Bonaventure

# DISTINCTIO XLI.

Cap. I. De affinitatis gradibus.

Nunc de affinitate videndum est; de qua Gregorius¹ ait: « Porro de affinitate, quam dicitis parentelam esse, quae ad virum ex parte uxoris, seu quae ex parte viri ad uxorem pertinet, manifesta ratio est: quia, si secundum divinam sententiam ego et uxor mea sumus una caro, profecto mihi et illi mea suaque parentela propinquitas una efficitur. Quocirca ego et soror uxoris meae in uno et primo gradu erimus; filius vero eius secundo gradu erit a me, neptis vero tertio; idque utrinque in ceteris agendum est successionibus. Uxorem vero propinqui, cuiuscumque gradus sit, ita me oportet attendere, quemadmodum ipsius quoque gradus aliqua femina propriae propinquitatis sit; quod nimirum uxori meae de propinquitate viri sui in cunctis cognationis gradibus convenit observare. Qui vero aliorsum sentiunt antichristi sunt ». Item, Iulius Papa²: « Aequaliter vir coniungatur consanguineis propriis et consanguineis uxoris ». Item, Isidorus: « Sane consanguinitas, quae in proprio viro conservanda est, etiam in uxoris parentela de lege nuptiarum custodienda est, quia constat, eos duos fuisse in carne una; ideoque communis est illis utraque parentela ». Item, Iulius Papa: « Nullum in utroque sexu permittimus ex propinquitate sui sanguinis vel uxoris usque in³ septimum generationis gradum uxorem ducere, vel incesti macula copulari, quia, sicut non licet cuiquam Christiano de sua consanguinitate, sic nec de consanguinitate uxoris coniugem ducere propter carnis unitatem ». Item, Gregorius: « De affinitate consanguinitatis per gradus cognationis placuit usque ad septimam generationem observare. Nam et hereditas rerum, per legales instrumentorum definitiones sancita, usque ad septimum gradum heredum protendit successionem. Non enim ei succederent, nisi de propagine cognationis deberetur ». — His auctoritatibus insinuatur, et quae sit affinitas, et usque ad quem gradum sit observanda, scilicet usque ad septimum.

Cap. II. De variis traditionibus affinitatis.

Sed alii videntur concedere, in quinta generatione inter affines contrahi coniugium, et in quarta etiam, si contractum fuerit, non separari. Ait enim Fabianus Papa⁴: « De propinquis, qui ad affinitatem per virum p. 856 et uxorem veniunt, defuncta uxore vel viro, in quinta generatione iungantur; in quarta si inventi fuerint, non separentur; in tertia vero propinquitate non licet uxorem alterius accipere post obitum eius. Aequaliter vir iungatur in matrimonio eis quae sibi consanguineae erant, et uxoris suae consanguineis, post mortem uxoris ». — Ecce, hic conceditur, in quinta vel quarta propinquitate affinium fieri coniugium. Iulius etiam Papa ait: « Statutum est, ut relictam patris uxoris suae, relictam fratris uxoris suae, relictam filii uxoris suae nemo sibi in matrimonium sumat; relictam consanguineorum uxoris suae usque in tertiam progeniem nemo in uxorem sumat; in quarta vero et quinta si inventi fuerint, non separentur ». — Ecce, quam varie de affinitatis observatione loquuntur auctores. Alii enim usque ad septimum gradum eam observari sanciunt; alii vero in quinto vel quarto matrimonia contracta non dividunt. Sed illi veritatis rigorem, isti misericordiae dispensationem videntur proponere. Potest enim Ecclesia dispensare in copula affinium usque ad tertium gradum, sicut Gregorius dispensavit in quarto gradu consanguinitatis. — Illud etiam non est praetereundum, quod Gregorius¹ Venerio episcopo scripsit: « Sedem apostolicam consulere decrevisti, si mulier copula nuptiali extraneo viro coniuncta cognationi eius pertineat; si, eo defuncto, cognatio maneat, vel si sub alio viro cognationis vocabula dissolvantur; vel si susceptae soboles possint legitime ad prioris viri cognationis transire copulam. Si una caro fuerit, quomodo potest aliquis eorum propinquus uni pertinere, nisi pertineat alteri? Hoc minime posse fieri, credendum est. Porro, uno defuncto, in superstite affinitas non deletur, nec alia copula coniugalis affinitatem copulae prioris solvere valet; sed nec alterius coniunctionis soboles placet ad affinitatis prioris viri consortium transire. Si quis ergo sacrilego et temerario ausu in defuncto quaerit propinquitatem exstinguere, vel sub altero affinitatis vocabulo dissipare, vel susceptas soboles alterius copulae propinquitati prioris credit legitime sociari; hic negat, Dei verbum validum esse, quod dixit: Erunt duo in carne una ». — Ecce, hic prohibet, si, mortuo primo viro, uxor eius alii nupserit, filios de secundo viro genitos ducere uxores de cognatione prioris viri, quia filii mediante matre ad cognationem prioris viri pertinent, cum quo mater eorum una caro exstiterat. Hoc idem etiam Innocentius Papa² ait: « Si qua mulier ad secundas nuptias transierit et ex eis sobolem genuerit, nullatenus potest ad consortium cognationis prioris viri pertingere ». Hoc autem observandum est usque ad septimum generis gradum, sed maxime usque ad tertium vel quartum, sicut supra positum est.

Cap. III. Si coniugium sit inter eos qui nota consanguinitate dividuntur.

Et est sciendum, quod Ecclesia infra praedictos gradus consanguinitatis coniunctos separat. Si autem ignoranter coniuncti fuerint in conspectu Ecclesiae, et postmodum, probata consanguinitate, eiusdem iudicio separati; quaeritur, utrum copula illa coniugium fuerit. Quibusdam videtur non fuisse coniugium, quia non erant legitimae personae; sed tamen de crimine excusantur per ignorantiam, et quasi coniugium reputatur, quia bona fide et per manum Ecclesiae convenerunt; unde et filii eorum legitimi habentur. Alii³ vero dicunt, fuisse coniugium, licet non essent legitimae personae, quia talium coniunctiones vocant canones coniugia, ubi de personis agunt, quarum testimonio consanguineorum sit dirimenda coniunctio.

Cap. IV. Quibus personis testificantibus, sint dirimenda coniugia.

Unde Urbanus Papa⁴: « Si duo viri vel tres consanguinitatem iureiurando firmaverint, vel ipsi forte confessi fuerint; coniugia dissolvantur. Si vero neutrum contigerit, episcopi eos per fidem Christi obtestentur, quatenus palam fateantur, si se recognoscunt consanguineos. Si se iudicio episcoporum segregaverint, alia matrimonia contrahere non prohibeantur ». Idem: « Notificamus tibi, ut, cum tres vel duo ex propinquioribus eius qui accusatur, hanc propinquitatem iuramento firmaverint, vel si tres vel duo ex antiquioribus Ianuensibus, quibus haec propinquitas est nota, qui bonae famae et veracis testimonii sint, remoto amore, timore, pretio et omni malo studio, praedicto modo firmaverint, sine mora coniugia dissolvantur ». « Consanguineos vero extraneorum nullus accuset, vel consanguinitatem in Synodo computet, sed propinqui, ad quorum notitiam pertinet. Si autem progenies tota defecerit, ab antiquioribus et veracioribus, quibus propinquitas tota nota sit, episcopus canonice perquirat; et si inventa fuerit, separentur ». — Ecce, quibus accusantibus vel testificantibus, dirimenda sit consanguineorum coniunctio, quae coniugium vocatur.

Hic dicendum est, quod aliud est fornicatio, aliud stuprum, aliud adulterium, aliud incestus, aliud raptus.

Cap. V. Quid sit fornicatio.

« Fornicatio, licet sit genus omnis illiciti coitus, qui fit extra uxorem, tamen specialiter intelligitur in usu viduarum, vel meretricum, vel concubinarum ».

Cap. VI. Quid sit stuprum.

« Stuprum proprie est virginum illicita defloratio ».

Cap. VII. Quid sit adulterium.

« Adulterium est alieni tori violatio; unde adulterium dicitur, quasi ad alterius torum accessio ».

Cap. VIII. Quid sit incestus.

« Incestus est consanguinearum vel affinium abusus; unde incestuosi dicuntur qui consanguineis vel affinibus suis abutuntur ».

Cap. IX. Quid sit raptus.

« Raptus admittitur, cum puella violenter a domo patris educitur, ut corrupta in uxorem habeatur. Sive puellae, sive parentibus vis illata constiterit, hic morte mulctatur. Sed si ad Ecclesiam cum rapta confugerit, privilegio Ecclesiae mortis impunitatem meretur ». — Attendendum est etiam illud Alexandri¹, qui ait: « Quod frater sororve uxoris tuae cognati dicuntur, aequivocationis iure fit et necessitate vulgaris appellationis potius quam ulla causa cognationis. Uxor enim fratris fratrissa potius quam cognata vocatur. Mariti frater levir dicitur. Duorum fratrum uxores ianitrices vocantur, quasi eandem ianuam intrantes. Viri soror glos appellatur. Sororis autem vir non habet speciale nomen, nec uxoris frater ».

The numbered footnotes below correspond to markers in both the Latin body above and the English translation. They are Quaracchi's Notae ad Librum Sententiarum — the editors' apparatus to the Master's own text. Quaracchi restarts the numbering on each printed page, so the labels here are page-qualified (p855-1, p856-1, …).

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# DISTINCTION XLI.

Chap. I. On the degrees of affinity.

Now affinity must be looked into; concerning which Gregory¹ says: « Further, concerning affinity, which you say to be kinship — that which pertains to the man on the wife's side, or that which pertains from the man's side to the wife — there is a manifest reason: because, if according to the divine sentence I and my wife are one flesh, assuredly to me and to her my and her kinship becomes one nearness. Wherefore I and my wife's sister shall be in one and the first degree; but her son shall be in the second degree from me, and her granddaughter in the third; and the same is to be done on both sides in the remaining successions. But the wife of a kinsman, of whatsoever degree he be, I must so regard as though some woman of that same degree belonged to my own kindred; which without doubt it befits my wife to observe regarding the kindred of her husband in all the degrees of cognation. But those who think otherwise are antichrists ». Likewise, Pope Julius²: « Let a man be joined equally to his own blood-relations and to the blood-relations of his wife ». Likewise, Isidore: « Assuredly the consanguinity which is to be observed in the husband himself is also to be kept, by the law of marriage, in the wife's kindred, because it is agreed that those two were one flesh; and therefore both kindreds are common to them ». Likewise, Pope Julius: « We permit no one, in either sex, from the nearness of his own blood or of his wife's, to take a wife up to³ the seventh degree of generation, or to be joined by the stain of incest; because, just as it is not lawful for any Christian [to marry] from his own consanguinity, so neither from the consanguinity of his wife to take a spouse, on account of the unity of the flesh ». Likewise, Gregory: « Concerning affinity, it has been resolved to observe consanguinity through the degrees of cognation up to the seventh generation. For the inheritance of goods too, sanctioned by the legal definitions of the instruments, extends the succession of heirs up to the seventh degree. For they would not succeed to him, unless it were owed by reason of the offshoot of cognation ». — By these authorities it is intimated both what affinity is, and up to what degree it is to be observed, namely up to the seventh.

Chap. II. On the various traditions concerning affinity.

But others seem to concede that in the fifth generation a marriage may be contracted between persons related by affinity, and even in the fourth, if it has been contracted, that they are not to be separated. For Pope Fabian⁴ says: « Concerning kinsfolk who come into affinity through husband p. 856 and wife, when the wife or husband is dead, let them be joined in the fifth generation; in the fourth, if they be found [so joined], let them not be separated; but in the third degree of nearness it is not lawful to take another's wife after his death. Let a man be joined in marriage equally to those women who were blood-related to him, and to the blood-relations of his wife, after the death of the wife ». — Behold, here it is conceded that in the fifth or fourth degree of nearness of persons related by affinity a marriage may be made. Pope Julius also says: « It is decreed that no one take to himself in marriage the widow of his wife's father, the widow of his wife's brother, the widow of his wife's son; let no one take as wife the widow of his wife's blood-relations up to the third generation; but in the fourth and fifth, if they be found [so joined], let them not be separated ». — Behold, how variously the authorities speak concerning the observance of affinity. For some sanction that it be observed up to the seventh degree; but others do not divide marriages contracted in the fifth or fourth. But the former seem to propose the rigor of truth, the latter the dispensation of mercy. For the Church can dispense in the union of persons related by affinity up to the third degree, just as Gregory dispensed in the fourth degree of consanguinity. — This too must not be passed over, that Gregory¹ wrote to Bishop Venerius: « You have determined to consult the Apostolic See [as to] whether a woman joined by the marriage bond to an outside man belongs to his cognation; whether, when he is dead, the cognation remains, or whether under another husband the terms of cognation are dissolved; or whether offspring conceived can lawfully pass over to the union of the former husband's cognation. If they have been one flesh, how can any one of them be near of kin to the one, unless he be near of kin to the other? It must be believed that this can by no means come to pass. Further, when one is dead, in the survivor the affinity is not blotted out, nor can another conjugal union avail to dissolve the affinity of the former union; but neither is it fitting that the offspring of another union pass over to the fellowship of affinity of the former husband. If therefore anyone, by sacrilegious and rash daring, seeks in the deceased to extinguish the nearness of kin, or to dissipate it under another name of affinity, or believes that offspring conceived may lawfully be allied to the nearness of the former [husband] belonging to another union; he denies that the word of God is valid, which said: They shall be two in one flesh ». — Behold, here he forbids, if, the first husband being dead, his wife has married another, that the sons begotten of the second husband take as wives [women] of the former husband's cognation, because the sons, through the mother, belong to the former husband's cognation, with whom their mother had been one flesh. This same thing Pope Innocent² also says: « If any woman passes over to a second marriage and begets offspring from it, she can in no way attain to the fellowship of the former husband's cognation ». But this is to be observed up to the seventh degree of kinship, but especially up to the third or fourth, as was set down above.

Chap. III. Whether there be a marriage between those who are separated by a known consanguinity.

And it is to be known that the Church separates those joined within the aforesaid degrees of consanguinity. But if they have been joined unknowingly in the sight of the Church, and afterward, the consanguinity having been proved, have been separated by its judgment; it is asked whether that union was a marriage. To some it seems it was not a marriage, because they were not legitimate persons; yet nevertheless they are excused from the crime through ignorance, and it is reckoned as if a marriage, because they came together in good faith and by the hand of the Church; whence also their sons are held to be legitimate. But others³ say that it was a marriage, although they were not legitimate persons, because the canons call such unions marriages, where they treat of the persons by whose testimony — that of blood-relations — the union is to be dissolved.

Chap. IV. By the testimony of what persons marriages are to be dissolved.

Whence Pope Urban⁴: « If two or three men affirm the consanguinity by an oath, or if they themselves perchance confess it; let the marriages be dissolved. But if neither happens, let the bishops adjure them by the faith of Christ, that they openly confess, if they acknowledge themselves to be blood-relations. If by the judgment of the bishops they separate themselves, let them not be forbidden to contract other marriages ». The same [author]: « We make known to you that, when three or two of the nearer kin of him who is accused affirm this nearness by oath, or if three or two of the elder Genoese, to whom this nearness is known, who are of good repute and truthful testimony, having put away love, fear, price, and every evil zeal, affirm it in the aforesaid manner, without delay let the marriages be dissolved ». « But let no one accuse the blood-relations of outsiders, or reckon up the consanguinity in the Synod, but the near kin, to whose knowledge it belongs. But if the whole progeny has failed, let the bishop canonically inquire from the elder and more truthful persons, to whom the whole nearness is known; and if it be found, let them be separated ». — Behold, by what accusers or witnesses the union of blood-relations, which is called a marriage, is to be dissolved.

Here it must be said that fornication is one thing, defilement (stuprum) another, adultery another, incest another, ravishment (raptus) another.

Chap. V. What fornication is.

« Fornication, although it be the genus of every illicit intercourse which is done outside of a wife, nevertheless is understood specially of the use of widows, or harlots, or concubines ».

Chap. VI. What defilement (stuprum) is.

« Stuprum is properly the illicit deflowering of virgins ».

Chap. VII. What adultery is.

« Adultery is the violation of another's bed; whence it is called adulterium, as it were an approach to another's bed (ad alterius torum accessio) ».

Chap. VIII. What incest is.

« Incest is the abuse of female blood-relations or of persons related by affinity; whence those are called incestuous who abuse their own blood-relations or those related to them by affinity ».

Chap. IX. What ravishment is.

« Ravishment (raptus) is committed when a girl is violently led away from her father's house, that, being corrupted, she may be had as a wife. Whether it be established that the violence was done to the girl or to her parents, he is punished with death. But if he flees to the Church together with the ravished [girl], by the privilege of the Church he merits impunity from death ». — This too must be attended to, that saying of Alexander¹, who says: « That the brother or sister of your wife are called kin (cognati) comes about by the law of equivocation and by the necessity of common appellation, rather than by any ground of cognation. For the wife of a brother is called fratrissa rather than cognata. The brother of a husband is called levir (brother-in-law). The wives of two brothers are called ianitrices, as it were entering the same door (ianua). The sister of a husband is called glos. But the husband of a sister has no special name, nor [does] the brother of a wife ».

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