The Presbyters Project

Canon 6

Item decernimus, ut nullus presbiterorum confertus cibo aut crapulatus uino sacrificia contrectare aut missas pribatis festisque diebus praesumat concelebrare; iniustum est enim, ut spiritali alimento corporale praeponatur. Sed si quis hoc adtemptare curauerit, dignitatem amittat honoris. Iam enim de tali causa et in conciliis Africanis definitum est, quam definitionem quoque dignum duximus sotiare; cetera et ad locum: Sacramenta excepta quinta feria pasche non nisi a ieiunis concelebrentur. Quaecumque reliquiae sacrificiorum post peractam missa in sacrario supersederint, quarta uel sexta feria innocentes ab illo, cuius interest, ad ecclesiam adducantur et indictum eis ieiunio easdem reliquias conspersas uino accipiant.

(ed. de Clercq 1963: 241-242)

Canon 6

We also decree that no presbyter overstuffed with food or drunk with wine should dare to touch the offerings or celebrate Mass on ordinary (pribatis) or festive days. For it is unjust to let the spiritual combine with the corporal nourishment. If someone attempts to do it, he will lose his honourable rank. [Some laws] concerning such cases have already been decreed at African councils, which we now deem worthy to add to our own; among others in this place: "The sacraments may be celebrated only by men who have been fasting, except for the fifth day [i.e. Thursday] of Easter". Whatever remains of the offerings [left] after the Mass should be placed in the sacrarium. On the fourth or sixth day [of Easter], the innocents [i.e. children] can be brought to the church by their guardians, and, after prescribing the fast, they should receive the same remains [of the offerings] sprinkled with wine.

(trans. J. Szafranowski)

Discussion:

The synodal fathers refer to canon 28 of the Council of Hippo (North Africa, 393 AD), preserved in the "Breviarium Hipponense" (397), see [220].

Place of event:

Region

Gaul

City

Mâcon

About the source:

Title: Second Council of Mâcon, Concilium Matisconense II anno 585
Origin: Mâcon (Gaul)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The Second Council of Mâcon was called by King Guntram and gathered bishops from his realm, as well as those of Chlotar II of whom Guntram was a guardian. Therefore, in the proceedings presided over by Priscus, metropolitan bishop of Lyon, there took part the metropolitans of Vienne, Rouen, Bordeaux, Sens, Bourges, and Arles through his representative. Also participating were forty eight other bishops, including three without a see (among them Primatus, see [1528]), as well as eleven clerics of unknown names and ranks who represented their absent bishops. From the ambiguous account of Gregory of Tours (Histories, 8.7), we might presume that this synod was held on the 23rd of October.

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

Ritual activity - Eucharist

Ritual activity - Private mass

Public law - Ecclesiastical

Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical

Administration of justice - Demotion

Devotion - Fasting

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1547, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1547