Question — Decretum of Gratian
Question V [VI]
QUESTION V. [VI.]
GRATIAN. PART I. But blessed Gregory testifies that the rulers of a church cannot by their own authority, with judicial proceedings omitted, reclaim the things which are owed to the church, [book IV, c. 38], saying:
QUESTIO V. [VI.]
GRATIANUS. I. Pars. Quod autem ea, que ecclesiae debentur, rectores eiusdem sua auctoritate iudiciis pretermissis repetere non ualeant, B. Gregorius testatur, [lib. IV. c. 38.] dicens:
Friedberg, col. 797/798
C. I. Let the property of a church be defended by judgment, not by hands.
A new and very reprehensible custom has erupted in this church: when the administrators of its patrimony suspect that urban or rural estates can belong to its right, they impress titles after the manner of the fisc and defend by hands, not by judgment, that which they judge can belong to the poor; and although the truth commands its preachers to do “nothing through contention,” even the evil of litigious contention itself is surpassed, and any property, when it is judged that it can belong to the church, is held by force. Therefore it was established by the present decree that if any ecclesiastical person shall ever presume of his own accord to place titles upon either a rural or an urban estate, let him be anathema. And all responded: “Let him be anathema.” § 1. But if he who presides over the church shall either command this to be done himself or neglect to punish with worthy chastisement what was done without his command, let him be anathema. And all responded: “Let him be anathema.”
C. I. Iudicio, non manibus, res ecclesiae defendantur.
Consuetudo noua in hac ecclesia et ualde reprehensibilis erupit, ut, cum rectores eius patrimonii urbana uel rusticana predia iuri illius conpetere posse suspicantur, fiscali more titulos inprimant, atque, quod conpetere pauperibus existimant, non iudicio, sed manibus defendant, et, cum predicatores suos ueritas: "nichil per contentionem" agere precipiat, etiam ipsum litigiosae contentionis malum transcenditur, et res quelibet, cum estimatur ecclesiae posse conpetere, per uim tenetur. Proinde presenti decreto constituto, ut, si quis ecclesiasticorum umquam titulos ponere siue in rustico siue in urbano predio sua sponte presumpserit, anathema sit. Et responderunt omnes: "Anathema sit." §. 1. Is autem, qui ecclesiae preest, si hoc uel ipse fieri preceperit, uel sine sua preceptione factum digna punire animaduersione neglexerit, anathema sit. Et responderunt omnes: "Anathema sit."
Friedberg, col. 797/798