A Source Book for Mediæval History: Selected Documents illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle AgeThatcher, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
History
A Source Book for Mediæval History: Selected Documents illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age
Thatcher, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
Europe -- History -- 476-1492 -- Sources; Middle Ages -- Sources
If there are any priests, deacons, or subdeacons who are married, by the
power of omnipotent God and the authority of St. Peter we forbid them to
enter a church until they repent and mend their ways. But if any remain
with their wives, no one shall dare hear them [when they officiate in
the church], because their benediction is turned into a curse, and their
prayer into a sin. For the Lord says through the prophet, "I will curse
your blessings" [Mal. 2:2]. Whoever shall refuse to obey this most
salutary command shall be guilty of the sin of idolatry. For Samuel
says: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as
iniquity and idolatry" [1 Sam. 15:23]. Whoever therefore asserts that he
is a Christian but refuses to obey the apostolic see, is guilty of
paganism.
63. Action of the Ninth General Council in the Lateran Against the
Marriage of the Clergy, 1123 A.D.
Densinger, p. 106; Hefele, V, p. 194.
We forbid priests, deacons, and subdeacons to live with wives or
concubines, and no woman shall live with a clergyman except those who
are permitted by the council of Nicæa, viz.: mother, sister, aunt, or
others of such sort that no suspicion may justly arise concerning them.
64. Prohibition of Lay Investiture, November 19, 1078.
Jaffé, II, p. 332; Doeberl, III, no. 5 a.
Since we know that investitures have been made by laymen in many places,
contrary to the decrees of the holy fathers, and that very many
disturbances injurious to the Christian religion have thereby arisen in
the church, we therefore decree: that no clergyman shall receive
investiture of a bishopric, monastery, or church from the hand of the
emperor, or the king, or any lay person, man or woman. And if anyone has
ventured to receive such investiture, let him know that it is annulled
by apostolic authority, and that he is subject to excommunication until
he has made due reparation.
65. Dictatus Papæ, _ca._ 1090.
Jaffé, II, p. 174; Doeberl, III, no 6.
Until recently the _Dictatus Papæ_ was supposed to have been written by
Gregory VII, but it is now known to have had a different origin. In 1087
cardinal Deusdedit published a collection of the laws of the church,
which he drew from many sources, such as the actions of councils and the
writings of the popes. The _Dictatus_ agrees so clearly and closely with
this collection, that it must have been based on it; and so must be
later than the date of its compilation, 1087. It seems evident that some
one, while reading the collection of Deusdedit, wishing to formulate the
papal rights and prerogatives, expressed them in these twenty-seven
theses. Although they were not formulated by Gregory himself, there is
no doubt that they express his chief principles.
1. That the Roman church was established by God alone.
2. That the Roman pontiff alone is rightly called universal.
3. That he alone has the power to depose and reinstate bishops.
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