The Presbyters Project

Canon 2

Vt fundatores ecclesiarum, quousque aduixerint, earum habeant curam, ipsique illic ministros eligant seruituros.

Cum saepe sit solitum etiam illa quae non debentur, prece supplicationis et ui quodammodo extorqueri doloris, quanto iam sine obstaculo concedi debent exquisita simul et ordine iuris et dolore compassionis! Quia ergo fieri plerumque cognoscitur ut ecclesiae parocciales uel sacra monasteria ita quorumdam episcoporum uel insolentia uel incuria horrendam decidant in ruinam, ut grauior ex hoc oriatur aedificantibus maeror quam in construendo gaudii exstiterat labor, adeo pia compassione decernimus, ut quandiu earumdem fundatores ecclesiarum in hac vita supperstes exstiterint pro eisdem locis curam permittantur habere sollicitam et sollicitudinem ferre praecipuam, atque rectores idoneos in eisdem basilicis idem ipsi offerant episcopis ordinandos. Quod si tales forsan non inueniantur ab eis, tunc quos episcopus loci probauerit Deo placitos sacris cultibus instituat cum eorum coniuentia seruituros. Quod si spretis eisdem fundatoribus rectores ibidem praesumpserit episcopus ordinare, et ordinationem suam irritam nouerit esse et ad uerecundiam sui alios in eorum loco, quos idem ipsi fundatores condignos elegerint, ordinari.

(eds. Martínez Díez, Rodríguez 1992: 494-495)

Canon 2

That the founders of the churches, wherever they live, shall supervise them and choose ministers to serve there

It often happens that people forcefully take things to which they are not entitled, by means of pleas and supplications or by means of inducing pity for suffering; how much more fitting it is, then, that demands made in accordance with the law and compassion should be satisfied without hindrance! As it is known that so many parish churches and holy monasteries go to rack and ruin because of the arrogance or neglect of some bishops, that it creates as much grief for the constructors as they had joyful effort while building, we decree with pious compassion that, as long as they live, the founders of churches are allowed to take care for their foundations, and constantly control them, and they shall propose appropriate persons to be ordained for those basilicas by the bishop. If they per chance do not find such persons, then the bishop of the place will appoint to serve in the sacred cult those whom he approved as pleasing to God with consent of the founders. Should the bishop having disregarded [the will of] the founders dare to ordain a head for their church, he shall know that his ordination will be invalid, and to his own shame, he will ordain for this place persons indicated by the founders.

(trans. M. Szada)

Discussion:

The canon decrees that the "ordinations" of a bishop who did not consult with the founder are invalid. But it is not clear whether it means that the ordained person does not become a deacon or a presbyter, or whether only his appointment to a given church is invalid.

Place of event:

Region

Iberian Peninsula

City

Toledo

About the source:

Title: Ninth Council of Toledo, Concilium Toletanum nonum a. 655, Concilium VIIII Toletanum, Concilium Toletanum VIIII, Concilium IX Toletanum, Conciliu Toletanum IX
Origin: Toledo (Iberian Peninsula)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The Ninth Council of Toledo assembled in November 655 during the reign of King Reccesvinth (653-672). It was presided over by Eugenius II of Toledo. It was attended by fifteen other bishops, abbots, representatives of absent bishops, and lay palatine office-holders (comites), similarly to the previous council in AD 653, but then the representation of ecclesiastics and laymen were significantly more numerous (see discussion in [650]).

Edition:

G. Martínez Díez, F. Rodríguez eds., La colección canónica Hispana, Monumenta Hispaniae sacra. Serie canónica 5, Madrid 1992.

Bibliography:

R. Collins, Visigothic Spain, 409-711, Oxford 2004.

J. Orlandis, D. Ramos-Lissón, Die Synoden auf der Iberischen Halbinsel bis zum Einbruch des Islam (711), Paderborn 1981.

Categories:

Functions within the Church - Parish presbyter

Functions within the Church - Rural presbyter

Monastic or common life - Cenobitic monk

Public law - Ecclesiastical

Patronage/Investiture

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

Described by a title - Minister/λειτουργός/ὑπηρέτης

Shortage of clergy

Reasons for ordination - Patronage

Impediments or requisits for the office - Improper ordination

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER706, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=706