The Presbyters Project

Canon 25

De presbyteris vel diaconibus qui post ordinationem denotantur.

Si quis presbyter ante ordinationem peccaverit et post ordinationem confessus fuerit quia ante erravit, non offerat, sed tantum pro religione nomen presbyteri portet. Si autem non ipse confessus, sed ab alio publice fuerit convictus, nec hoc ipsum habeat, potestatem ut nomen presbyteri portet. Similiter et de diaconibus observandum est, ut si ipse confessus fuerit ordinem subdiaconatus accipiat.

(ed. Barlowe 1950: 131)

Canon 25

On the presbyters or deacons who commited an offence after ordination.

If a presbyter had sinned before ordination and confessed after ordination that he had erred in past, he shall not celebrate offerings, but he only retain the name of presbyter for the sake of religion. If, however, it is not he who confessed, but he was publicly convicted by someone else, he shall not have right to bear the name of presbyter. It shall be observed in regard to the deacons as well that if one of them has confessed a crime, he shall be received in the order of subdeacons.

(trans. M. Szada)

Discussion:

Cf. canons 9 and 10 of the Council of Neocaesarea in AD 315.

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), Neocaesarea (East)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

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:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Impediments or requisits for the office - Improper/Immoral behaviour

Ritual activity - Eucharist

Public law - Ecclesiastical

Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical

Administration of justice - Suspension

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1087, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1087