Dist. 25, Art. 2, Q. 4
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 25
Quaestio IV. Utrum ad susceptionem ordinis sit necessaria conditio libertatis.
Quarto et ultimo quaeritur, utrum ad susceptionem ordinis sit necessaria conditio libertatis. Et quod sic, videtur.
1. Distinctione quinquagesima quarta3: «Nullus episcoporum ad clericatum servum alterius promovere praesumat».
2. Item, in eadem decretali, capitulo secundo: «Nulli de servili conditione ad sacros ordines promoveantur, nisi a dominis suis prius legitimam libertatem consequantur».
3. Item, si servus intret religionem, redditur domino suo et non potest ingredi, nisi efficiatur liber: ergo pari ratione, nisi efficiatur liber, non poterit ad sacros ordines promoveri4.
4. Item, nemo potest duobus dominis servire, sicut ipse Salvator testatus est5: ergo cum officium clericale totum hominem sibi requirat dedicari, nullus ad hoc poterit promoveri, qui sit in alterius potestate.
Contra: 1. Servus sapiens dominabitur stultis filiis, dicitur Proverbiorum decimo septimo6: ergo videtur, quod ubi est sapientia et vitae bonitas, quod nihil ex parte servitutis obsistat.
2. Item, ordo dicit potestatem spiritualem, servitus dicit subiectionem corporalem; sed subiectio corporalis non habet repugnantiam cum eo quod spirituale est: ergo etc.
3. Item, Deus non est acceptor personae7: ergo tantum placet ei obsequium servi, sicut obsequium domini: ergo sicut possunt ad divinum cultum et clericatum assumi domini, ita etiam possunt servi.
4. Item, alia Sacramenta ita libere possunt accipere servi, ut domini, et ad ea ita communiter admittuntur: ergo pari ratione videtur, quod ad ordinem.
Iuxta hoc quaeritur, si servus sit ordinatus, ignorante domino, utrum sit ei restituendus. Item, si restituitur, quare non res aliae consecratae; et iterum, quanto tempore possit repetere.
Conclusio. Servus propter Sacramenti honestatem ordinari non debet.
Respondeo: Ad praedictorum intelligentiam notandum est, quod Sacramentum ordinis non solum abundat ab aliis secundum rationem signi, propter hoc quod non tantum Sacramentum, sed etiam suscipiens Sacramentum tenet rationem signi8; immo etiam abundat secundum rationem remedii: quia non solum ibi gratia ad curandum subiectum ordinatur, sed etiam datur gratia, quae ordinat ad curandum alios; unde collocat hominem non tantum in statu sanitatis, immo etiam in gradu honestatis et dignitatis: et ideo ad hoc Sacramentum requiritur non persona quaelibet, sed persona honesta, cui honor et dignitas competat clericalis. Et quoniam honestas multa9 respicit exteriora; ideo non solum propter defectum vitae efficitur quis inhabilis ad hoc Sacramentum suscipiendum, sed etiam propter defectum multorum aliorum.
Ad hoc enim, quod persona sit honesta, oportet, quod in ea concurrat honestas a parte originis, nominis, corporis, actionis, conditionis et conversationis. Propter defectum a parte originis ineptus est filius sacerdotis spurius, vel etiam quilibet illegitimus, Deuteronomii vigesimo tertio10. — A parte nominis sive famae inepti sunt infames et publice poenitentes, distinctione quinquagesima11, Ex poenitentibus. — Propter defectum a parte corporis, p. 656 corpore vitiati et daemoniaci et epileptici, distinctione trigesima tertia, Communiter definimus. — Propter defectum a parte actionis, ut quando incidit in peccatum enorme, sive factum, ut homicidium, distinctione quinquagesima fere per totum1b; et hoc est propter magnum horrorem, qui est in sanguinis effusione, sive iuste fiat, sive iniuste; vel propter hoc, quod dividit unitatem animae et corporis. — Propter defectum conditionis, ut servus, distinctione quinquagesima quarta. — Propter defectum conversationis, ut curiales, distinctione quinquagesima prima. — In omnibus autem tradunt distinctiones sive exceptiones; sed illae spectant ad scientiam inferiorem. Haec tantum in generali dixisse sufficiat, quod quia Sacramentum ordinis non tantum personae meritum, sed honestatem considerat, quia clericus est persona communis, et ordo ponit in gradu dignitatis; debent excludi illi, in quibus Sacramentum et alia per consequens possint dehonestari. Quoniam servus, quamdiu in tali statu est, est ignobilis et ad ignobilia opera potest cogi; et ideo non potest se totum mancipare, cum alii sit subiectus: ideo non potest ad sacros ordines promoveri, quantum est de Sacramenti honestate, recipit tamen ordinem.
1. 2. 3. 4. Ad illud ergo quod obiicitur, quod servitus non impedit, ad totum2b patet responsio per iam dicta.
Verumtamen quod quaerit, si servus debet reddi domino suo; respondendum, quod aut est ordinatus, domino sciente et consentiente, aut ignorante et nolente. Si sciente et consentiente, vel etiam non contradicente, generat3b sibi praeiudicium, ut amplius non possit repetere eum. Si ignorante domino et nolente; aut ignorante praesentatore et episcopo, aut altero, vel utroque sciente. Si eis ignorantibus, tunc servus tenetur se redimere, si habet pecuniam; quodsi non habet, nec Ecclesia vult eum redimere, domino suo debet reddi. Si autem sciente ordinante et praesentatore, tenentur domino in pecunia, vel in alio servo, vel in duplum: quod si non habent, dominus potest sibi resumere servum. — Aliqui tamen dicunt, quod non, si pervenerit ad sacerdotium; sed de omnibus videtur4b, quod dominus debeat servari indemnis, habet tamen ius petendi eum infra annum; et quidam dicunt, quod post ordinationem, quidam dicunt, quod post cognitionem. Et haec omnia probantur per illa iura, quae dicuntur distinctione quinquagesima quarta5b.
Sunt et alia multa, quae determinantur in iure, quae, inquam, competunt ordinandis, quae ex diversis locis Scripturae sunt tracta, et maxime primae ad Timotheum tertio6b, et haec omnia determinantur a distinctione vigesima tertia usque in finem primae partis. Et quoniam haec distinctio magis spectat ad scientiam inferiorem, ideo ad praesens ista sufficiant, ne extra metas nostrae scientiae exeamus. Verum est tamen, quod omnes huiusmodi ordinationes a sacra Scriptura habent ortum7b, et omnia ad ipsam sicut ad originem possent reduci, si quis haberet peritiam iuris canonici et divini8b.
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Question IV. Whether the condition of freedom is necessary for receiving an order.
Fourth and last it is asked whether, for receiving an order, the condition of freedom is necessary. And that it is so, seems [to be the case]:
1. In distinction fifty-four3: «Let no bishop presume to promote to the clerical state the slave of another».
2. Likewise, in the same decretal, chapter two: «Let none of servile condition be promoted to sacred orders, unless they first obtain lawful liberty from their masters».
3. Likewise, if a slave enters religion, he is restored to his master and cannot enter [it], unless he be made free: therefore by parity of reasoning, unless he be made free, he will not be able to be promoted to sacred orders4.
4. Likewise, no one can serve two masters, as the Savior himself testified5: therefore, since the clerical office requires the whole man to be dedicated to it, no one will be able to be promoted to this who is in the power of another.
On the contrary: 1. A wise servant shall rule over foolish sons, it is said in Proverbs, chapter seventeen6: therefore it seems that where there is wisdom and goodness of life, nothing on the side of servitude stands in the way.
2. Likewise, an order bespeaks spiritual power, servitude bespeaks bodily subjection; but bodily subjection has no repugnance with that which is spiritual: therefore etc.
3. Likewise, God is no respecter of persons7: therefore the service of a slave pleases him just as much as the service of a master: therefore, just as masters can be taken up for divine worship and the clerical state, so also can slaves.
4. Likewise, the other Sacraments can be received by slaves as freely as by masters, and to them they are admitted just as commonly: therefore by parity of reasoning it seems [the same holds] as regards an order.
Alongside this it is asked, if a slave has been ordained, the master being unaware, whether he must be restored to him. Likewise, if he is restored, why not other consecrated things; and again, for how long a time [the master] can reclaim [him].
Conclusion. A slave, on account of the honorableness of the Sacrament, ought not to be ordained.
I respond: For the understanding of what has been said it must be noted that the Sacrament of order not only abounds beyond the others according to the character of a sign, on account of this, that not only the Sacrament, but also the one receiving the Sacrament holds the character of a sign8; indeed it also abounds according to the character of a remedy: because not only is grace there ordained for healing the subject [ordained], but grace is also given which ordains toward the healing of others; whence it places a man not only in a state of health, but even in a grade of honorableness and dignity: and therefore for this Sacrament there is required not just any person, but an honorable person, to whom clerical honor and dignity are fitting. And since honorableness regards many9 exterior things; therefore not only on account of a defect of life does one become unfit for receiving this Sacrament, but also on account of a defect of many other things.
For, that a person be honorable, it is required that there concur in him honorableness on the side of origin, of name, of body, of action, of condition, and of manner of life. On account of a defect on the side of origin, the bastard son of a priest is unfit, or also any illegitimate person, Deuteronomy twenty-three10. — On the side of name or reputation, the infamous and the publicly penitent are unfit, distinction fifty11, Ex poenitentibus. — On account of a defect on the side of body, p. 656 those impaired in body and the possessed and epileptics, distinction thirty-three, Communiter definimus. — On account of a defect on the side of action, as when one falls into an enormous sin, whether a deed, such as homicide, distinction fifty almost throughout1b; and this is on account of the great horror which is in the shedding of blood, whether it be done justly or unjustly; or on account of this, that it divides the unity of soul and body. — On account of a defect of condition, such as a slave, distinction fifty-four. — On account of a defect of manner of life, such as courtiers, distinction fifty-one. — In all [these], however, the distinctions hand down exceptions; but those pertain to the lower science. Let it suffice to have said these things only in general: that, since the Sacrament of order considers not only the merit of the person, but honorableness, because a cleric is a public person, and order places [him] in a grade of dignity; there ought to be excluded those in whom the Sacrament and other things could consequently be dishonored. Since a slave, as long as he is in such a state, is ignoble and can be compelled to ignoble works; and therefore he cannot give himself over entirely, since he is subject to another: therefore he cannot be promoted to sacred orders, so far as pertains to the honorableness of the Sacrament, yet he does receive the order.
1. 2. 3. 4. To that, then, which is objected, that servitude does not impede, as to the whole2b the answer is clear from what has already been said.
Nevertheless, as to what he asks, whether a slave ought to be restored to his master; it must be answered that either he was ordained with his master knowing and consenting, or unaware and unwilling. If [with his master] knowing and consenting, or even not contradicting, he generates3b a prejudice against himself, so that he can no longer reclaim him. If [with his master] unaware and unwilling; or with the presenter and the bishop unaware, or one, or both being aware. If they are unaware, then the slave is bound to redeem himself, if he has the money; but if he does not have it, nor does the Church wish to redeem him, he must be restored to his master. But if [it was done] with the ordainer and the presenter knowing, they are bound to the master in money, or in another slave, or in double: but if they do not have [it], the master can take back the slave for himself. — Some, however, say that [he may] not, if he has attained to the priesthood; but concerning all [cases] it seems4b that the master ought to be kept indemnified, yet he has the right of seeking him within a year; and some say that [this holds] after ordination, some say that [it holds] after [his] becoming known. And all these things are proved by those laws which are stated in distinction fifty-four5b.
There are also many other things which are determined in law, which, I say, pertain to those to be ordained, which are drawn from various places of Scripture, and especially from the first [Epistle] to Timothy, chapter three6b, and all these things are determined from distinction twenty-three to the end of the first part. And since this distinction pertains more to the lower science, therefore for the present let these things suffice, lest we go beyond the bounds of our science. It is true, however, that all ordinations of this kind have their origin from sacred Scripture7b, and all could be reduced to it as to their origin, if one had expertise in canon and divine law8b.
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- 3Can. 1. Pro ad clericatum textus originalis ad clericatus officium, cod. L ad ordinis clericatum.Canon 1. For ad clericatum the original text [reads] ad clericatus officium, cod. L ad ordinis clericatum.
- 4Cfr. C. Generalis etiam querelae (12.), d. 54. et C. Instruendi (1.), seq., X. de Servis non ordinandis etc. (lib. 1. tit. 18.).Cf. the Canon Generalis etiam querelae (12), d. 54, and the Canon Instruendi (1), and following, Decretals, on Slaves not to be ordained, etc. (bk. 1, tit. 18).
- 5Matth. 6, 24.Matthew 6, 24.
- 6Vers. 2. — Pro obsistat codd. E Z obstat.Verse 2. — For obsistat codd. E Z [have] obstat.
- 7Act. 10, 34. Vulgata personarum.Acts 10, 34. The Vulgate [reads] personarum.
- 8Cfr. quaest. praeced. in corp.Cf. the preceding question, in the body [of the response].
- 9Vat. multum.The Vatican [edition reads] multum.
- 10Vers. 2: Non ingredietur mamzer, hoc est de scorto natus, in ecclesiam Domini usque ad decimam generationem. Cfr. Gratian., d. 56. et X. de Filiis presbyterorum etc. (lib. 1. tit. 17.).Verse 2: A mamzer, that is, one born of a harlot, shall not enter into the church of the Lord even to the tenth generation. Cf. Gratian, d. 56, and Decretals, on the Sons of presbyters, etc. (bk. 1, tit. 17).
- 11Can. 55. — Seq. can. Communiter definimus est c. 3.Canon 55. — The following canon, Communiter definimus, is c. 3.
- 1bPraecipue c. 4-8.Especially cc. 4-8.
- 2bPro ad totum edd. et ad omnia sequentia.For ad totum the editions [read] et ad omnia sequentia.
- 3bCodd. F L O bb generatur.Codd. F L O bb [read] generatur.
- 4bCod. K ab omnibus tenetur, edd. sed omnibus videtur.Cod. K [reads] ab omnibus tenetur, the editions sed omnibus videtur.
- 5bCan. Si servus, absente (19.), seq. — Codd. E F L aa omittunt iura.The Canon Si servus, absente (19), and following. — Codd. E F L aa omit iura.
- 6bVers. 2. seqq. — Gratian., d. 23. data differentia diversorum officiorum ecclesiasticorum, d. 24. pro explicatione I. Tim. 5, 22: Manus cito nemini imposueris etc., varia decreta affert; idem facit in seqq. dist. usque ad finem I. partis circa locum I. Tim. 3, 2. seqq.: Oportet episcopum irreprehensibilem esse etc.Verse 2 ff. — Gratian, d. 23, the difference of the various ecclesiastical offices having been given, at d. 24, for the explanation of 1 Tim. 5, 22: Lay hands hastily on no one, etc., adduces various decrees; he does the same in the following distinctions down to the end of the first part, regarding the passage 1 Tim. 3, 2 ff.: A bishop must be blameless, etc.
- 7bIn edd. desideratur haec propositio Verum... ortum. Pro ordinationes cod. M quaestiones, cod. O rationes.In the editions this proposition, Verum... ortum, is wanting. For ordinationes cod. M [reads] quaestiones, cod. O rationes.
- 8bVide scholion ad 1. huius articuli quaest.See the scholion to question 1 of this article. ---