Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 1473
Canon 25 of the Second Council of Tours (Gaul, AD 567) tells what the presbyters should do when someone invades and seizes the ecclesiastical property.
Canon 25
 
Illud quoque, quamquam priorum canonum sit auctoritate prefixum, quod, dum inter se saeuiunt domni nostri ac malorum hominum stimulo concitantur et alter alterius res rapida cupiditate peruadit, non ista caduca actionem, qua inter sese agunt, ecclesiastica rura contingere aut contaminare praesumant, inuiolabiliter obseruandum censemus: ut, quicumque tam ecclesiae quam episcopi res proprias, quae et ipse ecclesie esse noscuntur, quas pontifex actoribus ecclesiae dinoscitur assignasse, uel abbatum aut monasteriorum siue presbyterorum quaqua temeritatem peruadere, competere uel confiscare praesumpserit, tunc, reseruato correctionis hoc loco adhuc, presbitero eiusdem ecclesiae, cuius interest, peruasorem conuenit admonere et, si restitutionem distulerit, adhuc quasi filios ab omnibus fratribus ad reddendum missis epistulis compellatur. Qui si pertinaciter in peruasione persteterit et se tollere post tertiam communicionem de reicola aut ecclesiae aut propria noluerit, conueniant omnis omnino una coniuentia simul cum nostris abbatibus ac presbyteris uel clero, qui stipendiis ex ipso alimento pascuntur, et, quia arma nobis non sunt altera, auxiliante Christo circumsepto clericali choro necaturi pauperum, qui res peruadit ecclesiae, psalmos cvin dicatur, ut ueniat super eum illa maledictio, quae super Iudam uenit, qui, dum loculos faceret, subtrahebat pauperum alimenta; ut non solum excommunis, sed etiam anathema moriatur et coelesti gladio feriatur, qui in dispectu Dei et ecclesiae et pontificum in hac peruersionem praesumit assurgere. Illud etiam annecti placuit, ut, qui de fratribus ad dandum solatium uenire pro certa infirmitatis necessitate non potuerit, abbates et presbyteros in uice sua transmittat. Qui si preter certam infirmitatis excusationem commonitus aut uenire aut transmitiere noluerit, remotum se a fratrum caritate esse cognuscat. Nam, quod quidem non credimus, si quis contra decreta nostra tali temeratori communicare praesumpserit, in se causam excommunicationis transformet et cum eodem se a caritate omnium sacerdotum cognoscat esse remotum.
 
(ed. de Clercq 1963: 192–193)
Canon 25
 
We also decree that this should be rigidly observed, although it has been already ordered by the authority of previous canons, that while our lords feel great rage at one another and are incited by bad people and invade the property of each other [ignited] by abrupt desire, they should not dare to seize or contaminate ecclesiastical farms through those violent actions which they take against each other. Hence, if anyone dares to invade, claim, or confiscate with such audacity the property of either the church or the bishop (which should also be considered as belonging to the same church as the pontiff assigned them to those who administer this church), or the abbots, monasteries or presbyters, then it is appropriate for the presbyter of the church concerned to adminish the invader, giving him one last chance to amend. And if he refuses to reinstate, all the brothers should write to him as to a son [admonishing him] to return [what he has taken]. If he persists stubbornly in this invasion and, even after the third admonition, refuses to remove himself from the property (reicula) belonging either to the church or to the members of clergy (propria), all should gather together unanimously with our abbots and presbyters or clerics for whom those [properties] are the source of livelihood in the form of stipends. And, as there are no other weapons at our disposal apart from Christ's assistance, the psalm CVIII should be recited by the choir of clerics surrounding the murderer of the poor, the same who invaded church property, so that the same malediction will fall on him that befell Judas who took alms for the poor when accepting the sack of gold. One who dares to elevate himself by this kind of invasion [held] in contempt by God, Church, and pontiffs should be killed not only by excommunication, but also by the anathema, and struck by the heavenly sword. This also is worthy adding that the one of the brothers [i.e. bishops] who is unable to come in order to give compensation [for his actions] due to the undeniable infirmity should send abbots and presbyters in his place. He who is unwilling to come or send someone, unless excused by the undeniable infirmity, should learn that he will be removed from the love of brothers [i.e. other bishops]. If anyone, although it is hard to believe, dares to admit such a violator to communion against our decrees, he will transfer the excommunication upon himself, and should learn that he will be removed from the love of all priests.
 
(trans. J. Szafranowski)

Place of event:

Region
  • Gaul
City
  • Tours

About the source:

Title: The Second Council of Tours, Concilium Turonense II anno 567
Origin: Tours (Gaul)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
This council, the second one held in the city of Tours, gathered under the auspices of Charibert I on 18 November 567, in the last year of his reign. The list of subscribers for that synod is quite short as it holds only eight signatures. Suprisingly, it lacks even the bishop of Tours himself, Eufronius, or any bishop from his metropolitan province. Most probably, the original list was substantially longer.
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:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
    Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς
      Described by a title - Abba
        Ecclesiastical administration - Administering Church property
          Ecclesiastical administration - Ecclesiastical envoy
            Public law - Ecclesiastical
              Economic status and activity - Ownership or possession of land
                Relation with - Noble
                  Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical
                    Administration of justice - Excommunication/Anathema
                      Private law - Ecclesiastical
                        Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1473, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1473