Statute of Provisors

England [1390]

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July 13, 2026

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The Statute of Provisors, enacted in England in 1390, was a significant piece of legislation aimed at curbing the Pope's power to appoint individuals to English church offices. This statute asserted the rights of the English crown and its subjects over foreign interference in ecclesiastical appointments. It declared that the right to present to benefices belonged to the Crown and the patrons of churches, and any attempt by the Pope to make appointments would be void. This was a crucial step in the assertion of national sovereignty in religious matters, predating the English Reformation. The statute was part of a broader movement to limit papal authority and influence within England.12

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William Courtenay
He protested the second (1390) Statute of Provisors, which disapproved of ecclesiastical offices appointed by the pope; he condemned it as a restraint upon apostolic power and liberty.
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He protested the second (1390) Statute of Provisors, which disapproved of ecclesiastical offices appointed by the pope; he condemned it as a restraint upon apostolic power and liberty.
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Martin V
…his determination to obliterate the Statute of Provisors of 1390, which had outlawed the papacy’s conferring of an office or benefice. In the Spanish kingdoms he similarly emphasized the rights of the church against the crown.
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…his determination to obliterate the Statute of Provisors of 1390, which had outlawed the papacy’s conferring of an office or benefice. In the Spanish kingdoms he similarly emphasized the rights of the church against the crown.
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