Sentencing of Gilles de Rais by the Ecclesiatical Court Meeting in Nantes (October 25, 1440)
Source: Georges Bataille. The Trial of Gilles de Rais (Amok Books, 2004)(pp.207-208)(translation by Richard Robinson)
Sentence brought against Gilles de Rais, guilty of heresy.
In the name of Christ,
We, Jean, Bishop of Nantes, and Friar Jean Blouyn, bachelor of Holy Writ, of the Dominican Order in Nantes, Vicar of the said Inquisitor into Heresy for the city and diocese of Nantes, sitting on the bench and with our minds set on naught but God alone, considering the counsel and agreement of the reverend fathers, lords bishop, jurists, doctors, and masters of theology, by this true definitive sentence that we place m these instruments, considering the depositions of witnesses summoned by us and by our prosecutor, on this side delegated by us in a case of the faith, against you, Gilles de Rais, our subject and justiciable, on that side produced and diligently interrogated, and the faithfully drafted depositions of those same witnesses, considering your confession given voluntarily before us, and other items and matters considered on that side that justly roused our souls, we decree and declare that you, the rendering of sentences.) aforesaid Gilles de Rais, present before us In trial, are found guilty of perfidious apostasy as well as of the dreadful invocation of demons, which you maliciously perpetrated, and that for this you have Incurred the sentence of excommunication and other lawful punishments, in order to punish and salutarily correct you and in order that you are punished and corrected as the law demands and canonical sanctions decree.
[Signed:] Delaunay, J. Petit, G. Lesné.
Sentence brought against Gilles de Rais "guilty of crime and unnatural vice with children.
In the name of Christ,
We, Jean, Bishop of Nantes, sitting on the bench and with our minds set on naught but God alone, having examined and investigated the legal grounds and developments of the case of the faith brought before us on the part of our prosecutor, deputed by us to the case, and claimant against you, Gilles de Rais, our subject and justiciable, the accused party; considering the depositions of witnesses for their part and that of our prosecutor, in this case produced, sworn in, and diligently examined; considering the faithful account of their depositions; considering your confession, voluntarily given by you before us in trial, and publicly pronounced; and every other item and matter considered, which, from a canonical point of view, engrossed our minds; having taken counsel with the reverend fathers, the masters of theology, and the jurists, by the definitive sentence that we set down in these Instruments, we decree and declare you, the aforesaid Gilles de Rais, appearing personally before us in court, guilty of committing and maliciously perpetrating the crime and unnatural vice of sodomy on children of both sexes; and for it with these instruments we excommunicate you and conclude that you have Incurred other lawful punishments, In order to punish and salutarily correct you and in order that you be punished and corrected as the law and canonical sanctions demand.
[Signed:] Delaunay, j. Petit, G. Lesné.