matter only with the approval of the majority of the cardinals. On 23 September the pope summoned the cardinals to a secret consistory where he delivered the oration Sextus agitur annus. In this oration the pope gave a well-reasoned account of his wars in Italy and their necessity, a lucid analysis of the Church hierarchy's lack of credibility, and a passioned plea for a return to the ways of the Early Church and to the faith of its martyrs and confessors. He also detailed his strategy for mobilizing the crusade, and announced his provisions for the government of Rome in his absence