Opuscula Omissa

The Little Works Omitted. The First Little Work, or The Letter of Pope Hormisdas By which that supreme pontiff confirms various decrees established by Caesarius and grants his requests. (From Bolland.) Paulinus to his most beloved brother Caesarius, Hormisdas. I rejoice in the Lord, most beloved brother, and I rejoice unceasingly, that the zeal of religious reverence flourishes so in you, that you are watchful with the continuation of unwearied solicitude, so that in the Church of God whatever pertains to its worship may be increased even by new advancements: and that henceforth you think nothing sufficiently done in your office, unless you have always added something more. You have a special care fixed as your purpose: and whence the prophet, dear to God, when he said, "I have always hoped in you, Lord," not believing this devotion sufficient for himself, added: "And I will add to all your praise." True love is not accustomed to be content with services, and charity considers itself lacking unless the fervor of love burns. Although God, the observer and knower of secrets, may see the faith clinging to your heart, yet he does not allow his dispensation to be hidden, or his treasure to be concealed without increase: he commands his worshippers to bring secret reverence into the open, and to sing his praise with resounding exultation.

This is why, because in the Church of Arles, in addition to the customary vigils of clerics and monks, you indicated by a letter you sent that you had newly established choirs of God’s maidens, asking that in the aforementioned monastery of maidens recently founded by you, your successors, whenever they may be, be permitted to have absolutely no power, so that the virgins consecrated to God, freed from all disturbance or annoyance, may be able to serve Almighty God continually with free minds. It is a worthy provision of priestly institutions to stir hearts to sing the praises of chastity to God and to offer the fruit of virginity to sacred worship from those mystical seeds. The Apostle declared this to be his highest wish in those sacred volumes, saying: I have betrothed you to one husband, to present a chaste virgin to Christ. Therefore, most willingly assenting to the requests of your fraternity, we confirm and decree by apostolic authority that no bishop, nor any of your successors, shall dare to claim any power whatsoever for himself in the aforementioned monastery, except that, for the sake of God, bearing pastoral solicitude, he may strive to visit the household of Christ the Lord placed there at whatever suitable times (as is fitting) with a sincere heart, together with his clerics. Then, moreover, it is fitting that each sex, with equal devotion, standing in places appropriate to itself, should sing the glory of God, just as each, with stable and most full faith, awaits the hope of redemption.

However, regarding the sale and donation to your beloved self, and the donation in the monastery of those same maidens of God before the aforesaid altar, you ask that these be strengthened by our authority, hoping that the alienation of ecclesiastical estates may not be presumed in the future, forbidden by our decrees. We approve your intention, and we confess that your desire is so praiseworthy that we rejoice that even you are not permitted to do the same. But it was not fitting that what serves the church should be alienated from the substance of the church, when reason advised that it be granted entirely by purchase. The fruit of a good work ought to be gratuitous; the reward of right endeavor is to be awaited rather than sought, lest through the utility of the sale the recompense of charity be diminished. Nevertheless, we confirm, concerning the monastery of virgins, whether sold or donated by you, and under the same heading, we present by these decrees the prohibition of alienation of ecclesiastical estates, which you are to convey, under your arrangement, through all the priests belonging to the diocese of your charity. For it is fitting that what is salutarily ordained be generally obeyed. May God keep you safe, dearest brother.

SECOND OPUSCULUM, OR THE COUNCIL OF CARPENTRAS, WHICH WAS HELD UNDER THE PRESIDENCY OF CAESARIUS. CONSTITUTION OF THE HOLY BISHOPS Of the Council of Carpentras, held on the 8th day before the Ides of November, under the consulship of Mavortius, Vir Clarissimus, for the first time, that is, in the year of Christ 327, of Pope Felix IV 2, of Athalaric, King of Italy 2, in the time of Liberius the Prefect. SOLE CANON. Concerning what has been bestowed upon parishes by the Christian faithful, how much or in what manner it may be taken by the bishop. Although all things which the ecclesiastical rule commands to be observed are contained and inserted in many canons, yet causes arise for which the priests of the Lord must ordain, according to ecclesiastical discipline, what pertains to justice. And therefore, because when we assembled at Carpentras, a complaint of this kind reached us, that those things which are conferred upon parishes by any of the faithful are so taken by some bishops that either little or almost nothing is left to the churches to which they were bestowed: this has seemed to us just and reasonable, that if the church of the city over which the bishop presides is so well-endowed that, with Christ's favor, it lacks nothing, whatever has been bequeathed to the parishes should be reasonably distributed among the clerics who serve those parishes or for the repairs of the churches.

If indeed it is established that a bishop has many expenses and lesser resources, from the parishes to which a larger endowment has been granted, only so much as may reasonably suffice for the clergy and for the repair of roofs shall be reserved; whatever is in excess, however, the bishop ought to recall to himself on account of the greater expenses, yet in such a way that the clergy of that place have no license to diminish anything from that small property or from its ministry. It was also resolved that this be observed, that in the following year a council should be convened at the town of Vaison on the eighth day before the Ides of November. Subscription of the bishops. Caesarius, bishop in the name of Christ, read our constitution and subscribed. Noted on the day before the Ides of November, under the consulship of Mavortius, vir clarissimus. From the acts of this council, only that decree is found to have been sanctioned here, concerning what and how much from the goods of the parochial church taken away the bishop might take. That Agroecius, a bishop, because he had ordained improperly and, when summoned to the council, had remained contumaciously, was suspended from the celebration of the sacred rites by the authority of this council, is evident below from the synodal letter written to him. Baronius, year 465, number 43.

In what precise year and on what day this synod was celebrated is not established; but that it was held around the time here alleged, we can easily conjecture from the fact that nearly all the same bishops are found to have attended and subscribed to it who subscribed to the two subsequent councils, the Second Council of Orange and the Council of Valence. It has therefore pleased us to place this assembly before these, with which it merited to have the presence and subscription of the same bishops. Carpentoracte is a city of Gallia Narbonensis, which Pliny mentions in Book III, chapter 4. SEV. BINIUS. I. Although the chronological characters of this council seem to exhibit nothing ambiguous, a suspicion nevertheless arises in me, lest perhaps they have led writers into error. For I am in doubt whether what is admitted by all is true, namely that this council is to be assigned to the year marked by the consulship of Mavortius. For I deduce this from the Third Council of Vaison, which was celebrated on the day of the nones of November in the year marked by the consulship of Decius Junior. For this Council of Vaison was announced in the Council of Carpentoracte for the following year in these words: "It also pleased that it be observed, that in the following year a council should be gathered at Vaison on the day before the ides of November." Since, therefore, the Council of Vaison met in the year 529, the Council of Carpentoracte must have been held in the immediately preceding year, namely 528. This is also indicated by the day on which that Council of Carpentoracte was celebrated, namely the day of the eighth before the ides.

November. Which [day]? Only in the year 528, on the second feria, on which councils were accustomed to begin, does it fall. If we admit these [points], then for M[avortius] V[ir] C[larissimus] co[n]s[ul], read P[ost] C[onsulatum] Mavortii V[ir] C[larissimi] co[n]s[ulis]. MANSI. I have learned this year from the consulship of Mavortius, which the unique, but by far the best, codex of the Church of Lyons exhibits to us in the subscription of Bishop Caesarius, and to which I also owe the notation of the day and month, which in the other copies was mutilated. JAC. SIRMONDUS. * Lyons, the same, and Anit[ium], basilictrum. JAC. SIRMONDUS. The printed editions have architectis; the Lyons codex, sarchitectis; the Rheims codex, sarthitictis: the conjecture sartit tectis was easy. JAC. SIRMONDUS. This is stated explicitly by the four books which we have used in this place: the Lyons, Anit[ium], Rheims, and Beauvais codices. Yet the reading of the printed edition, which referred these words to the bishop, is not foreign: III has no authority to diminish the ministry of the clerics of that place. JAC. SIRMONDUS.

I, Contumeliosus, have consented and subscribed. I, Eucherius the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Lupercianus the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Constantius the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Alethius the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Julianus, have consented and subscribed. I, Prosper the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Vindemialis, have consented and subscribed. I, Porcianus the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Heraclius the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Philagrius the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Uranius the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Cyprianus the sinner, have consented and subscribed. I, Principius the sinner, have consented and subscribed. LETTER OF THE SYNOD OF CARPENToractum TO AGROECIUS, BISHOP OF ANTIPOLIS. A bishop who had performed a certain ordination contrary to the canons is suspended from the celebration of Mass for the space of a year. To the holy lord and venerable brother Agrocius, bishop, from Caesarius, bishop, and the other bishops assembled in the synod of Carpentoractum.

Although you ought to have been present at the synod, either in person or through a vicar, so that you might give an account of the ordination you are said to have performed in the light of the synodal assembly—so that, if you had acted rightly, you might return absolved with charity, God willing; but if it were established that you were a transgressor of the canons, you would be informed by this present denunciation, so that, with God as mediator, the sentence pronounced would either strike the guilty or absolve the suppliant. For although it is not permitted for priests to be ignorant of the canons, yet your error would have been almost lighter if you had offended through ignorance, than that you should be a transgressor of the canons to which you or your vicar had subscribed with your own hand. But now you are held bound by a double guilt, since you are rashly proven to have come not only against the venerable Fathers' decrees, but also against your own. Therefore, by this common deliberation in Christ, we have decreed that, since our son Protadius is bound by the canons inserted through you, and you are bound by a similar sentence, you are not to presume to celebrate Mass for a full year, because it is just that what is established before the bishops with God as mediator be inviolably preserved, God willing. For what reverence for observance will be shown by posterity, if the law is first violated by those by whom it was established?

Bishop Caesarius, I have subscribed. Bishop Cyprian, I have subscribed. Bishop Constantine, I have subscribed. Bishop Poroianus, I have subscribed. Bishop Callicanus, I have subscribed. Bishop Alethius, I have subscribed. Bishop Heraclius, I have subscribed. Bishop Principius, I have subscribed. Bishop Contumeliosus, I have subscribed. Bishop Julian, I have subscribed. Bishop Philagrius, I have subscribed. Bishop Eucherius, I have subscribed. Bishop Prosper, I have subscribed. Bishop Uranius, I have subscribed. Bishop Luperianus, I have subscribed. Bishop Vindemialis, I have subscribed.