Question — Decretum of Gratian
Question II
GRATIAN. That one who has been despoiled cannot stand before a judge is proved by many authorities. For Pope John says, [letter I to Archbishop Zacharias]:
GRATIANUS. Quod autem expoliatus ante iudicem stare non possit, multis auctoritatibus probatur. Ait enim Iohannes papa: [I. ad Zachariam Archiepisc.]
Friedberg, col. 449/450
C. I. Before joinder of issue, all things are to be restored to the possessor.
It was decreed of old that, before joinder of issue, the bishop or primate presiding shall restore to the possessor all possessions, all things taken from him, and all revenues.
C. I. Ante litem contestatam possessori cuncta sunt restituenda.
Antiquitus decretum est, ut omnes possessiones, et omnia sibi sublata, atque cunctos fructus ante litem contestatam preceptor episcopus uel primas possessori restituat.
Friedberg, col. 449/450
C. II. Concerning the same.
Likewise Nicholas, [Pope]. All laws, ecclesiastical as well as common and public, command that all things taken from a person who has been despoiled of his property be restored to him.
C. II. De eodem.
Item Nicolaus. [Papa] Omnes leges tam ecclesiasticae, quam uulgares et publice precipiunt, ut omnia sibi ablata restituantur ei, qui suis est rebus expoliatus.
Friedberg, col. 449/450
C. III. No one ought to be accused while he has been despoiled of his property.
Likewise Pope Stephen, [letter II]. No bishop, while he has been despoiled of his property, ought to be accused before all things which were taken from him by whatever device are restored in accordance with the laws, so that before an accusation is received the primates and synod shall restore completely to the bishop who is under consideration all possessions and all revenues.
C. III. Nullus debet accusari, dum suis rebus fuerit expoliatus.
Item Stephanus Papa. [epistola II.] Nullus episcoporum, dum suis fuerit rebus expoliatus debet accusari, priusquam omnia, que ei ablata sunt quocumque ingenio, legibus redintegrentur: ita ut omnes possessiones, atque omnes fructus ante acceptam accusationem primates et sinodus episcopo, de quo agitur, funditus restituant.
Friedberg, col. 449/450
C. IV. One who has been despoiled ought neither to be summoned to a synod nor to be judged in any matter.
Likewise Eusebius to the brothers established throughout Alexandria and Egypt, [letter II]. In your writings we have found that certain bishops in your regions have been accused by their own sheep—some, to be sure, from suspicion and others upon certain ground—and that for this reason some have been despoiled of their property while others have been driven from their own see. Know that they can neither be summoned to a provincial synod nor to a general one, nor judged in any matter, before all things which were taken from them are restored to their power according to the laws.
C. IV. Nec conuocari ad sinodum, nec in aliquo iudicari debet expoliatus.
Item Eusebius fratribus constitutis per Alexandriam et Egiptum. [epist. II.] In scripturis uestris reperimus, quosdam episcopos uestris in partibus a propriis ouibus accusatos, aliquos uidelicet ex suspicione, et aliquos ex certa ratione, et idcirco quosdam suis esse rebus expoliatos, quosdam uero a propria sede depulsos. Quos sciatis nec ad sinodum conprouincialem, nec ad generalem posse conuocari nec in aliquo iudicari, antequam cuncta, que eis sublata sunt, legibus potestati eorum redintegrentur.
Friedberg, col. 449/450
C. V. Concerning the same.
Likewise Pope Julius, [in the letter to the Easterners, cc. 35 and 8]. No one can be summoned or judged before all things taken from him and all his rights are restored to him in full, because one who has already been stripped has no privilege of which he can be stripped.
C. V. De eodem.
Item Iulius Papa. [in epistola ad Orientales, c. 35. et 8.] Nullus potest uocari aut iudicari, antequam omnia sibi ablata et omnia iura ei in integrum restituantur, quia non habet priuilegium, quo possit exui iam nudatus.
Friedberg, col. 449/450
C. VI. Concerning the same.
Likewise Zephyrinus, [Pope to the bishops of Egypt, letter II]. It is therefore commanded in the ancient statutes that those cast out and despoiled of their property shall recover their own churches, and first all their property shall be returned to them; and then, if anyone wishes to accuse them justly, he shall do so under equal peril. They decree that the judges shall be bishops thinking rightly and assembling in the church where the witnesses of each person who seemed oppressed were, and that the defendants shall not answer before all their property has been restored most fully, according to the laws, to them and their churches.
C. VI. De eodem.
Item Zepherinus. [Papa ad Episcopos Aegypti, ep. II.] Preceptum est ergo in antiquis statutis, eiectos atque suis rebus expoliatos ecclesias proprias recipere, et primo sua omnia eis reddi, et demum, si quis eos iuste accusare uoluerit, equo periculo facere; iudices esse decernentes episcopos recta sapientes, et in ecclesia conuenientes, ubi testes essent singulorum, qui oppressi uidebantur, nec prius eos respondere, quam omnia sua eis et ecclesiis eorum legibus integerrime restituantur.
Friedberg, col. 449/450