The Presbyters Project

Canon 37

Placuit etiam ut, quoniam praecedentibus conciliis statutum est ne quis Donatistarum cum honore suo recipiatur a nobis, sed in numero laicorum, propter salutem quae nulli deneganda est - tantum autem inopia clericorum ordinandorum in Africa patiuntur ecclesiae, ut quaedam loca omnino deserta sint - seruetur quidem in istis quod ante decretum est, sed exceptis his quos aut non rebaptizasse constiterit aut qui cum suis plebibus ad communionem catholicam transire uoluerint.

[...]

Sed hanc rem placuit non confirmari, priusquam inde transmarina ecclesia consulatur.

(ed. Munier 1974: 43-44)

Canon 37

The preceding councils stated that those who come to us from the Donatists should not be accepted in their dignities, but among the laymen. However, since the salvation should not be denied to anyone, and many churches in Africa suffer such scarcity of clerics eligible for ordination, that some places are totally deserted, the foresaid rules should be applied to all except those about whom it was established that they had not been rebaptizing, and for those who would like to pass to the Catholic communion with their communities. [...]

However, we are not going to confirm this decision before consulting the church overseas [i.e. Rome].

(trans. S. Adamiak)

Discussion:

The canon deals with Donatist clerics who return to the Catholic Church. Since it wants to bend the rules because of the shortage of clergy, we can assume that it concerned bishops and, perhaps especially, presbyters - I cannot imagine dramatic consequences of the lack of clergy of lower grades. Also the expression "clericorum ordinandorum" suggests the lack of suitable clerics who can be promoted.

Place of event:

Region

Latin North Africa

City

Carthage
Hippo Regius

About the source:

Title: Breuiarium Hipponense
Origin: Carthage (Latin North Africa)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The bishops of Byzacena arrived too early for the African plenary council at Carthage in AD 397. Since they had to leave the city before the actual beginning of the proceedings Aurelius of Carthage charged them with editing the decisions of the Council of Hippo of AD 393. The document drafted in this way and accepted on 13 August 397 was called the "Breviarium Hipponense", and it was included later in the Canons in causa Apiarii from AD 419, Registri Ecclesiae Carthaginensis Excerpta, Breviarium of Ferrandus and Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua.

Edition:

C. Munier ed., Concilia Africae a. 345-a. 525, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 149, Turnhoult 1974, 23-53.

Categories:

Religious grouping (other than Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian) - Donatist

Change of denomination

Former ecclesiastical career - Lower clergy

Described by a title - Clericus

Reasons for ordination - Pastoral needs of the Christian community

Further ecclesiastical career - Lay status

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER226, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=226