Canon 5

 

It is proper for us to bring to their original state all remaining affairs of the Holy Catholic faith, which we know to have deteriorated due to the passage of time, lest we become our own adversaries when we either do not correct, or, what would be even worse, pass in silence those things that we know are subject to the power of our office. Therefore, the divine laws should be observed, which were [passed] to help the priests and the ministers of churches, that all the people are to hand over as a hereditary share the tenth part of their production to the holy places. Thus, unhindered by any work, [the priests and the ministers of churches] could be free to [administer] the spiritual mysteries at the proper time. These laws were for a long time obeyed by the Christian community in their pristine form. Now, however, almost all Christians seem to have become, little by little, the transgressors of those laws, as they refuse to fulfil what has been divinely sanctioned. Hence, we have decided and decree that the ancient custom should be once again observed by the faithful, and all the people are to bring the tenth part to serve the ecclesiastical [needs], by which the priests, allocating them for the use of the poor or for the ransom of the captive, will obtain through their prayers peace and health for the people. If someone wilfully disobeys our most salutary decree, he will be forever separated from the members of the Church.

 

(trans. J. Szafranowski)