Legal Definitions - multa

Multa refers to a historical payment made by bishops to the king within the context of ecclesiastical law. This payment was essentially a fine or fee that granted bishops the authority to draft, validate (probate), and manage the estates of deceased individuals within their dioceses.

• Example 1: Imagine a newly consecrated bishop in 13th-century England who wishes to uphold the Church's traditional jurisdiction over the wills and estates of the deceased within his diocese. To legally exercise this authority, including probating wills and appointing administrators for estates, he would have been required to pay a multa to the reigning monarch. This payment secured the royal permission necessary for the bishop to perform these functions without interference from the king's secular courts.
• Example 2: During a period of royal financial strain, the king might demand multa payments from bishops across the realm. A bishop whose diocese included several wealthy noble families would pay the multa to ensure that the Church, rather than the Crown, retained the lucrative right to administer these substantial estates. This preserved ecclesiastical control over significant assets and influence, which might otherwise have been claimed by the monarch.