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What changes did the Statute of Provisors make in 1351?
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Edward III
Edward III, watercolour, 15th century; in the British Library (Cotton MS. Julius E. IV).
The Statute of Provisors, enacted in 1351 during the reign of Edward III, established formal statutory procedures to challenge the unpopular practice of the papacy making appointments to church benefices in England.1
By implementing these measures, the crown sought to address the grievances of subjects regarding papal interference in local patronage. While the king possessed sufficient existing authority to manage these issues, he accepted the legislation to align with the views of his subjects, later complementing this effort with the Statute of Praemunire in 1353, which prohibited appeals to Rome in disputes over church patronage.1