De Magorum

De Magorum (Concerning Mages in English) is one of the canons approved at the First Lateran Council in 1123.  The canon states that 

1. The Talent is not inherently evil or sinful.
2. Those with the Talent should not be persecuted or prosecuted merely for having the Talent.
3. The use of magic is not inherently evil or sinful.
4. No one should consort with Satan, Demons, or other powers of darkness.  Those who do are anathema and shall be excommunicated. 
5. The Cross and the Sacraments of the Church are the best defense against the powers of darkness.

De Magorum was highly influenced by Defense of the Talents by St. Helen the Talented.

Historical Details

History

Many charms, protective enchantments, and other spells were used widely during the early Middle Ages--indeed, since the dawn of recorded history--but at this period, Church officials were beginning to debate the morality and spiritual consequences of employing magic.  This debate was, in a way, highly surprising, as Talented priests, monks, and nuns, and indeed saints, had been using magic for centuries, and in fact, one could argue that the Sacraments themselves employed a type of holy magic.  Still, the debate in the Church's intellectual community was fierce, and was the impetus behind the Defense of the Talents by St. Helen the Talented.
The question was debated during the First Lateran Council, and it is said that St. Helen herself came from England to participate in the proceedings, though she was quite elderly at the time.  Many supported her position, and in the end, her philosophy won the day and the Pope's agreement.  St. Helen may have in fact helped to draft De Magorum; certainly, passages from Defense of the Talents are quoted in the decree.  De Magorum was issued on April 1, 1123.

Public Reaction

Many mages and other Talented people were disappointed that De Magorum did not bless the Talent or codify its inherent morality.  Still, the admission in De Magorum that magic was not inherently sinful or evil allowed people who were practicing magic to continue to do so without fear.

Legacy

De Magorum protected mages for several hundred years, except for Demon Mages and others who practiced evil magic or used magic to harm others.  Witch hunts were rare, and the village witch or university wizard was well respected. Household mages crafted the protections for their farms, houses, cattle, and children.   
With the coming of the Protestant Reformation, however, fear of magic escalated.  De Magorum was rejected in Protestant territories as heresy and as proof that Catholics consorted with the devil. King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) published a witch-hunting manual, Daemonologie. For the next century, witch-hunting became all the rage, killing thousands of people as Protestants attempted to eradicate magic.  This attempt succeeded only in driving those with the Talent (and those without the Talent who had learned magic) underground.

Term

De Magorum is technically still in effect, though not much cited.

Type

Decree, Religious

Authoring Date

1123

Ratification Date

1123

Expiration Date

None