Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 1683
In the letter to Bishop Dorus of Benevento (Italy), Pope Leo the Great criticizes Dorus for giving the young presbyter Epicarius precedence in the order of the presbyters. Leo learnt about the case from the letter of the Presbyter Paulus of Benevento. Letter 19 of Pope Leo the Great "Judicium quod", written in Rome, AD 448.
Letter 19
 
Dilectissimo fratri Doro, Leo episcopus.
 
1. Iudicium, quod de te sperabamus, dolemus esse frustratum, quando ea te commisisse perspicimus quae omnem ecclesiasticae sanctionis regulam culpabili novitate foedarent: cum plenissime noveris, quanta sollicitudine per omnes Domini Ecclesias paternorum velimus canonum praecepta servari, et hanc maxime curam ad sacerdotes universarum plebium pertinere, ut sanctarum constitutionum regulae nullis corrumpantur excessibus. Unde miramur te, quem auctoritatum apostolicae sedis observantissimum esse convenerat, tam negligenter, ac potius insolenter, egisse, ut traditarum tibi legum non custos, sed transgressor existeres. Libello etenim Pauli presbyteri tui, qui in subditis habetur, cognovimus, apud te novo ambitu foedoque colludio presbyterii ordinem fuisse turbatum; ita ut unius festina et immatura provectio, quaedam eorum deiectio facta sit, quorum honorem aetas commendabat et nulla culpa minuebat. Quod si ambientis intentio, aut imperita faventium studia id quod numquam habuit consuetudo poscebant, ut incipiens emeritis et novellus praeferretur antiquis, tuae fuerat industriae atque doctrinae ut iniusta petentium desideria rationabili auctoritate cohiberes; ne quem sacerdotali propere provehebas honore, ad iniuriam eorum quibus sociabatur inciperet, minorque se fieret, dum in illo non humilitatis virtus, sed elationis vitium roboraretur. Neque enim ignorabas dixisse Dominum, quod qui se humiliat, exaltabitur; qui vero se exaltat, humiliabitur: eumdemque dixisse: Vos autem quaeritis de pusillo crescere, et de maiore minores esse. Utrumque enim inordinatum, utrumque praeposterum est; et omnis laborum fructus aufertur, omnis meritorum mensura vacuatur, si tantum quis assequitur dignitatis, quantum adulationis obtinuit; ut cupiditas eminendi non solum superbientem minuat, sed etiam conniventem. Si vero, ut asseritur, primi secundique presbyteri, circa Epicarpium sibimet praeponendum, tanta huic assentatio fuit, ut illum cum sui dedecore poscerent, honorari, nec hoc quidem illis proprio se iudicio deiicientibus tribui debuit, quod volebant: quia tam miserae voluntati dignius te fuerat obviare quam cedere. Deformis autem et ignava subiectio bene sibi consciis, et non irritam facientibus gratiam Dei, praeiudicare non potuit, ut primatus suos quocumque commercio in alterutrum transferentes, subsequentium suorum minuerent dignitatem et quia ultimum sibi anteposuerant, caeteris praeemineret.
2. Praedicti igitur presbyteri, qui indignos se honoris sui ordine sunt professi, licet privari etiam sacerdotio mererentur; tamen, ut eis pro apostolicae sedis pietate parcatur, ultimi inter omnes Ecclesiae presbyteros habeantur; et, ut iudicii sui sententiam ferant, inferiores etiam illo erunt quem propria sententia sibimet praetulere: caeteris omnibus presbyteris in eo ordine permanentibus, quem unicuique ordinationis suae tempus ascripsit. Nec quisquam praeter praedictos duos imminutae dignitatis patiatur iniuriam, sed in eorum tantummodo statum hoc recurrat opprobrium, qui novello et immature ordinato inferiores fieri delegerunt; ut illam evangelicam sententiam ad se sentiant pertinere, qua dicitur: Quo iudicio iudicaveritis, iudicabitur de vobis: et qua mensura mensi fueritis, eadem remetietur vobis. Paulus vero presbyter ordinem suum, de quo laudabili firmitate non cessit, obtineat: nec ulterius aliquid in cuiusquam praesumatur iniuriam; ita ut dilectio tua, quam non immerito tota facti huius pulsat invidia, hoc saltem remedio curare se properet, ut sine dilatione haec quae decernimus tradantur effectui; ne si iterato ad nos imploratio iusta confugerit, necesse sit severius commoveri, cum, his quae male sunt facta correctis, malimus redintegrare disciplinam quam augere vindictam. Exsecutionem vero praeceptionum nostrarum fratri et coepiscopo nostro Iulio commisisse nos noveris, ut omnia illico, quemadmodum constituimus, roborentur. Data VIII idus Martii, Posthumiano viro clarissimo consule.
 
(Patrologia Latina 54, 709-714 = Ballerini 1753: 732-736)
Letter 19
 
Leo, bishop, to Dorus his well-beloved brother.
 
1. We grieve that the judgment, which we hoped to entertain of you, has been frustrated by our ascertaining that you have done things which by their blame-worthy novelty infringe the whole system of Church discipline: although you know full well with what care we wish the provisions of the canons to be kept through all the churches of the Lord, and the priests of all the peoples to consider it their especial duty to prevent the violation of the rules of the holy constitutions by any extravagances. We are surprised, therefore, that you who ought to have been a strict observer of the injunctions of the Apostolic See have acted so carelessly, or rather so contumaciously, as to show yourself not a guardian, but a breaker of the laws handed on to you. For from the report of your presbyter, Paul, which is subjoined, we have learnt that the order of the presbyterate has been thrown into confusion with you by strange intrigues and vile collusion; in such a way that one man has been hastily and prematurely promoted, and others passed over whose advancement was recommended by their age, and who were charged with no fault. But if the eagerness of an intriguer or the ignorant zeal of his supporters demanded that which custom never allowed, viz., that a beginner should be preferred to veterans, and a mere boy to men of years, it was your duty by diligence and teaching to check the improper desires of the petitioners with all reasonable authority: lest he whom you advanced hastily to the priestly rank should enter on his office to the detriment of those with whom he associated and become demoralized by the growth within him, not of the virtue of humility, but of the vice of conceit.  For you were not unaware that the Lord had said that "the that humbleth himself shall be exalted: but he that exalteth himself shall be humbled," [Luc 14:11; 18:14] and also had said, "but ye seek from little to increase, and from the greater to be less." [cf. Matth 20:28] For both actions are out of order and out of place: and all the fruit of men's labours is lost, all the measure of their merits is rendered void, if the gaining of dignity is proportioned to the amount of flattery used: so that the eagerness to be eminent belittles not only the aspirer himself, but also him that connives at him. But if, as is asserted, the first and second presbyter were so agreeable to Epicarpius being put over their heads as to demand his being honoured to their own disgrace, that which they wished ought not to have been granted them when they were voluntarily degrading themselves: because it would have been worthier of you to oppose than to yield to such a pitiable wish. But their base and cowardly submission could not be to the prejudice of others whose consciences were good, and who had not done despite to God's grace; so that, whatever the transaction was whereby they gave up their precedence to another, they could not lower the dignity of those that came next to them, nor because they had placed the last above themselves, could he take precedence of the rest.
2. The aforesaid presbyters, therefore, who have declared themselves unworthy of their proper rank, though they even deserved to be deprived of their priesthood; yet, that we may show the gentleness of the Apostolic See in sparing them, are to be put last of all the presbyters of the Church: and that they may bear their own sentence, they shall be below him also whom they preferred to themselves by their own judgment: all the other presbyters remaining in the order which the time of his ordination assigns to each.  And let none except the two aforesaid suffer any loss of dignity, but let this disgrace attach to those only who chose to put themselves below a junior who had only lately been ordained: that they may feel that that sentence of the gospels applies to themselves when it is said: "with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, the same shall be measured unto you." [Matt 17:2; Mark 4:24; Luc 4:38] But let Paul the presbyter retain his place from which with praiseworthy firmness he did not budge: and let no further encroachments be made to any one's harm: so that you, beloved, who not undeservedly get the discredit of the whole matter, may with all speed take measures to cure it at least by putting these our injunctions into effect; lest, if a second time a just complaint be lodged with us, we be forced into stronger displeasure: for we would rather restore discipline by correcting what is done wrong, than increase the punishment. Know that we have entrusted the carrying out of our commands to our brother and fellow-bishop Julius, that all things may straightway be established, as we have ordained. Dated on the 8th day before the Ides of March, in the consulship of the illustrious Postumianus [= 8 March AD 448].
 
(trans. Ch. Lett Feltoe 1895: 31-32; slightly adapted)

Discussion:

Bishop Julius mentioned at the end of the letter should probably be identified with Bishop Julius of Puteoli, who was well known for his participation in the legacy of Pope Leo to the Second Council of Ephesus in AD 449, see [1688] and [1689]. See also PCBE, Italie, v. 1, Iulius 3.

Place of event:

Region
  • Rome
  • Italy south of Rome and Sicily
City
  • Rome
  • Benevento

About the source:

Author: Leo the Great
Title: Letters, Epistulae
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
Leo the Great was the bishop of Rome from AD 440 to his death in AD 461. We have the collection of 173 letters of Leo.
 
 
Edition:
P. and G. Ballerini eds., Sancti Leoni Magni Romani pontificis opera, vol. 1, Venice 1753
Patrologia Latina, vol. 54
 
Translation:

Categories:

Writing activity - Correspondence
Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
Impediments or requisits for the office - Age
    Specific number of presbyters from the same church
      Patronage/Investiture
        Relation with - Another presbyter
        Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior
        Reasons for ordination - Patronage
          Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1683, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1683