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ER 280

The council of Carthage (AD 401) complains at the shortage of clerics in Africa, allows the ordination of men baptized as Donatists and does not take a decision in regard to ex-Donatist clerics who want to retain their diginities in the Catholic church. The text transmitted in the Carthage Register, 5th c.

Notitia de gestis concilii Carthaginensis 16 iunii 401

Cum Aurelius episcopus una cum coepiscopis suis consedisset, astantibus diaconis, Aurelius episcopus dixit:

Aurelius explains to other bishops the necessity of sending a legate to the bishops of Rome and Milan because of the necessities of the African churches, among them the penury of clerics:

… quia tanta indigentia clericorum est, multaeque ecclesiae ita desertae sunt, ut ne unum quidem diaconum, uel inliteratum, habere reperiantur. Nam de ceteris superioribus gradibus et officiis tacendum arbitror, quia, ut dixi, si ministerium diaconii facile non inuenitur, multo magis superiorum honorum inueniri non posse certissimum est.

Canon 57

The rationale is presented for ordaining men who were baptized by the Donatists and later converted to Catholicism. The case of Donatist clerics who wanted to pass to Catholicism and preserve their diginities is presented:

Quanquam nonnulli eiusdem sectae clerici cum plebibus atque honoribus suis ad nos transire desiderent, qui amore honoris aut persuadent ad uitam aut retinent ad salute. Sed hoc maiori fratrum supradictorum consideratione dimittendum censeo, ut prudentiori suo consilio nostrae suggestionis sermonem cum perpenderint, quid de hac re eis placeat nos informare dignentur. Tantum de his qui infantes baptizati sunt satagimus ut nostrae, si placet, in hisdem ordinandis consentiant uoluntati. Omnia ergo, quae superius comprehendimus apud sanctos episcopos agenda esse, mecum honorabilis fraternitas uestra perpendit.

(ed. Munier 1974: 195-196)

The notice about the Council of Carthage, 16 June 401

When Bishop Aurelius sat down with his fellow bishops, in the presence of deacons, bishop Aurelius said:

Aurelius explains to other bishops the necessity of sending a legate to the bishops of Rome and Milan because of the necessities of the African churches, among them the penury of clerics:

… there is such a penury of clerics, that many churches are so deserted, that one cannot find there a deacon; not even an illiterate one. I had better keep silent about superior grades: since, as I have said, it is difficult to find a deacon, certainly it is much more difficult to find someone of a superior grade.

Canon 57

Many clerics of that sect want to pass to us with their peoples and preserve their dignities; the love of their dignities makes them either convince others to the life, or keep them away from the salvation. However, I think that we should present the issue for the consideration of the aforementioned brothers, so that after assessing with their prudent judgement our proposal, they may inform us of their decision. We only insist that, if they like, they agree to our decision about agreeing to ordain those who were baptized as infants.

(trans. S. Adamiak)

Discussion:

The canon, or rather the introduction to it made by Aurelius of Carthage, says a lot about the situation in the Catholic Church in Africa at the end of the fourth century: in many communities there are no higher clerics, "not even deacons". Accidentally, Aurelius informs us that "literacy" (whatever this may have meant – but most probably simply the ability to read!) was not a condition sine qua non for becoming a deacon (it may be presumed that presbyters were meant to be better educated). The description of the penury of clerics stands in sharp contrast with our habitual image of the African Church, influenced by the staggering number of bishops (nearly three hundred confirmed on various occasions), which makes us think of a bishop in every possible place. Apparently, this was not the case.

This was one of the reasons for the benevolent attitude of Catholic bishops towards Donatist clerics who wanted to pass to their communion "with their peoples and honours". This was certainly the case for bishops and presbyters, and possibly also deacons: it is hard to imagine lower clerics being described as having their "peoples".

Aurelius is conscious, however, that too lenient a policy towards ex-Donatist clerics may meet with the disapproval of the bishop of Rome.

The notice about the council is also interesting inasmuch as it presents the council as the affair of the bishops, "in the presence of deacons", with no notice about presbyters.

Place of event:

Region

Latin North Africa
Italy south of Rome and Sicily

City

Carthage
Capua

About the source:

Title: Carthage Register, Registri Ecclesiae Carthaginensis Excerpta
Origin: Carthage (Latin North Africa)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The text of the canon was transmitted in the Carthage Register (Registri Ecclesiae Carthaginensis Excerpta). This collection was compiled by an anonymous author in the 5th century and included by Dionysius Exiguus in his "Codex canonum Ecclesiae Universae" in the early 6th century. It is sometimes known as "Codex canonum Ecclesiae Africanae" (Clavis Patrum Latinorum erroneously attributes this name to the "Codices in causa Apiarii" alone). In the text of the collection, the fiction is maintained, as if they were all read at the session of the Council of Carthage, 30 May 418. The canons from this collection were accepted later by the Council of Trullo (AD 692).

Edition:

C. Munier ed., Concilia Africae a. 345-a. 525, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 149, Turnhoult 1974, 173-247.

Categories:

Education - Insufficient education

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

Change of denomination

Described by a title - Clericus

Reasons for ordination - Pastoral needs of the Christian community

Shortage of clergy

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER280, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=280