Canon 14 of the Council of Hippo (North Africa, AD 393), preserved in the "Breviarium Hipponense" (AD 397), prohibits bishops and clerics to alienate their goods to non-Catholics.
Intended for scholary use. For credentials see Bibliography
Canon 14
Vt episcopi uel clerici eis qui christiani catholici non sunt, etiamsi consanguinei fuerint, nec per donationes rerum suarum aliquid conferant.
(ed. Munier 1974: 37)
Canon 14
Bishops and clerics should not donate anything of their property to those who are not Catholic Christians, even if they are of their kindred.
(trans. S. Adamiak)
Discussion:
The non-Catholics mentioned here are probably mainly Donatists (but they may also be pagans). The canon confirms that clerics could have personal property, since it refers to the alienation of "rerum suarum", not to the property of the Church.
Place of event:
Region
Latin North Africa
City
Carthage
Hippo Regius
About the source:
Title: Breviary of Hippo, Breuiarium Hipponense Origin: Carthage (Latin North Africa) Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
The bishops of Byzacena arrived too early for the African plenary council at Carthage in AD 397. Since they had to leave the city before the actual beginning of the proceedings Aurelius of Carthage charged them with editing the decisions of the Council of Hippo of AD 393. The document drafted in this way and accepted on 13 August 397 was called the "Breviarium Hipponense", and it was included later in the Canons in causa Apiarii from AD 419, Registri Ecclesiae Carthaginensis Excerpta, Breviarium of Ferrandus and Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua.
Edition:
C. Munier ed., Concilia Africae a. 345-a. 525, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 149, Turnhoult 1974, 23-53.
Categories:
Described by a title - Clericus
Economic status and activity - Indication of wealth
Economic status and activity - Inheritance
Relation with - Other relative
Relation with - Heretic/Schismatic
Please quote this record referring to
its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
S. Adamiak, Presbyters
in the Late Antique West, ER195, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=195
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