Question — Decretum of Gratian
Question IV
GRATIAN. That infamous persons and those not lawfully joined ought not to be admitted to accusation, and what persons are generally to be removed from accusation, is clear from the authorities of many. For Pope Hyginus says, [letter II]:
GRATIANUS. Quod uero infames et non legitime coniuncti ad accusationem admitti non debeant, et qui generaliter ab accusatione remouendi sint, multorum auctoritatibus claret. Ait enim Iginus Papa: [epist. II.]
Friedberg, col. 511/512
C. I. Infamous persons cannot accuse those who are of good reputation.
We cannot receive a person who follows the association of an alien error, or departs from the path of his own purpose, or is disobedient to the commands of the Apostolic See; nor do we permit them to impede those believing rightly or obeying the commands of the holy Fathers, because there ought to be a great distinction between the faithful and the unfaithful.
C. I. Infames eos, qui sunt bonae famae, accusare non possunt.
Alieni erroris societatem sectantem, uel a sui propositi tramite recedentem, aut apostolicae sedis iussionibus inobedientem suscipere non possumus, nec inpedire recte credentes, uel sanctorum Patrum iussionibus obtemperantes permittimus, quia inter fideles et infideles magna debet esse discretio.
Friedberg, col. 511/512
C. II. One who voluntarily transgresses his own law cannot accuse those acting rightly before his return.
Likewise Anacletus in the first decretal. Our blessed predecessor Clement, an apostolic man and full of the Spirit of God, established together with his other holy colleagues, saying: License to accuse or testify shall be denied to those who have neglected the dignity of the Christian religion and name, the norm of their own law or purpose, or things regularly prohibited. For voluntary transgressors of their own law, and its violators, are called apostates. Every apostate is to be rejected before his return, and he is not to be received into an accusation or testimony against those acting rightly.
C. II. Qui legem suam sponte transgreditur, ante suam reuersionem recte agentes accusare non potest.
Item Anacletus in primo decretali. Beatus predecessor noster Clemens, uir apostolicus et spiritu Dei plenus, una cum reliquis sanctis collegis suis statuit dicens: Accusandi uel testificandi licentia denegetur his, qui Christianae religionis et nominis dignitatem, et suae legis uel sui propositi normam aut regulariter prohibita neglexerint. Transgressores enim sponte legis suae, eiusque uiolatores, apostatae nominantur. Omnis enim apostata refutandus est ante reuersionem suam, nec in accusationem recte agentium aut testimonium suscipiendus est.
Friedberg, col. 511/512
C. III. Those departing from their purpose become infamous.
Likewise Pope Pius, [letter I]. If anyone has strayed backward from his purpose and willingly transgressed the commands of the Apostolic See, he becomes infamous. Therefore, the refutations of those who are suspect in the right faith ought to be rejected. But faith and manner of life are first to be scrutinized, and afterwards those who have appeared irreproachable are to be received, and not before.
C. III. A suo proposito discedentes fiunt infames.
Item Pius Papa. [epist. I.] Si quis uero a suo proposito retrorsum exorbitauerit, et iussa apostolicae sedis libenter transgressus fuerit, infamis efficitur. Reprobari ergo oportet eorum redargutiones, qui in recta fide suspecti sunt. Fides autem et conuersatio primum scrutanda est, et denuo qui inreprehensibiles aparuerint sunt recipiendi, et non prius.
Friedberg, col. 511/512
C. IV. Incestuous persons not lawfully joined cannot accuse priests or lawfully joined persons.
Likewise Pope Callistus, [to the Bishops of Gaul, letter II, c. 4]. Unions of blood relatives are neither lawful nor able to remain, but are to be repelled. § 1. Therefore, whoever is shown to be joined unlawfully, or coupled without a dotal title and the blessing of a priest, can by no means charge priests or lawfully joined persons with a crime or testify against them, because everyone polluted by the stain of incest is infamous and is not permitted to accuse the aforesaid persons. Therefore, not only are these persons to be repelled and made infamous, but also all those consenting to them. § 2. We determine that the same shall be done concerning abductors or those who assail their elders. For the laws of the world kill these persons, but we, with mercy going before, receive them to penance under the mark of infamy.
C. IV. Incestuosi non legitime coniuncti sacerdotes uel legitime coniunctos accusare non possunt.
Item Calixtus Papa. [ad Episcopos Galliae, ep. II. c. 4.] Consanguineorum coniunctiones nec legitimae sunt, nec manere possunt, sed sunt repellendae. §. 1. Quisquis ergo non legitime coniunctus, uel absque dotali titulo ac benedictione sacerdotis constat copulatus, sacerdotes uel legitime coniunctos criminari, uel in eos testificari minime potest, quoniam omnis incesti macula pollutus infamis est et accusare supradictos non permittitur. Non solum ergo hii repellendi sunt et infames efficiuntur, sed etiam omnes eis consentientes. §. 2. Similiter de raptoribus, uel eis, qui seniores inpetunt, fieri censemus. Hos enim seculi leges interficiunt, sed nos misericordia preeunte sub infamiae nota ad penitentiam recipimus.
Friedberg, col. 511/512
C. V. Who are not to be received in an accusation.
The same, [in the same letter]. Conspirators are to be received in no person's accusation, nor can their voice, or that of anathematized persons, harm or injure anyone.
C. V. Qui non sunt recipiendi in accusatione.
Idem. [in eadem epistola] Conspiratores in nullius accusatione sunt recipiendi, nec eorum uel anathematizatorum uox ullum nocere aut ledere potest.
Friedberg, col. 511/512
C. VI. Concerning the same.
Likewise Pope Stephen, [letter II]. Let none of the anathematized be received, nor let the things which are said or written by them be believed by anyone. I call those persons anathematized whom bishops have anathematized by their writings, or whom their statutes anathematize.
C. VI. De eodem.
Item Stephanus Papa. [epist. II.] Nullus anathematizatorum suscipiatur, nec a quoquam credantur que ab eis dicuntur uel conscribuntur. Eos dico anathematizatos esse, quos episcopi suis scriptis anathematizauerunt, aut eorum statuta anathematizant.
Friedberg, col. 513/514
C. VII. Anathematized persons cannot accuse the faithful.
Likewise Pope Fabian, [letter I to the ministers of the Church]. We remove all whom the statutes of the holy Fathers anathematize in past as well as future times, and we exclude them from every accusation of the faithful.
C. VII. Anathematizati fideles accusare non possunt.
Item Fabianus Papa. [ep. I. ad ecclesiae ministros] Omnes, quos sanctorum Patrum statuta tam preteritis quamque futuris temporibus anathematizant, submouemus, et ab omni fidelium accusatione alienamus.
Friedberg, col. 513/514
C. VIII. A cleric who has accused a bishop becomes infamous.
Likewise Pope Stephen, [letter II, c. 8]. But a cleric who has accused his bishop or proved to be an ambusher against him is not to be received, because he has become infamous and ought to withdraw from his grade and be handed over to serve the curia.
C. VIII. Clericus, qui episcopum accusauerit, infamis efficitur.
Item Stephanus Papa. [epist. II. c. 8.] Clericus uero, qui episcopum suum accusauerit, aut ei insidiator extiterit, non est recipiendus, quia infamis effectus est, et a gradu debet recedere, ac curiae tradi seruiturus.
Friedberg, col. 513/514
C. IX. Those who persecute bishops shall become infamous and exiles.
Likewise Pope Alexander, [letter I, c. 1]. Those who persecute bishops and unjustly strive to remove them contrary to apostolic authority, although they are kept from death by the Lord's saying, “I do not wish the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live,” are nevertheless without doubt marked with perpetual infamy and judged worthy of exile nearby. Concerning them we hold from the times of the Apostles and below, and we possess decrees: we obstruct the plea of accusing bishops or testifying against them for those whom we know to be dead not by human but by divine acts.
C. IX. Infames et exules fiant qui episcopos persecuntur.
Item Alexander Papa. [epist. I. c. 1.] Hii qui episcopos persecuntur et amouere nituntur iniuste contra apostolicam auctoritatem, etsi a morte prohibentur, dicente Domino: "Nolo mortem peccatoris, sed ut conuertatur et uiuat," perpetua tamen procul dubio notantur infamia, et exilio digni iudicantur finitimo; de quibus a temporibus apostolorum et infra tenemus, atque decreta habemus, eorum accusandi episcopos uel testificandi in eos uocem obstruimus, quos non humanis sed diuinis actibus mortuos scimus.
Friedberg, col. 513/514
C. X. Detractors and instigators of enemies shall not accuse bishops.
Likewise Pope Zephyrinus, [letter I to the Bishops of Sicily]. We remove from an episcopal accusation or testimony detractors, who are to be eradicated by divine authority, and instigators of enemies.
C. X. Detractores et inimicorum auctores episcopos non accusent.
Item Zepherinus Papa. [ep. I. ad Episcopos Sicilienses] Detractores, qui diuina auctoritate eradicandi sunt, et auctores inimicorum ab episcopali submouemus accusatione uel testimonio.
Friedberg, col. 513/514
C. XI. An infamous or sacrilegious person cannot accuse a religious Christian.
Likewise Pope Eutychian, [letter II to the Bishops of Sicily]. Let it never be lawful for any infamous or sacrilegious person, concerning any business whatsoever, to give testimony against a religious Christian—even if he is a humble and servile person—or for any reason or by formal inscription to assail a Christian. GRATIAN. It is to be noted, however, that excommunication is one thing and anathematization another. Hence John VIII writes to a certain bishop:
C. XI. Infamis uel sacrilegus religiosum Christianum accusare non potest.
Item Euticianus Papa. [ep. II. ad Episc. Siciliae] Nulli umquam infami aut sacrilego de quocumque negotio liceat aduersus religiosum Christianum (quamuis humilis seruilisque persona sit) testimonium dicere, nec de qualibet ratione uel inscriptione Christianum inpetere. Gratian. Notandum uero est, quod aliud sit excommunicatio, et aliud anathematizatio. Unde Iohannes VIII. scribit cuidam Episcopo:
Friedberg, col. 513/514
C. XII. Excommunication is one thing, anathematization another.
Know that Engeltrude, wife of Boso, was struck repeatedly not only with excommunication, which separates from fraternal fellowship, but also with anathema, which cuts one off from the body of Christ itself, which is the Church. GRATIAN. From this it is given to be understood that the anathematized are to be understood not simply as entirely separated from fraternal fellowship, but from the body of Christ, which is the Church.
C. XII. Aliud est excommunicatio, aliud anathematizatio.
Hengiltrudam uxorem Bosonis noueris non solum excommunicatione, que a fraterna societate separat, sed etiam anathemate, quod ab ipso corpore Christi (quod est ecclesia) recidit, crebro percussam. Gratian. Unde datur intelligi, quod anathematizati intelligendi sunt non simpliciter a fraterna societate omnino separati, sed a corpore Christi (quod est ecclesia).
Friedberg, col. 513/514