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ER 182

Bishop Montanus of Toledo (Iberian Peninsula) reprimands the clergy of Palencia for honouring Priscillian. The letter added to the canons of the Second Council of Toledo in AD 527.

Dominis dilectissimis fratribus filiisque territorii Palentini Montanus episcopus in Domino aeternam salutem.

[...]

Praeterea perditissimam Priscillianistarum sectam non tam actis quam nomine a uobis praecipue nouimus honorari. Rogo, quae est ista dementia, in eius amore superflue labi quem in opere non uelis imitari? Nam ut pauca de eius spurcitiis in notitiam uestri deducam, exceptis his quae in diuinitate profanus erupit et ore sacrilego blasphemauit, omnium uitiorum in eodem congeries ueluti in sordium sentina confluxit, ut sectatricum pudorem inpuderatus adulter eriperet; et ut ad sceleris nefarii effectum facilius perueniret, maleficio usum gesta eius assignant. Quid tamen in hunc religioni congruum fidelis cuiusquam anima ueneratur, qui non solum a sanctis sacerdotibus refutatus est, uerum etiam mundani principes iustitia legum suarum eum pro memorati sceleris qualitate damnarunt? Hunc talem fuisse plenius discet qui beatissimi ac religiosissimi uiri Toribii episcopi ad sanctum papam urbis Romae Leonem libros editos legit in quibus hanc sordidam haeresem explanauit, aperuit et occultam tenebris suis perfidiaeque nube uelatam in propatulo misit. Ex ipsis etenim libris qualiter cauere, quid respondere contra sacrilegos possit, pius lector inueniet. Vnde quaeso ut, perfidiam cum auctore damnantes atque anathematizantes, rectae fidei regulam teneatis et de omnibus suprascriptis cautiores exhibere uos procuretis, quo facilius nec mihi de taciturnitate possit esse damnatio et uobis de oboedientia fructum maximum coram Saluatore Deo nostro prouidere possitis. Pax Domini cum omnibus uobis. Amen.

(eds. Martínez Díez, Rodríguez 1984: 356, 361-363)

To the beloved lords brothers and sons of the territory of Palencia Bishop Montanus eternal greetings in the Lord.

[...]

Moreover we have learnt that the most damned sect of Priscillianists is especially honoured by you, not in acts however, but in words. I ask how mad is falling in love with the one who you do not want to imitate in acts? Therefore, I bring to your knowledge something of his filth. Apart from throwing wickedly the filth on the Divinity and blaspheming with his sacrilegious mouth he [i.e. Priscillian] gathered all the vices in one heap as in a stinky bilgewater. He took away as a shameless adulterer the modesty from the female followers of the sect and in order to reach more easily the result of this nefarious crime, he added sorcery to his acts. What then in this religion is suitable to be venerated by the soul of anyone who is faithful? Priscillian was refuted not only by the holy priests, but also the worldly rulers condemned him by the justice of their laws because of the nature of the crime mentioned above. You can learn about him more fully reading the books written by the most blessed and pious Bishop Toribius for the holy Pope of the city of Rome, Leo. In these books he explained this sordid heresy, revealed and exposed to the public what had been covered by its own darkness and veiled by the cloud of its treachery. A pious reader will find there how to beware of the sacrilegious and how to respond to them. Therefore I ask you to observe the rule of the correct faith, to condemn and anathematize this perfidy together with its author, and to try to be cautious in all those above-mentioned things. Then I could easily avoid condemnation because of being silent and you could already see the great fruit of your obedience before God, our Saviour. Peace of the Lord be with you all. Amen.

(trans. M. Szada)

Discussion:

Montanus of Toledo clearly reprimands the clergy of Palencia as a metropolitan bishop. Palencia was already a bishopric, but according to the text (donec et consuetus vobis a Domino praeparatur antistes) it was vacant when Montanus wrote his letter (see record [180]).

Galicia was the region of Spain where Priscillianism was especially popular from the very beginning of the controversy, and remained in strength to the 6th c. as attested by not only the letters of Montanus of Toledo, but also the letter of Pope Vigilantius to Profuturus of Braga, and the canons of the first and the Second Council of Braga (for the short survey of the subject and further readings on Galician Priscillianism see Ubric 2015).

The works of Toribius of Astorga directed to Pope Leo are not extant. They are mentioned in Letter 15 (63 in Hispana) of Pope Leo (PL 54, 678B).

Place of event:

Region

Iberian Peninsula

City

Toledo
Palencia

About the source:

Author: Montanus of Toledo
Title: Letters, Epistulae
Origin: Toledo (Iberian Peninsula)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The two letters of Montanus of Toledo, one to the clergy of Palencia (or more specifically the presbyters, as their authority and responsibilities is mainly discussed), other to a certain Toribus, are annexed to the canons of the second council of Toledo in AD 527 (on the datation see discussion in record [177]) in the canonical collection Hispana compiled in the 7th c. They are not dated and their only connection to the canons is their author, because Montanus of Toledo presided at the council (Martin 2006: 9).

Edition:

Editions:

G. Martínez Díez, F. Rodríguez, eds., La colección canónica Hispana, v. 4 Concilios Galos. Concilios Hispanos: primera parte, Madrid 1984.

J. Vives, Concilios visigóticos e hispano-romanos, Barcelona-Madrid 1963.

Bibliography:

A. Isla Ferez, "Desde el reino visigodo y la ortodoxia toledana: la correspondencia de Montano," Studia Historica. Historia Medieval 18-19 (2000), 41-52.

C. Martin, "Las cartas de Montano y la autonomía episcopal de la Hispania septentrional en el siglo VI," Hispania Antiqua 22 (1998), 403-426.

C. Martin, "Montanus et les schismatiques : la reprise en main d’une périphérie hispanique au début du vie siècle," Médièvales 51 (2006), 9-20.

P. Ubric, "The Church in Suevic Kingdom," [in:] Culture and society in medieval Galicia: a cultural crossroads at the edge of Europe, ed. J. D'Emilio, Leiden 2015, 210-245.

Categories:

Religious grouping (other than Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian) - Priscillianist

Change of denomination

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

Devotion - Reading the Bible and devotional literature

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER182, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=182