The Presbyters Project

Canon 21

De eunuchis qui ab aliis fiunt vel qui sibi ipsi naturalia abscidunt.

Si quis pro casu suae aegritudinis naturalia a medicis habuerit secta, similiter et qui a barbaris aut hominibus stultis fuerint castrati et moribus digni fuerint visi, hos canon admittit ad clericatus officium promoveri. Si quis autem sanus non per disciplinam religionis et abstinentiae, sed per abscicionem plasmati a Deo corporis, aestimans posse a se carnales concupiscentias amputari, castraverit se, non eum admitti decernimus ad aliquod clericatus officium. Quod si iam ante fuerat promotus ad clerum, prohibitus a suo ministerio deponatur.

(ed. Barlowe 1950: 130)

Canon 21

On the eunuchs who have been made such by others or those who cut off their natural parts themselves.

If someone has his natural parts cut off by a physician because of the sickness, or if he was castrated by the barbarians or some stupid people, but [othewise] is a virtuous man, the canon allows him to be promoted to the clerical office. If, however, someone being healthy thought that he can separate himself from the carnal passions not by the religious discipline and abstinence, but by cutting the body created by God, and castrated himself, we decree that he cannot be admitted to the clerical office. If he has already been promoted to the clergy, the ministry shall be forbidden to him, and he shall be deposed.

(trans. M. Szada)

Discussion:

Cf. canon 1 of the council of Nicaea in AD 325.

Place of event:

Region

Iberian Peninsula

City

Braga

About the source:

Author: Martin of Braga
Title: Collectio orientalium canonum, seu Capitula Martini, Capitula Martini, Collection of the Eastern canons
Origin: Braga (Iberian Peninsula), Nicaea (East)

In the manuscript tradition the canons of the Second Council of Braga (Iberian Peninsula) in AD 572 are followed by the Eastern canons collected and translated into Latin by Martin of Braga (Iberian Peninsula). He was using a Greek collection, impossible to identify with any of the collections known today, which gathered the canons of the several Eastern councils. Martin quotes also the canons of the First Council of Toledo AD 400. Martin dedicated his work to Bishop Nitigisius of Lugo (Iberian Peninsula). Those two bishops met on the Second Council of Braga, and possibly the collection was composed for this occasion (Barlowe 1950: 84-87).

Edition:

C. Barlowe ed., Martini episcopi Bracarensis opera omnia, New Haven 1950.

Categories:

Sexual life - Sexual abstinence

Described by a title - Clericus

Impediments or requisits for the office - Physical incapacity

Impediments or requisits for the office - Improper/Immoral behaviour

Administration of justice - Demotion

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1066, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1066