The Presbyters Project

Epistola tertia Iohannis II papae

In the letter, John II informs Caesarius of Arles that he supports his position concerning Bishop Contumeliosus of Riez sentenced by the council of Marseille in 533 for sexual misconduct and alienation of church property. Contumeliosus should not be allowed to return to his see after penance but he should be permanently removed and a new bishop elected in his place (see [2409]). To support this opinion he attaches a series of canons:

1. Chapter VII.11 from the letter of Pope Siricius to Himerius of Tarragona, see [1466].

2. The Canons of the Apostles, canon 25 (cf. Turner 1899: 18):

Quod episcopus aut presbyter aut diaconus, si pro criminibus damnati fuerint, minime communione priuentur: "Episcopus, presbyter aut diaconus, qui in fornicatione aut periurio aut furto captus est, deponatur, non tamen communione priuetur; dicit enim scriptura: Non uindicabit Dominus bis in idipsum."

3. The Canons of the Apostles, canon 29 (cf. Turner 1899: 20):

Quod officium pristinum damnati pro criminibus usurpare non debeant: "Si quis episcopus, presbyter aut diaconus depositus iuste super certis criminibus ausus fuerit adtractare ministerium dudum sibi commissum, hic ab ecclesia paenitus abscidatur."

4. Council of Neocaesaresa, AD 314/325, canon 1 (in the text here referred to as "chapter 45"; cf. Joannou 1962: 75):

De presbyteris qui uxorem si accepere uel qui fornicati sunt: "Presbyter si uxorem acceperit ab ordine deponatur; si uero fornicatus fuerit, aut adulterium perpetrauit, amplius pelli debet, et ad paenitentiam redigi."

5. Council of Antioch, AD 332, canon 4 (cf. Joannou 1962: 107-08):

De damnatis et ministrare temptantibus: "Si quis episcopus damnatus a synodo, uel presbyter aut diaconus a suo episcopo, ausi fuerint aliquid de ministerio sacro contingere, siue episcopus iuxta praecedentem consuetudinem, siue presbyter aut diaconus, nullo modo liceat ei nec in alia synodo restitutionis spem aut locum habere satisfactionis; sed et communicantes ei omnes abeci de ecclesia, et maxime si, postea quam dedicerint aduersum memoratos prolatam fuisse sententiam, eisdem communicare temptauerint."

6. Council of Antioch, AD 332, canon 15 (cf. Joannou 1962: 116) concerning only bishops.

Expliciunt tituli canonum a sancto Iohanne papa transmissi.

(ed. de Clercq 1963: 87-89)

Letter 3 of the pope John II

1. Chapter VII.11 from the letter of Pope Siricius to Himerius of Tarragona, see [1466].

2. The Canons of the Apostles, canon 25 (cf. Turner 1899: 18):

3. The Canons of the Apostles, canon 29 (cf. Turner 1899: 20):

4. Council of Neocaesaresa, AD 314/325, canon 1 (in the text here referred to as "chapter 45"; cf. Joannou 1962: 75):

5. Council of Antioch, AD 332, canon 4 (cf. Joannou 1962: 107-08):

6. Council of Antioch, AD 332, canon 15 (cf. Joannou 1962: 116) concerning only bishops.

(summary and trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region

Rome
Gaul

City

Rome
Riez
Marseille

About the source:

Author: John II
Title: Epistula, Council of Marseille 533, Concilium Massiliense a. 533
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

In April 534, Pope John II sent three letters, one to the bishops of Gaul, one to the clergy of Riez (this is the letter cited here in its entirety), and one to Caesarius of Arles. There were written in response to Caesarius`s appeal to Rome in the context of the affair of Contumeliosus. Contumeliosus was a bishop of Riez who in May 533 at the council of Marseille, presided over by Caesarius, was tried for the charges of sexual misconduct and alienation of church property. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to undergo penance in a monastery and pay back for the sold property. The bishops, however, disagreed whether Contumeliosus should be permanently deposed from office or only suspended. Caesarius, who advocated for the harsher solution, could not prevail so he appealed to Rome and received John II`s support. Later, Contumeliosus himself appealed to Rome and Pope Agapitus reversed John II`s decision and ordered a retrial. See Klingshirn 1994: 248-49.

Edition:

C. de Clercq ed., Concilia Galliae a. 511-a. 695, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 148 A, Turnhout 1963.

Bibliography:

P.-P. Joannou, Discipline générale antique (IVe–IXe s.), v. 1.2, Grottaferrata 1962.

W.E. Klingshirn, Caesarius of Arles: The Making of a Christian Community in Late Antique Gaul, Cambridge 1994.

C.H. Turner, Ecclesiae Occidentalis monumenta iuris antiquissima, v. 1, Oxford 1899.

Categories:

Family life - Marriage

Sexual life - Sexual activity

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Impediments or requisits for the office - Improper/Immoral behaviour

Impediments or requisits for the office - Marriage

Public law - Ecclesiastical

Further ecclesiastical career - Lay status

Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical

Administration of justice - Excommunication/Anathema

Administration of justice - Demotion

Administration of justice - Penance

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER2410, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=2410