Question XIV: Whether religious ought to teach, preach, etc.

The Saintly Doctor expends a whole little work, after the question on the Rule is set forth, on proving that teaching and preaching are not indeed included in the essence of religion. Thus it is had in the Councils and Fathers in Gratian 7. q. 1. c. Hoc nequaquam; and 16. quaest. 1. cap. Monachus: et cap. Adiicimus; et cap. Nemo potest; et cap. Placuit, et cap. Ex auctoritate.

Truly he shows, quaest. 1. in Reg. et in opusculo cit., that Religions were instituted concerning God for this end, that, since the harvest is great and the laborers few, vinedressers and husbandmen should be added, whom the holy Apostolic See destined for these works; and this from the decrees to the Churches, Syricius P. proves, epist. 1. cap. 13. from Conc. Agath. cap. 27. Chalced. act. 15. cap. 3. and from the many decrees 16. quaest. 1. especially cap. Modernorum, et cap. Nonnulli. St. Thom. shows the same, opusc. 19. capit. 25. Valentia quaest. 1. punct. 1. See the Saintly Doctor also in Apologetico.

But that they may preach licitly, there is required, first, the faculty of superiors, as the Saintly Doctor notes ad cap. 9. Regulae, and the Rule commands us: to all indeed the Council of Trent sess. 5. cap. 2. de Reform. et sess. 24. cap. 4. and the Lateran Council under Innoc. III. cap. 3. where preachers without faculty are excommunicated.

SECOND, that they preach outside the temples of their order, a faculty from the Bishop is necessary, by the Council of Trent above, and St. Bonav. teaches, quaest. 2. et opusc. citato, and as is gathered from the Clementina Dudum de sepult. the license of the Parish Priest is also required; nor did the Saintly Doctor refuse it, even though it was published after his death.

THIRD, in Churches nowhere can they preach with the Bishop resisting, by the Council of Trent. sess. 24. cap. 4.

HENCE the Saintly Doctor continues, citato opusc., to show how rightly Religious are also destined to hear confessions. For this, however, they must be judged suitable by the Bishop, and for this he can examine them, as the Council of Trent teaches.

HENCE the Saintly Doctor quaest. 3. shows that for this reason they ought to apply themselves to studies.