Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 1043
Canon 2 of the Third Council of Braga (Iberian Peninsula, AD 675) forbids the use of sacred vessels in secular activities.
From the summary of the cases on which the synodal fathers decided:
 
Post huius sanctae fidei sacramentum relatus est in cognitionem omnium nostrorum error manifestus pariter et diversus qui tanta debet disciplinae arte retundi quanta et perversitate conprobatur admitti. Quidam enim in sacrificiis Domini relati sunt lac pro vino, pro vino botrum offerre, eucharistiam quoque vino madidam pro complemento communionis credunt populis porrigendam, et quod peius est  his omnibus est quidam sacerdotum in vasis Domini epulas sibi adponunt et manducare in eis praesumunt. [...]
 
Canon 2
 
De vasis sacris. Ne vasa Domini sacrata humanis usibus serviant.
 
Omni cura omnique studio providendum est ne hii  qui locum videntur obtinere regiminis contumeliam videantur inferre coelestibus sacramentis. Etenim, quod et auditui horribile et visui excrabile iudicatur, relatum nobis est quod quidam sacerdotum sacrilega temeritate praecipites vasa Domini in proprios usu adsumant epulasque sibi in eis comesturis adponant. Quod malum et obstupentes deflemus et deflentes obstupecimus, ut illic humana temeritas sibi epulam praeparet ubi Sanctum Spiritum cognoscitur advocasse et ibi esum carnium crapulatus adsumat, ubi divina visus est celebrasse mysteria, et in quibus tantae rei sacramentum pro expiatione delictorum percepit in his expleat voluntatem ludibrii sui. Et ideo huius de caetero praesumtionis persona, qui sciendo divina vasa vel ministeria aut in usus suos transtulerit aut comedere in his vel poculum sibi sumendum elegerit, gradus sui vel officii periculum sustinebit, ita tamen ut si de saecularibus fuerit, perpetua excumunicatione damnetur; si vero religiosus, ab officio deponatur; sub hac quoque damnationis sententia et illi obnoxii tenebuntur qui ecclesiastica ornamenta, vela vel quaelibet alia indumenta atque etiam utensilia sciendo in suos usus transtulerint vel aliis vendenda vel danda crediderint.
 
(ed. Vives 1963: 374)
From the summary of the cases on which the synodal father decided:
 
Canon 2
 
After the solemn pronouncement of the holy faith, an obvious error was brought to our attention which has to be destroyed with such great application of discipline as great was perversity that admitted it in the first place. Some persons are said to offer at the Lord's sacrifices milk or grapes instead of wine and some also think that for full communion the Eucharist distributed to people should be dipped in wine. Also, what is worse, some priests use the vessels of the Lord at their banquets and dare to eat from them. [...]
 
Canon 2
 
On sacred vessels: a vessel dedicated to the Lord shall not be turned to mundane use.
 
A great care and all diligence must be taken lest those who obtained a governing position cause damage to heavenly sacraments. For we were told, and it is considered horrible even to hear and execrable to see, that some priests, inclined to this by sacrilegious temerity, turned the vessels of the Lord into their private use on banquets and eat from them. We have no words for this evil and we wept, speechless, that human temerity prepared a meal in a vessel at which, as they know, the Holy Spirit is invoked and that a drunkard take a fleshy food from the vessel in which he celebrated the divine mysteries. In those vessels in which he performed such a great mystery for the expiation of sins, he also satisfied the desire of his lust.
Therefore, the person who dared to do such a thing that knowing that the vessels are for the divine ministry turned them into their private use or eat or drink from them, should lose their rank and office. If this person is lay, he or she should be punished with perpetual excommunication. If this person is from the religious order, he should be demoted. All those who knowingly turned into their private use, sold or gave away the ecclesiastical ornaments, cloths or any other vestments and utensils, should be considered guilty and liable to the punishment of condemnation.
 
(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region
  • Iberian Peninsula
City
  • Braga

About the source:

Title: Third Council of Braga in 675 AD, 3rd Council of Braga, III Concilium Bracarense a. 675, Concilium III Bracarense, Concilium Bracarense tertium a. 675
Origin: Braga (Iberian Peninsula)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
The provincial council of Galicia in AD 675 was convoked by King Wamba (672-680) and was presided over by Bishop Leudigisius of Braga (Iberian Peninsula). It was attended by seven other bishops.
Edition:
J. Vives ed., Concilios visigóticos e hispano-romanos, Barcelona-Madrid 1963.

Categories:

Entertainment - Feasting
    Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς
      Ritual activity - Eucharist
        Ritual activity - Liturgical vestments
          Public law - Ecclesiastical
            Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical
              Administration of justice - Excommunication/Anathema
                Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1043, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1043