The Presbyters Project

Canon 15

Si quis presbyter adque diaconus, qui neque in ciuitate neque in parrochiis canonecus esse dinuscitur, sed in uillolis habitans, in oraturiis officio sancto deseruiens celebrat diuina mysteria, festiuitatis praecipuas: Domini natale, pascha, pentecosten et si quae principalis festiuitatis sunt reliquae, nullatenus alibi nisi cum episcopo suo in ciuitate teneat. Quicumque etiam sunt ciues natu maiores, pari modo in orbibus ad pontifices suos in praedictis festiuitatibus ueniant. Quod si qui inproba temeritate contimpserint, hisdem festiuitatibus, in quibus in ciuitate adesse dispiciunt, communione pellantur.

(ed. de Clercq 1963: 109)

Canon 15

A presbyter or a deacon, of whom it is difficult to establish if he belongs as a canon (canonecus) to the city or to the parish, but who lives in an estate and, serving in the oratories, celebrates divine mysteries, should participate in particular festivities: Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and other principal festivities with none other than his bishop. Also all citizens of noble birth should in the similar way come to cities to their pontiffs on the aforementioned festivities. If someone were to disregard [this degree] by wicked audacity, he will be banned from the communion during the very same festivities on which he was to come to the city.

(trans. J. Szafranowski)

Place of event:

Region

Gaul

City

Clermont

About the source:

Title: The Council of Clermont, Concilium Claremontanum seu Arvernense anno 535
Origin: Clermont (Gaul)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

This council convened on the 8th of November of 535 in Clermont under the auspices of Theudebert I, the Merovingian king of Austrasia. The council was presided over by Honoratus, the metropolitan bishop of Bourges, and gathered fourteen other bishops – those who did not attend the Second Council of Orléans two years earlier. They represented the cities of the North and the East of the Frankish realm (like Reims and Metz) and the cities recently conquered from the Burgundians in the South (such as Rodez and Javols).

Edition:

C. de Clercq ed., Concilia Galliae a. 511-a. 695, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 148 A, Turnhout 1963.

Translation:

J. Gaudemet, B. Basdevant, Les canons des conciles mérovingiens VIe-VIIe siècles, Sources chrétiennes 353, Paris 1989.

Categories:

Functions within the Church - Rural presbyter

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Ritual activity - Eucharist

Ritual activity - Celebrating feasts

Public law - Ecclesiastical

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

Relation with - Noble

Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical

Administration of justice - Excommunication/Anathema

Functions within the Church - Presbyter in a lay foundation

Described by a title - Canonicus

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1293, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1293