The Presbyters Project

[Titulum secundum cod. A] XXIII [sic!]. De presbyteris et reliquis clericis qui rem ecclesiae possedent.

[Titulum secundum cod. R] XXII. Nullus clericus si rem ecclesiae beneficio habuerit alienare praesumat uel si de propria facultatem ecclesiam in toto recepit extraneum.

[Titulum secundum coll. Hispanam] XXII. Vt non liceat presbytero uel clerico rem ecclesiae uendere uel donare.

Et licet superfluum sit de re nota et antiquis canonibus prohibita iterato aliquid definire, tamen quo facilius cupiditas aut improbitas reprimatur, id statuimus quod omnes canones iubent, ut ciuitatenses siue diocesani presbyteri uel clerici rem ecclesiae, saluo iure ecclesiae, sicut permiserit episcopus, teneant; uendere aut donare penitus non praesumant. Quod si fecerint uel fecerunt, et facta uenditio non ualebit, et de facultatibus, si quas habent proprias, indemnem ecclesiam reddant et communione priuentur.

(ed. Munier 1963: 203, 221, 222, 224)

[Title according to cod. A] XXIII [sic!]. On the presbyters and other clerics who are in possession of Church property.

[Title according to cod. R] XXII. No cleric should dare to alienate Church property if he is in possession of a benefice or if he accepted from someone else some means designated for the maintenance of a church.

[Title according to the Hispana collection] XXII. That it is forbidden for a presbyter or a cleric to sell or donate Church property.

It should be superfluous to add something to matter both well-known and prohibited by ancient canons. However, to restrain desire and wickedness, we decree, what all canons command, namely that urban (ciuitatenses) or parish (diocesani) presbyters or clerics who hold Church property according to ecclesiastical law with the permission of their bishop should by no means dare to sell it or give it away. If that is the case, and they want to or have done so already, the transaction will be deemed invalid, they should compensate the church for its losses from their own property (if they have any), and they will be banned from communion.

(trans. J. Szafranowski)

Place of event:

Region

Gaul

City

Agde

About the source:

Title: Council of Agde, Concilium Agathense anno 506
Origin: Agde (Gaul)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The Council of Agde was held in September of 506 under the auspices of Cesarius, bishop of Arles, and with the permission of the Visigothic King Alaric. The first 47 canons are considered genuine, since only those are present in the oldest codices. The rest, present in some manuscripts, must have been taken from the other council acts, especially those of the Council of Epaone in 517. This council was attended by 24 bishops, and 8 presbyters and 2 deacons, who represented their bishops. More on the council, see Klingshirn 1994, 97-104.

Edition:

Ch. Munier ed., Concilia Galliae a. 314-a. 506, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 148, Turnhoult 1963.

Bibliography:

W.E. Klingshirn, Caesarius of Arles: the making of a Christian community in late antique Gaul, Cambridge 1994.

Categories:

Functions within the Church - Parish presbyter

Functions within the Church - Rural presbyter

Functions within the Church - Urban presbyter

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Described by a title - Clericus

Ecclesiastical administration - Administering Church property

Economic status and activity - Buying & selling

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical

Administration of justice - Excommunication/Anathema

Livelihood/income

Administration of justice - Financial punishment

Private law - Ecclesiastical

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER937, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=937