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1801 Oct. 15

Penalver y Cardenas, Bishop Luis
New Orleans, Louisiana
(Seal of Penalver)

In virtue of his nomination to Guatemala, Penalver must go to take possession of that see. He wishes to leave a satisfactory ruler for the diocese to govern it until the bulls freeing him from it are dispatched and notice is given, according to the royal cedula of November 6, 1786, in which event since it has no chapter, the government reverts to the metropolitan or in default to the nearest suffragan, and in case two are equi-distant, to the older one according to the cedula of November 13, 1799. He appoints Father T(h)omas Hassett, older canon as ruler of the diocese. He will be under Penalver's orders as long as he is here and afterwards will rule by himself until the event above stated. Penalver exhorts the members of the diocese to regard Hassett as ruler until another is appointed by competent authority. Father Isidro Quintero acts as secretary.

D.S. (Spanish)

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1801 Oct. 17

Quintero, Father Isidro
New Orleans, (Louisiana)

Hassett swore to fulfill the obligations as ruler of the diocese. Witnesses were Father Juan de Dios Valdez and Mateo Pauzant who sign with Hassett.

A.D.S.

V-3-d D.S., A.D.S. (Spanish) 3pp. folio
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