Following the death of Pope Nicholas IV on 4 April 1292, a dozen cardinals took 27 months to agree on a successor, the hermit monk Pietro del Morrone, a man in his mid-80s.

[10] After investigating the entire affair, and taking counsel with the cardinals, Boniface VIII himself preferred (appointed) Petrus, O.Min.

[11] Pope Innocent VIII (Cibo), who had been Bishop of Molfetta from 1472 to 1484, granted the diocese the privilege of being immediately subject to the Roman pontiff, without any other Metropolitan.

[14] The right of the king to nominate the candidate for a vacant bishopric was recognized, as in the Concordat of 1741, subject to papal confirmation (preconisation).

[15] On 27 June 1818, Pius VII issued the bull De Ulteriore, in which, among many other things, he dealt with dioceses which had been directly subject to the Holy See.

Based on the revisions, a set of Normae was issued on 15 November 1984, which was accompanied in the next year, on 3 June 1985, by enabling legislation.

According to the agreement, the practice of having one bishop govern two separate dioceses at the same time, aeque personaliter, was abolished.

The cathedrals in Giovenazza, Terlizzi, and Ruvo were to have the honorary titles of "co-cathedral"; the Chapters were each to be a Capitulum Concathedralis.

There was to be only one diocesan Tribunal, in Molfetta, and likewise one seminary, one College of Consultors, and one Priests' Council.

[22] In addition to the Canons there were six dignities in the Chapter, the Archdeacon, the Archpriest, two Primicerii (Cantores), the Penitentiary and the Sacristan.