Title XXIII: On the Office of the Archdeacon

Latin source headnote: It sets forth what pertains to the office of the archdeacon.

From the Book of the Roman Order.

Let the archdeacon know that after the bishop he is the bishop's vicar in all things, and that all care in the clergy pertains to him, both of those placed in the city and of those known to dwell throughout the parishes, whether concerning their conduct, the honor and restoration of churches, the teaching of ecclesiastical persons, or zeal for other matters; and he will render an account before God for those who transgress. And every third year, if the bishop cannot do so, let him travel throughout the entire parish and, in the stead of his bishop, correct and amend all things that need amendment.

Latin source headnote: It is not summarized, but sets forth certain things that pertain to the office of the archdeacon.

From the Council of Toledo.

The office of the archdeacon is to read the Gospel when he wishes, or to command one of the deacons to do so; and, when the bishop sings Mass, at his command the Levites shall clothe themselves in sacred vestments, in the manner in which they are to proceed to Mass with the pontiff. He himself ought to deliberate, order, and execute every complaint or cause or matter of justice of priests, deacons, or subdeacons. Therefore, as a vigorous, provident, and cautious man acting in place of his bishop, he shall have care of the entire bishopric, and:

§ 1. Providing for every ecclesiastical office, he ought to assign the readings or responsories in the cathedral church and to hear them, to such a degree that no one reads or sings the Gospel, Epistle, responsories, or any reading in the church until he first reads or sings it before the archdeacon and is heard by him.

§ 2. He shall also order the acolytes—which of them ought to carry the candlesticks, which the thurible, and which of the minors ought to perform any offices in the church.

Latin source headnote: Custody of the vessels of the church pertains to the archdeacon.

Gregory III, to the Archdeacon of Salona.

We grieved when we learned the things that you and your bishop directed in writings to us against one another, because charity recognizes nothing between you. Nevertheless, we command you to administer in the office of your order; and if there, with grace prevailing, the cause of your scandal can be terminated, we believe much to have been gained for your soul. But if discord has so armed its parties between you that your will is to remain in the swelling of scandal, you shall come without distinction to our hearing, and your bishop shall direct for himself whatever instructed person he chooses, so that, after all things have been weighed with subtle reasoning, we ought to establish what shall seem good to the parties.

We will you to know, however, that we will inquire strictly from you because neither the things of your own church nor the treasures collected from different churches are preserved with all solicitude and fidelity. But if anything of them has perished through negligence or anyone's fraud, you are bound by guilt in this, for through the order of the archdeaconry you are more strictly deputed to the custody of that church.

Latin source headnote: An archdeacon does not commit the care of souls without the bishop's mandate; that is, he does not possess an institution capable of authorization.

Alexander III, to the Archdeacon of Ely.

Since it is sufficiently absurd and alien to the institutions of the holy Fathers that an archdeacon by his own authority should commit the care of churches to anyone, we bear it exceedingly ill that you commit the care of souls to persons without the mandate of your bishop. Therefore, because you ought not, with a view to any custom, to contravene the constitutions of the holy Fathers and claim what does not pertain to your office, we command that hereafter you not presume to commit the care of souls to anyone without the permission and mandate of your bishop.

Latin source headnote: By common law an archdeacon cannot excommunicate. Antonius de Butrio.

The same, to the Bishop of Worcester.

By ecclesiastical institution it does not seem to be permitted to archdeacons to promulgate a sentence against anyone unless the authority and consent of the bishops have acceded.

Latin source headnote: An archdeacon visits his province, that is, his parish, once a year unless necessity requires more. This is what it says.

The same, to the Bishop of Coventry and the Abbot of Chester.

We command that you prohibit R., Archdeacon of Chester, from presuming to fine with a pecuniary penalty clerics or laymen who are to be punished for their excesses; to extort anything from any man or woman in an ordeal by fire or water; to suspend persons or place churches under interdict for an annual and undue exaction of money; or to approach the churches of his archdeaconry for visitation except once a year, unless perhaps such a cause has arisen on account of which it is fitting that he visit the aforesaid churches more often. And then let him do so with such moderation of men and mounts that those who dwell in them ought not deservedly to complain as a result.

But if he presumes to contravene your prohibition, you shall strike him with ecclesiastical severity, with every occasion and appeal ceasing, and shall cause the sentence itself to be inviolably observed until worthy satisfaction, so that we are not compelled to avenge this more harshly upon you and them.

Latin source headnote: It says first what the office of the archdeacon is and in what respect the bishop is relieved through it. Second, it says that rural deans are to be elected and removed by the bishop and archdeacon if they jointly discharge the functions of both.

Innocent III.

To these things we do not say—(And below:)

§ 1. Indeed, the devotion of your fraternity consulted us as to what ought to pertain to the office of the archdeacon and in what matters the care of episcopal solicitude ought to be relieved through him. We, insofar as we can, respond that, according to the statutes of blessed Isidore, the archdeacon commands subdeacons and Levites; the solicitude and ordering of parishes pertain to him, and he ought to hear the disputes of individuals.

§ 2. Archpriests, moreover, who are called deans by many, should know that they are subject to his jurisdiction.

§ 3. According to the constitution of the Roman Order, he is found to be the greatest after the bishop and the vicar of the bishop himself, furnishing all solicitude and care, both toward clerics and toward their churches, as well as he can according to God, since he will render an account concerning these matters in the judgment of the strict examination.

§ 4. Likewise, in a certain letter of blessed Pope Clement, our predecessor, the archdeacon is called the eye of the bishop, so that, looking throughout the bishopric in the bishop's place, he may correct and amend the things that he sees are to be corrected, unless the affairs are so arduous that they cannot be terminated without the presence of his superior.

§ 5. In a certain constitution of ours, however, we remember that on another occasion we expressed that corporal institution concerning both benefices and dignities ought to pertain to him, as well as the examination of clerics if they are to be promoted to sacred orders. And we believe that this same thing is to be observed in collations of benefices, so that those who are to be placed over ecclesiastical benefices are first examined by their archdeacon and afterwards presented through him to the bishop.

§ 6. Subsequently you then asked whether rural deans, who are appointed for a time, ought to be instituted or removed, if they are to be removed, at your mandate alone, or that of the archdeacon, or even that of both. To this we respond briefly that, since according to the authority of the imperial enactment what touches all ought to be approved by all, and since the dean exercises their common office, he is to be elected, or even removed, jointly.

Latin source headnote: An archdeacon does not give letters commendatory for orders.

The same.

You signified—(And below:) You shall forbid your archdeacon from granting his letters to those to be promoted without your knowledge and authority, and shall also strictly prohibit them from daring to hasten to orders in such a manner. If they presume to contravene your prohibition, you shall entirely forbid them execution of the orders received. [Given at the Lateran, on the fifteenth day before the Kalends of October, 1199.]

Latin source headnote: An archdeacon examines and presents those to be ordained and places prelates in their seat.

The same.

So that our—(And below:) [(cf. c. un., That the Benefices of a Church, III.12.) But because the excesses of greater persons ought to be punished with greater severity, since according to the oracle of divine law, “if the priest who is anointed sins, he will cause the people to transgress,” with the common counsel of our brothers we invalidated what you dishonorably presumed concerning the retention of revenues. And, as a penalty for presumption of this kind, so that you may be punished in that in which you had sinned, we have decreed that you are to be suspended from the collation of the dignity or ecclesiastical benefice that shall first become vacant for your grant in your church.

But because, with divine scripture teaching, we have learned that a wise man is better than a strong man, and one who rules his spirit than one who takes cities, however much we have willed or would will—if we could with justice preserved, contrary to which we judge that we cannot act, since we are constituted in the seat of justice—that the aforesaid chancery be conferred upon our aforesaid subdeacon, nevertheless we have not found the often-mentioned H. de Lamp. so blameworthy that, with justice requiring it, we can deprive him of that chancery. For, although his relatives transgressed through simplicity, nevertheless giving or even promising nothing for it, he himself received investiture of the chancery as a true canon and one against whom, by reason of the canonry, no defect could be opposed by law, without any pact or agreement.]

Nor was it [even] sufficiently proved that the chancellor by virtue of his office exercises the spiritual functions mentioned, since rather by common law they pertain to the office of the archdeacon, namely, to present those to be ordained to the bishop and to examine them, and to place abbots and abbesses in their seat. [Since it has been proved that these, etc. Given at Perugia, on the ninth day before the Kalends of October, 1198.]

Latin source headnote: Archdeacons have no jurisdiction in monasteries except insofar as general or special custom grants it to them.

Honorius III, to the Abbot of Arimanum in the diocese of Troyes, and to the Archdeacon and Dean of Saint Stephen of Troyes.

To our beloved son—(And below:) At the petition of the Archdeacon of Sens, who complained that the abbot and convent of the monastery of Saint-Pierre-le-Vif at Sens contrary to justice denied him the annual procuration and certain other things pertaining to him by reason of his archdeaconry, we gave a mandate to the Abbot of Saint-Crépin and his colleagues that they should hear a cause of this kind and terminate it with the due conclusion.

Before them the aforesaid archdeacon sought that, since the same monastery is situated within the bounds of his archdeaconry, the aforesaid abbot and monks should obey him in those things that pertain to jurisdiction, correction, reconciliation, and visitation, which he said belong to archidiaconal right: namely, that they should answer complainants before him, stand to law, and observe his just sentences; and, when cited, should also come into his presence to hear and observe, with their rule and the due obedience of their abbot preserved, his honorable and holy mandates according to God concerning correction of excesses and other matters that archdeacons are accustomed and reasonably able to enjoin.

He sought, moreover, that hereafter, with him passed over, they not cause any persons from the bailiwick of Sens to be convened before the official of the Archbishop of Sens, asserting that they ought first to be convened under him before the aforesaid official, only the special causes of the archbishop himself and of his men and household excepted.

Therefore, issue having been lawfully joined concerning the foregoing before the aforesaid judges and the matters set forth on each side having been heard by them, with the assent of both parties the same judges remitted the cause itself to apostolic examination. Thus, with the abbot and archdeacon themselves appearing in our presence, we, considering that their customs concerning the jurisdiction of archdeacons are diverse, could not reach a final proceeding in a question of this kind, since in this case we did not know the custom that the Archdeacon of Sens employs in the abbeys at Sens of the order of the aforesaid monastery.

But, willing that the due end be imposed upon the same question, with the assent of the abbot himself and the procurator of the other party, we have decided to commit the cause itself to you. Therefore, we command your discretion that you solicitously inquire into the truth concerning these matters through the senior canons of the church of Sens, who ought to possess fuller knowledge of a custom of this kind. Unless within three months after the edict of the first citation it is established for you through them that the aforesaid archdeacon or his predecessors, by a custom peacefully acquired in this manner, have until now possessed some jurisdiction in the monastery itself or in abbeys of this kind, you shall altogether absolve the aforesaid monastery from his claim, imposing perpetual silence upon the archdeacon himself concerning this.

But if it is established for you through the same canons that the archdeacon himself or his predecessors, by a custom acquired in this manner, have until now possessed some jurisdiction in that monastery or in other abbeys of this kind, you shall award him only that same jurisdiction in the aforesaid monastery which it is established that he or his predecessors possessed in the monastery itself or in the same abbeys, imposing perpetual silence upon him concerning the other matters, and proceeding in all the foregoing with the obstacle of appeal removed.