Letter 9

   

 

2. Even the secular offices assign the first place to those who have been examined in many grades, and not to those who have only entered the reception hall of the service. The heavenly service should be considered of much more importance, and should be tried repeatedly, as gold in the fire, so who would be so arrogant and shameless to become a commander if he had not been a recruit, but would like already to teach rather than to learn. Let him become accustomed to the camp of the Lord serving firstly as lector. Let him not consider it worthless to be an exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon, and deacon, according to the order. Only such should accede to the summit of presbyterate, so the name be adequate to the age, and the worthiness proven by the service rendered before. Hence he will have the right to expect the highest pontificate.

 

3. This has been caused by the excessive relaxation of rules by our fellow priests who look for the pomp of the great number, as if this crowd added something to their dignity. This is why such places where numerous clergy can usually be found are more popular by far; they want to enlarge the dioceses [paroeciae], or, if that cannot be achieved, to admit more people to the divine orders. This should always be strictly thought over, because everything that is great is also rare.

 

[...]

 

III,5. The intervals of accessing to the ecclesiastical orders should be observed in this way. If someone has given his name to the ecclesiastical ministry from infancy, he should remain in continuous duty as lector until he is twenty. If he entered it at a greater or even an advanced age, even if he wanted to enroll in the divine service immediately after his baptism, he should be kept among lectors or exorcists for five years, and later as an acolyte or subdeacon for four years. In this way, if he is worthy, he can proceed to the blessing of deaconate; he should remain in this order for five years, provided he conducts himself in a blameless way. Then he can be promoted to the priesthood of presbyterate, with the help of his proved services rendered before. From this place, if his life demonstrates close observation of good customs, he can hope to reach the highest pontificate. However, this law should be observed, that nobody who married twice or who has been a penitent can be admitted to these grades. This obviously also regards the defenders of the Church from among the lay, if they want to be worthy of a clerical grade.

 

(trans. S. Adamiak)