Canon 58 of the collection known as Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua (compiled in Gaul, ca AD 475) grants deacons the right to distribute Eucharist in the presence of presbyters if there is a necessity and they are acting on presbyters` orders.
Intended for scholary use. For credentials see Bibliography
58 (XXXVIII). Diaconus presbytero praesentem eucharistiam non porregat nisi iussus.
Vt diaconus, praesente presbytero, eucharistiam corporis Christi populo, si necessitas cogit, iussus eroget.
(ed. Munier 1963: 176, 187)
58 (XXXVIII). A deacon should not distribute Eucharist in the presence of a presbyter unless he was commanded to.
That a deacon, if necessity demands it, should distribute on command the Eucharist of Christ's body to the people, [even] when the presbyter is present.
(trans. J. Szafranowski)
Place of event:
Region
Gaul
City
Marseille
About the source:
Title: The Ancient Statutes of the Church, Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua Origin: Marseille (Gaul) Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
This corpus of canons was published by earlier editors (Labbe-Cossart, Hardouin, Mansi) as the acts of the supposed IV Council of Carthage (AD 398). It is, however, of a clearly Gallic, and not African, character; some scholars attributed it to Caesarius of Arles. It seems that these canons originated from multiple synods, above all Gallic ones. Since canons of the council of Vaison (AD 442) are quoted and the canons of the council of Agde (AD 506) are not, the original compilation known now as Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua must have been prepared at some time in the period flanked by these two synods. Munier suggested that the text was compiled by Gennadius of Marseille, in ca 475 (Munier 1960). The version of the text from the Collectio Hispana was the one most widely used in the Middle Ages.
The titles of the canons are taken from the Codex Parisiensis Lat. 3846, fol. 136. Numbers in brackets in Latin numerals indicate the position of the canon in the Collectio Hispana.
Edition:
Ch. Munier ed., Concilia Galliae a. 314-a. 506, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 148, Turnhoult 1963.
Bibliography:
Ch. Munier, Les Statuta ecclesiae antiqua, Paris 1960.
Categories:
Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
Ritual activity - Eucharist
Public law - Ecclesiastical
Relation with - Deacon
Theoretical considerations - On church hierarchy
Please quote this record referring to
its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
J. Szafranowski, Presbyters
in the Late Antique West, ER1203, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1203
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can view our cookie policy here.
