The Presbyters Project

Canon 8

Ne quicquam praemii pro diuinis sacramentis accipiatur.

Quicquid inuisibilis gratiae collatione tribuitur, nummorum quaestu uel quibuslibet praemiis uenumdari penitus non debetur, dicente Domino (Matt 10:8): "Quod gratis accipistis, gratis date". Et ideo quicumque deinceps in ecclesiastico ordine constitutus aut pro baptizandis consignandisque fidelibus aut pro collatione crismae uel promotionibus graduum pretia quaelibet uel praemia uoluntarie oblata pro huiusmodi ambitione susceperit, equidem si sciente loci episcopo tale quicquam a subditis perpetratur, idem episcopus duobus mensibus excommunicatione subiaceat pro eo quia et scita mala contexit et correptionem necessariam non adhibuit. Sin autem suorum quispiam eodem nesciente quodcumque pro supradictis capitulis accipiendum sibi esse crediderit, si presbyter est, trium mensuum excommunicatione plectatur; si diaconus, quattuor; subdiaconus uero uel clericus his cupiditatibus seruiens et competenti uerbere et debita excommunicatione plectendus est.

(eds. Martínez Díez, Rodríguez 2002: 113-114)

Canon 8

That no one shall receive payments for the divine sacraments.

Whatever gift, no matter how small, of invisible grace was given, it shall absolutely not be sold for any gain of money or any other remuneration, because the Lord said [Matt 10:8]: "freely you have received, freely give". And therefore from now on whoever is established in the ecclesiastical order and receives a payment for baptizing or anointing the faithful, for the confection of chrism, or for the promotion in grade, or he receives some voluntarily offered remuneration for similar aspiration, if it was committed by the subjects with the knowledge of a bishop of the place, this bishop shall incur two months of excommunication because he covered wrongdoings known to him or did not express a necessary reproof. But if anyone of his subjects thinks that he shall receive anything in the above-mentioned cases without the knowledge of the bishop, if he is a presbyter, he shall be punished with three months of excommunication, if a deacon, with four, if a subdeacon or a cleric complied to such desires, he shall be properly whipped and duly excommunicated.

(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region

Iberian Peninsula

City

Toledo

About the source:

Title: Concilium Toletanum XI a. 675, Concilium XI Toletanum a. 675, Eleventh Council of Toledo in 675 AD
Origin: Toledo (Iberian Peninsula)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The Eleventh Council of Toledo in AD 675 was the first council convened in the capital since AD 656. However, in contrast to the previous Toletan councils (apart from the one held in AD 597), it was not a plenary gathering of the bishops from all the Spanish provinces (on the discontinuation of the plenary councils see Collins 2004: 99-100), but only a provincial council of the Carthaginensis. It was gathered by King Wamba (AD 672-680). Present were seventeen bishops, six abbots and three representatives of absent bishops.

Edition:

G. Martínez Díez, F. Rodríguez eds., La colección canónica Hispana, Monumenta Hispaniae sacra. Serie canónica 6, Madrid 2002.

Bibliography:

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

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Simony/Buying office

Ritual activity - Baptism and instructing catechumens

Ritual activity - Anointment

Ritual activity - Blessing of oil

Public law - Ecclesiastical

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical

Administration of justice - Excommunication/Anathema

Livelihood/income

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER866, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=866