Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 145
Canon 7 of the Council of Tarragona (Iberian Peninsula) in AD 516 sets the rules of pastoral care exercised by the presbyters and deacons in the diocesan churches.
Canon 7
 
Vt diocesani clerici septimanas teneant et die sabbati omnes in unum conueniant.
 
De diocesanis ecclesiis uel clero id placuit definiri, ut presbyteri uel diaconi qui inibi constituti sunt, cum clericis septimanas obseruent, id est ut presbyter unam faciat hebdomadam, qua expleta succedat ei diaconus similiter, ea scilicet condicione seruata, ut omnis clerus die sabbati ad uespera sit paratus, quo facilius die Dominico sollemnitas cum omnium praesentia celebratur; ita tamen ut omnibus diebus uespera et matutinas celebrentur, quia desistente clero, quod est pessimum, comperimus in basilicis nec luminaria ministrari. Si quis sane neglegentiae uitio haec implere noluerint, nouerint se secundum statuta canonum pro modo personarum canonicae disciplinae subdendos.
 
(ed. Martínez Díez, Rodríguez 1984: 275-276)
 
Canon 7
 
That the diocesan clerics shall hold weekly prayers and gather all together on Saturday
 
It is decided regarding the dioecesan churches and their clergy that the presbyters and deacons who are appointed there shall observe the weekly ministry (septimanas) with the clergy, in the following order: the presbyter serves for one week, and after that the deacon takes his place. But all the clergy must be prepared for vespers on Saturday, so as to be more certain that they are all present at the Sunday celebration. Vespers and lauds shall be celebrated every day, because we have learnt that in some churches even the lights are not provided because of the absence of a cleric (which is the worst). If someone fails to fulfil this out of negligence, let him know that according to the decrees of the canons he will be submitted to the canonical discipline depending on his personal status.
 
(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region
  • Iberian Peninsula
City
  • Tarragona

About the source:

Title: Council of Tarragona, Concilium Tarraconense
Origin: Tarragona (Iberian Peninsula)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
In AD 516 the provincial council was held in Tarragona which at the time was ruled by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric (he acted as a guardian for the king of Spain Amalaric). The anomalous presence of two bishops is worth noting - Hector of Cartagena and Orontius of Grenada. Their episcopal sees were outside the province of Tarragona.
Edition:
Edition:
G. Martínez Díez, F. Rodríguez, eds., La colección canónica Hispana, v. 4 Concilios Galos. Concilios Hispanos: primera parte, Madrid 1984.
J. Vives, Concilios visigóticos e hispano-romanos, Barcelona-Madrid 1963.

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
    Described by a title - Clericus
      Ritual activity - Eucharist
        Ritual activity - Divine office/Liturgy of the hours
          Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical
            Shortage of clergy
              Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER145, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=145