The Presbyters Project

Canon 11

De elucidatione antiqui canonis quo praecipitur ut, si quis acceptam a sacerdote eucharistiam non sumpserit, uelut sacrilegus propellatur.

Cum nihil in diuino canone debeat esse confusum, nihil dubium, nihil etiam indiscretum, in collatione nostri coetus relatus est canon Toletani concilii primi in quo praeceptum est ut "si quis acceptam a sacerdote eucharistiam non sumpserit, uelut sacrilegus propellatur"; nec adiecta est ibi decretio uoluntatum, cum et fidelis fidenter accipiat quod naturalis illum necessitas degluttire non sinat. Solet enim humanae naturae infirmitas in ipso mortis exitu praegrauata tanto siccitatis ponere deprimi, ut nullis ciborum illationibus refici sed uix tantundem illati delectetur poculi gratia sustentari. Quod etiam in multorum exitu uidimus qui optatum suis uotis suae communionis expetentes uiaticum collatam sibi a sacerdote eucharistiam reiecerunt, non quod infidelitate hoc agerent, sed quod praeter Dominici calicis haustum traditam sibi non possent eucharistiam degluttire. Non ergo huiusmodi a corpore ecclesiae separandi sunt qui talia non infidelitate sed necessitate fecerunt, praesertim ii de quibus nihil fidei sinistrae sentitur.

Placuit ergo definire quod nec fideli officiat nec infideli multum existat. Quicumque ergo fidelis ineuitabili qualibet infirmitate coactus eucharistiam perceptam reiecerit, in nullo ecclesiasticae dominationi subiaceat. Similiter nec illos cuiusquam punitionis censura redarguet qui talia aut tempore infantiae faciunt aut in qualibet mentis alienatione positi quid fecerint, ignorare uidentur. Iam uero quicumque aut de fidelium aut de infidelium numero corpus Domini absque ineuitabili ut dictum est, infirmitate proiecerit, si fidelis est perpetua communione priuetur; si infidelis, et uerberibus subdatur, et perpetuo exilio religetur. Quod si horum quislibethuiusmodi excessus digna paenitentiae satisfactione defleuerit, post quinquennium licitum erit illum communioni pristinae reformare.

(eds. Martínez Díez, Rodríguez 2002: 118-120)

Canon 11

On the elucidation of the ancient canon that orders that if someone who does not eat the Eucharist received from a priest shall be expelled as a profaner.

Because in the divine canon nothing shall be confused, dubious or unclear, on the session of our gathering, the canon of the First Council of Toledo has been read in which it is ordered that: "if anyone does not eat the Eucharist received from a priest, he shall be expelled as a profaner"; no distinction of will is there added, although a faithful may piously receive what he by natural necessity cannot swallow. It frequently happens that the infirmity of human nature in the very moment of death oppress with such dryness that those asking for a viaticum spit out the Eucharist from the priest, not because they act motivated by infidelity, but because thay cannot swallow the Eucharist given to them, they can only take a mouthful of the chalice of the Lord. Those who do it not because of infidelity but because of necessity shall not be separated from the body of the Church, especially those about whose faith nothing sinister is known.

It pleased us then to decide that a faithful shall not be hurt nor an infidel remain without a punishment. Therefore, any faithful forced by an inevitable sickness who has rejected a received Eucharist, shall not be subjected to any ecclesiastical punishment. Similarly, punishment shall not apply to those who seem to ignore such things in the time of infancy or in any state of mindlessness. But if anyone of the faithful or from the infidels spits up the body of Christ without an inevitable infirmity, as it has been said, if he or she is a faithful, he or she shall be perpetually deprived of communion. If an infidel, he or she shall be subjected to flogging and perpetual exile. If one guilty of such an offence has deplored [his guilt], doing a satisfactory penance, after five years he is allowed to come back to the former communion.

(trans. M. Szada)

Discussion:

Canon 11 explains and comments on Canon 14 of the First Council of Toledo (see [111]).

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 - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς

Ritual activity - Eucharist

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER874, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=874