Title — Decretals of Gregory IX
Title VI: On a Sick or Debilitated Cleric
Chapter I
Latin source headnote: A sick cleric receives the fruits of his benefice in full.
Gregory, to Candidus, Bishop of Orvieto.
Since, when there is bodily affliction, [whether it happens for purgation or for vengeance, God's judgment in this is unknown, affliction ought not to be added by us to those scourged, lest, which may it not be, the offense of guilt regard us. And because Calumniosus, bearer of the present letters, asserts that on account of this affliction that he sustains the customary advantages are denied him by your church, therefore] we exhort your fraternity by the present letters that his sickness ought not to impede the bearer of the present letters from receiving the benefits that are customary from your church; because, if others were deterred by his example, perhaps no one could be found who would serve the church. Rather, according to the order of his place, let your fraternity, in contemplation of divine judgment, furnish to the sick man, from the very small means that can come to the church, whatever could be ministered to him if he were healthy, [so that, etc.]
DE CLERICO AEGROTANTE VEL DEBILITATO.
Clericus infirmus integre percipit fructus beneficii sui.
Gregorius Candido Episcopo Urbevetano.
Quum percussio corporalis, +[utrum pro purgatione an pro vindicta contingat, Dei in hoc iudicium ignoratur, non debet a nobis addi flagellatis afflictio, ne nos culpae,] quod absit, offensa respiciat. Et quia praesentium lator Calumniosus pro hac percussione, quam sustinet, consueta sibi commoda ab ecclesia vestra asserit negari, idcirco Fraternitatem tuam praesentibus hortamur epistolis, quatenus latorem praesentium ad percipienda beneficia, quae consueta sunt ab ecclesia tua, aegritudo sua non debeat impedire; quia, si alii eius essent exemplo deterriti, forte non posset qui militaret ecclesiae inveniri, sed secundum loci eius ordinem quaecunque ei, si sanus esset, poterant ministrari, de ipsa exiguitate, quae ecclesiae potest accedere, fraternitas tua divini contemplatione iudicii praebeat aegrotanti, [quatenus etc.]
Chapter II
Latin source headnote: A presbyter from whom half the palm with two fingers has been cut off does not celebrate Mass, but he can perform the other priestly functions.
Pope Eugenius.
We do not permit the presbyter whose two fingers together with half his palm you signified to have been cut off by a robber to celebrate Mass, because we trust that this cannot be done safely because of the debility or without scandal because of the deformity of the member. But we in no way forbid him to perform the other priestly offices. [Furthermore, etc. (Cf. c. 1, On Apostasy, V. 9.)]
Presbyter, cui medietas palmae cum duobus digitis est abscissa, missam non celebrat, sed ceteris sacerdotalibus fungi potest.
Eugenius Papa.
Presbyterum, cuius duos digitos cum medietate palmae a praedone abscissos esse significasti, missam non permittimus celebrare, quia nec secure propter debilitatem, nec sine scandalo propter deformitatem membri hoc fieri posse confidimus. Ipsum autem ceteris officiis sacerdotal ibus fungi minime prohibemus. [Praeterea etc. (cf. c. 1. de apostat. V. 9.)]
Chapter III
Latin source headnote: If the rector of a church is leprous, a coadjutor is to be given to him.
Lucius III.
Concerning rectors of churches infected with the mark of leprosy to such a degree that they cannot serve at the altar or enter churches without great scandal to those who are healthy, we wish you to hold this: that a coadjutor is to be given to them who has the care of souls and receives from the resources of the church a fitting portion for his own sustenance.
Si rector ecclesia sit leprosus, dandus est ei coadiutor.
Lucius III.
De rectoribos ecclesiarum leprae macula usque adeo infectis, quod altari servire non possunt, nec sine magno scandalo eorum, qui sani sunt, ecclesias ingredi, hoc volumus te tenere, quod eis dandus est coadiutor, qui curam habeat animarum, et de facultatibus ecclesiae ad sustentationem suam congruam recipiat portionem.
Chapter IV
Latin source headnote: If the rector of a church is leprous, he is removed from the office of administration, but is sustained from the goods of the church.
Clement III.
Your fraternity has thought fit to consult us—(And below: [Cf. c. 19, On the Sentence of Excommunication, V. 39.]) But concerning a priest who, struck by divine judgment with the disease of leprosy, performs the office of prelacy in a parish church, we say that, because of the scandal and abhorrence of the people, he ought to be removed from the office of administration, in such a way indeed that necessities are ministered to him for as long as he lives according to the resources of the church.
Si rector ecclesiae sit leprosus, ab administrationis officio removetur; sed de bonis ecclesiae sustentatur.
Clemens III.
Tua nos duxi t fraternitas consulendos: (Et infra: [*cf. c. * 19. de sent. exc. V. 39.]) De sacerdote vero, qui divino iudicio leprae morbo repercussus in parochiali ecclesia praelationis officio fungitur, dicimus, quod pro scandalo et abominatione populi ab administrationis debet officio removeri, ita quidem, quod iuxta facultates ecclesiae sibi necessaria, quamdiu vixerit, ministrentur.
Chapter V
Latin source headnote: A coadjutor is to be given to a bishop who, because of an incurable illness, cannot exercise the pastoral office.
Innocent III, to the Archbishop of Arles.
It was proposed before us on your behalf that, since our venerable brother the Bishop of Orange has labored under a grave and incurable illness for almost four years already, so that he has not been able and is in no way able to exercise the pastoral office, the noble man the lord of Baux, the consuls, and the citizens of the same city incessantly petition you, since you are their metropolitan, that you take care to provide both for them and for the Church of Orange. But since you neither can nor ought in any way to compel him to resignation, nor ought affliction to be added to affliction, but rather one ought to pity his misery, because the same man has been good and honorable and governed the church committed to him in a salutary manner, you have thought that the Apostolic See should be consulted as to what you ought to do concerning these things. We, therefore, wishing to provide salutarily both for the aforesaid bishop and for his church, answer your fraternity thus and through apostolic writings command that you associate with him as coadjutor a provident and honorable man through whom both the bishop and the people committed to him may be usefully counseled. [Given at Rome, at Saint Peter's, on the fourth day before the Nones of December, in the seventh year of our pontificate, 1204.]
Episcopo, qui propter morbum incurabilem pastorale officium exercere non potest, dandus est coadiutor.
Innocentius III. Arelatensi Archiepiscopo.
Ex parte fuit propositum coram nobis, quod, quum venerabilis frater noster Aurasiensis episcopus gravi et incurabili morbo fere iam per quadriennium labotaverit ita, quod pastorale officium non potuit, nec potest ullatenus exercere, nobilis vir de Baucio princeps terrae illius, consules ac cives civitatis eiusdem a te postulant incessanter, ut tam ipsis quam Aurasicensi ecclesiae, quum sis metropolitanus eorum, studeas providere. Verum quum tu ipsum ad cessionem compellere non possis, nec debeas ullo modo, nec afflictio afflictio sit addenda, immo potius sit ipsius miseriae miserendum, eo, quod idem vir bonus exstiterit et honestus, et ecclesiam salubri ter sibi commissam gubernaverit, quid super his agere debeas, sedem duxisti apostolicam consulendam. Nos igitur volentes tam praefato episcopo quam ecclesiae suae salubriter providere, fraternitati tuae taliter respondemus et per apostolica scripta mandamus, quatenus illi coadiutorem associes virum providum et honestum, per quem tam episcopo quam populo sibi commisso utiliter consulatur. [Dat. Rom. ap. S. Petr. IV. Non. Dec. Pont. nostr. Ao. VII. 1204.]
Chapter VI
Honorius III, to the Bishop of Aversa.
To the consultations—(And below:) But a coadjutor is deservedly to be assigned to the archdeacon who, you assert, laboring under paralytic disease, has lost the office of the tongue, especially if this proceeds from his own will.
Honorius III. Episcopo Aversano.
Consultationibus (Et infra:) Archidiacono autem, quem morbo paralytico laborantem officium linguae asseris amisisse, coadiutor est merito adhibendus, maxime si de ipsius processerit voluntate.