The Presbyters Project

I.4.8

Quidam uero Felix nomine, Nursinae prouinciae nobilis, pater huius castorii qui nunc nobis cum in Romana urbe demoratur, cum eundem uenerabilem uirum Equitium sacrum ordinem non habere conspiceret et per singula loca discurrere atque studiose praedicare, eum quadam die familiaritatis ausu adiit, dicens: 'qui sacrum ordinem non habes, atque a Romano pontifice, sub quo degis, praedicationis licentiam non accepisti, praedicare quomodo praesumis?'

Qua eius inquisitione conpulsus, uir sanctus indicauit praedicationis licentiam qualiter accepit, dicens: 'ea quae mihi loqueris, ego quoque me cum ipse pertracto. Sed nocte quadam speciosus mihi per uisionem iuuenis adstitit, atque in lingua mea medicinale ferramentum, id est flebotomum, posuit, dicens: 'ecce posui uerba mea in ore tuo. Egredere ad praedicandum'. Atque ex illo die, etiam cum uoluero, de Deo tacere non possum'.

Equitius was once again accused of preaching without the right to do so by clerics (clerici) of Rome. In result, the Bishop of Rome sent for Equitius for questioning but left him be after having a nocturnal vision (I.4.11-17).

(ed. de Vogüé 1979: 44)

I.4.8

A certain man called Felix, a noble from the province of Nursia, father to the same Castorius, who now lives with us in the city of Rome, noticed that the venerable Equitius had not received holy orders, and yet he visited many places and preached there zealously. On a certain day he approached him boldly because of the bonds of friendship between them and asked him: 'How do you dare to preach, since you do not have holy orders and you have not received the licence to preach from the bishop of Rome, under whom you live?'

Compelled by his inquiry, the holy man revealed how he had obtained the licence to preach in these words: 'The thing that you ask me about, I have carefully considered within myself as well. However, on a certain night a young man appeared to me in a vision and put on my tongue a medical tool, a lancet, saying: 'Look, I have placed my words in your mouth. Go and preach!' And since that day, even if I wished, I cannot be silent about God'.

Equitius was once again accused of preaching without the right to do so by clerics (clerici) of Rome. In result, the Bishop of Rome sent for Equitius for questioning but leaves him be after having a nocturnal vision (I.4.11-17).

(trans. Gardner 1911: 18; changed by J. Szafranowski)

Discussion:

According to Gregory, Equitius was an abbot for several monastic communities. It should be noted that for both Gregory and Felix it seems completely normal that Equitius, altough an abbot to many congregations, is not ordained. He was also free to preach, in the eyes of Gregory, despite lack of the Holy Orders and Bishop's permition, and only due to his sainthood and divine ordinance.

Since Equitius' son is Gregory's companion in Rome, it seems that Equitius was preaching roughly in the middle of 6th c.

Place of event:

Region

Rome

City

Rome

About the source:

Author: Gregory the Great
Title: Dialogues, Dialogorum Gregorii Papae libri quatuor de miraculis Patrum Italicorum, Dialogi
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Gregory the Great wrote his Dialogues between 593 and 594 in Rome when he was the Bishop of this city. They were written in order to present lives and miracles of Italian saints, many of them contemporary to Gregory, and the greatest of them, saint Benedict of Nurcia. The Dialogues are divided into four books in which Gregory tells the stories of various saints to Peter, who was a deacon and a friend of Gregory, and is also known from the Gregory`s private correspondence.

Edition:

Grégoire le Grand, Dialogues, ed. A. de Vogüé, Sources Chretiennes 251, 260, 265, Paris 1978-1980.

Categories:

Usurping presbyterial power

Pastoral activity - Preaching

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER173, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=173