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ER 1748
The clergy of Gaul of any grade will not be accepted in Rome without the letters of commendation from the bishop of Arles. Letter 1 of Pope Zosimus, "Placuit apostolicae sedi", to the bishops of Gaul, Rome, AD 417.
Letter 1
 
1. Clerics coming from Gaul should have letters of commendation from the bishop of Arles.
Quod ea gratia statuimus, quia plurimi se episcopos, presbyteros, sive ecclesiasticos simulantes, quia nullum documentum formatarum exstat per quod valeant confutari, in nomen venerationis irrepunt, et, indebitam reverentiam promerentur. Quisquis igitur, fratres charissimi, praetermissa supradicti formata, sive episcopus, sive presbyter, sive diaconus, aut deinceps inferiori gradu sit, ad nos venerit, sciat se omnino suscipi non posse. [...]
 
(ed. Coustant 1845: 645)
Letter 1
 
1. Clerics coming from Gaul should have letters of commendation from the bishop of Arles.
We decided this because many pretended to be bishops, presbyters or other churchmen, and there was no valid document which could verify it, so they introduced themselves in the name of reverence, and gained undue respect. Let it therefore be known, my dearest brothers, that if any bishop, presbyter, deacon, or anyone of an inferior grade comes to us without the letter mentioned above, he cannot be accepted in any way. [...]
(trans. S. Adamiak)

Discussion:

The same decision was repeated in Letter 10 of Zosimus to Bishop Patroclus of Arles. However, many Gallic bishops were staunchly opposed to this establishment of the bishop of Arles as an effective papal vicar.

Place of event:

Region
  • Rome
  • Gaul
City
  • Rome

About the source:

Author: Zosimus
Title: Letters, Epistulae
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
Zosimus was the bishop of Rome from AD 417 to 418.
Edition:
P. Coustant ed., S. Zosimi Papae Epistolae et Decreta, Patrologia Latina 20, Paris 1845, 642-686.
Bibliography:
G.D. Dunn, "Placuit apostolicae (Ep.1) of Zosimus of Rome and the Ecclesiastical Reorganization of Gaul”, Journal of Early Christian Studies 23 (2015), 559–581.
 

Categories:

Travel and change of residence
    Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
      Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior
        Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1748, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1748
        Record by: Stanisław Adamiak
        last edited: 2017-12-20 16:48:54
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