Question — Decretum of Gratian
Question IV
GRATIAN. PART I. But that monks are free to pass from one monastery to another that is stricter is held from the Council of Tribur, in which it was established thus:
GRATIANUS. I. Pars. Quod uero ab uno monasterio in aliud districtius transire monachis liberum sit, ex Concilio Triburiensi habetur, in quo sic statutum est:
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C. I. Sacred virgins who desire to go to another monastery for the sake of religion are not to be prohibited.
If sacred virgins shall have resolved to proceed to another monastery for the profit of their souls because of a stricter life, and shall have decreed to remain there, the synod concedes it. But if they shall have sought another place in flight from discipline, let them be compelled to return. GRATIAN. But what is established in this chapter concerning sacred virgins is also understood consequently concerning monks, and even concerning any cleric. PART II. § 1. But that statement of Basil is objected:
C. I. Non sunt prohibendae uirgines sacrae, que causa religionis aliud monasterium adire desiderant.
Virgines sacrae si pro lucro animae suae propter districtiorem uitam ad aliud monasterium pergere disposuerint, ibidemque conmanere decreuerint, sinodus concedit. Si uero fuga disciplinae alium locum quesierint, redire cogantur. Gratian. Quod autem de uirginibus sacris hoc capitulo statuitur de monachis etiam consequenter intelligitur, de quolibet etiam clerico. II. Pars. §. 1. Sed obicitur illud Basilii:
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C. II. The vows of a monk made without the consent of his abbot are void.
A monk is not permitted to vow a vow without the consent of his abbot; but if he shall have vowed it, it will have to be broken. Likewise that statement of the Council of Agde, [c. 27]:
C. II. Vota monachi sine consensu abbatis sui irrita sunt.
Monacho non licet uotum uouere sine consensu abbatis sui; si autem uouerit, frangendum erit. Item illud Agatensis Concilii: [c. 27.]
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C. III. Let no one receive or ordain a monk without his abbot’s permission.
Let no abbot presume to receive or retain a monk migrating to another monastery except by the permission or will of his abbot; but wherever he shall have been found, let him be recalled to his abbot by the authority of the canons. § 1. Likewise: Let clerics without commendatory letters from their bishop have no license to wander. Let the form of the present sentence also be observed concerning monks; if a rebuke of words shall not have corrected them, we establish that they are to be restrained even by beatings. § 2. This also is to be observed concerning monks: that it is not to be lawful for them to depart from the congregation for solitary cells, unless perhaps, after their labors have been proved and completed, or because of the necessity of illness, the abbot’s harsher rule is relaxed. This is then to be done in such a way that, while remaining within the enclosures of the same monastery and nevertheless under the abbot’s power, they are permitted to have separate cells. Likewise, let an abbot not be permitted to have individual separate cells or several monasteries, except only to place places of refuge within walls because of an enemy incursion.
GRATIAN. But this is to be understood concerning monks living religiously, who are not permitted without the abbot’s consent to vow vows of special abstinence or of some strictness exceeding the general custom of their brothers, lest the brothers be scandalized over them. This was also established because of those who, evading discipline according to the rule, assume vows of pilgrimage for themselves, which is permitted neither to a monk nor to any cleric, lest on this occasion he return to secular conduct.
C. III. Monachum nullus suscipiat aut ordinet absque abbatis sui permissu.
Monachum, nisi aut permissu abbatis sui aut uoluntate ad alterum monasterium conmigrantem, nullus abbas suscipere aut retinere presumat; sed ubicumque fuerit, abbati suo auctoritate canonum reuocetur. §. 1. Item: Clericis sine conmendaticiis epistolis episcopi sui licentia non pateat euagandi. In monachis quoque presentis sententiae forma seruetur, quos si uerborum increpatio non emendauerit, etiam uerberibus statuimus coherceri. §. 2. Seruandum quoque de monachis, ne eis ad solitarias cellulas liceat a congregatione discedere, nisi forte probatis post emeritos labores, aut propter infirmitatis necessitatem asperior abbatis regula remittatur. Quod ita demum fiet, ut intra eadem monasterii septa manentes, tamen sub abbatis potestate, separatas habere cellulas permittantur. Abbati quoque singulas diuersas cellulas aut plura monasteria habere non liceat, nisi tantum propter incursum hostilitatis intra muros receptacula collocare.
Gratian. Verum hoc intelligendum est de monachis religiose uiuentibus, quibus uota specialis abstinentiae uel alicuius districtionis, que generalem consuetudinem suorum fratrum excedat, sine abbatis consensu uouere non licet, ne super eos fratres scandalizentur. Causa etiam illorum statutum est hoc, qui regularem disciplinam subterfugientes peregrinationis uota sibi assumunt, quod nec monacho, nec alicui clerico licet, ne hac occasione ad secularem conuersationem redeat.
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