Question — Decretum of Gratian
Question I
GRATIAN. That an ordination celebrated by excommunicated persons possesses absolutely no force and is not even to be called a consecration is attested by Gregory, [book III, letter 20], who says:
GRATIANUS. Quod ordinatio, que ab excommunicatis celebratur, nullas omnino uires obtineat, nec etiam consecratio appellanda sit, testatur Gregorius, [lib. III. epist. 20.] dicens:
Friedberg, col. 599/600
C. I. What is performed by excommunicated persons cannot be called a consecration.
We can in no way call that a consecration which was celebrated by excommunicated men.
C. I. Non potest appellari consecratio, que fit ab excommunicatis.
Nos consecrationem nullo modo dicere possumus, que ab excommunicatis hominibus est celebrata.
Friedberg, col. 601/602
[PALEA C. II.
Excommunicated persons lay on hands illicitly, because they do not possess the power of ordaining. But where the laying on of hands is illicit, a wound is inflicted. Hence it is necessary to repeat what is by no means proved to have been conferred.]
[PALEA C. II.
Excommunicati illicite manus inponunt, quia potestatem ordinandi non habent. Ubi autem illicita est manus inpositio, uulnus infigitur. Unde reiterari necesse est quod minime probatur esse collatum. ]
Friedberg, col. 601/602
[PALEA C. III.
Hence Pope Damasus says in letter IV: Through an illicit laying on of hands, those who appeared to have received something had a wounded head; and where a wound has been inflicted, it is necessary to apply medicine by which the inflicted blemish may be healed—that is, it is necessary to repeat what is by no means proved to have been lawfully performed or conferred, if it ought to be perfect. For how one who received an honor from one who did not possess the power to give it lawfully can retain that honor I cannot discover.] GRATIAN. But “excommunicated persons” are here to be understood as those who contracted the penalty of excommunication in their very ordination, who were never among the number of Catholics. But those who were first reckoned among Catholics, if they were afterward marked by a sentence of excommunication, nevertheless their ordinations are mercifully tolerated by the church. Hence Urban II writes, saying:
[PALEA C. III.
Unde Damasus Papa epistola IV. ait. Per illicitam manus inpositionem uulneratum caput illi, qui uidebantur aliquid accepisse, habebant, et ubi uulnus infixum est, necesse est medicinam adhibere, qua infixa sanetur macula, id est, reiterari necesse est quod legitime actum aut collatum minime probatur, si perfectum esse debebit. Nam quomodo honorem possit retinere qui ab illo acceperit, qui potestatem dare legitime non habuit, inuenire non possum. ] Gratian. Sed excommunicati hic intelligendi sunt, qui in ipsa sua ordinatione penam excommunicationis contraxerunt, qui numquam in numero catholicorum fuerunt. Ceterum, qui inter catholicos prius deputati sunt, si postea excommunicationis sententia notati fuerint, ordinationes tamen eorum ab ecclesia misericorditer tollerantur. Unde Urbanus II. scribit, dicens:
Friedberg, col. 601/602
C. IV. Ordinations performed by excommunicated persons, not simoniacally, are tolerated from mercy.
Those ordained by excommunicated bishops who were nevertheless formerly Catholics, if indeed they did not receive the orders themselves simoniacally, and if it shall be established that the bishops themselves were not simoniacs, and in addition if their more religious life and prerogative of learning shall have appeared to merit it, you may permit, after imposing the penance you judge fitting, to remain in the orders which they received. But we do not permit them to ascend to higher ones unless the greatest necessity and utility demand it and their holy conduct merits it. GRATIAN. But that statement of Gregory too is to be understood concerning those excommunicated by name, whose ordinations are void if their condemnation was not unknown to those being ordained. Hence the same Urban says, [in the Synod of Piacenza, c. 9 and following]:
C. IV. Ordinationes ab excommunicatis non symoniace factae ex misericordia tollerantur.
Ab excommunicatis quondam tamen catholicis episcopis ordinatos, si quidem non symoniace ordines ipsos acceperunt, et si ipsos episcopos symoniacos non fuisse constiterit, ad hoc, si eorum religiosior uita et doctrinae prerogatiua uisa fuerit promereri, penitentia indicta, quam congruam duxeris, in ipsis, quos acceperunt, ordinibus permanere permittas. Ad superiores autem conscendere non concedimus, nisi necessitas et utilitas maxima flagitauerit, et ipsorum sancta conuersatio promeruerit. Gratian. Sed et illud Gregorii de nominatim excommunicatis intelligitur, quorum ordinationes sunt irritae, si eorum dampnatio non erat ordinandis incognita. Unde idem Urbanus ait: [in Sinodo Placentina, cap. 9. et sequentibus]
Friedberg, col. 601/602
C. V. Those excommunicated by name and those who invade the sees of others cannot ordain others.
We judge void the ordinations performed by heresiarchs excommunicated by name and by those who invaded the sees of Catholic bishops still living, unless they can prove that, when they were ordained, they did not know those men had been condemned. § 1. But those who were consecrated by bishops once indeed ordained in Catholic fashion but separated from the Roman Church in schism, we command, when they return to the unity of the church, to be received mercifully with their proper orders preserved, if life and knowledge commend them. § 2. But henceforth whoever permits himself to be ordained by the aforesaid schismatics, adversaries of the holy Roman Church, shall in no way be held worthy of this pardon. § 3. Although, from regard for mercy and under the compulsion of great necessity, we have established this dispensation in sacred orders, nevertheless we wish no prejudice to be done to the sacred canons, but let them retain their proper strength, and when necessity ceases let that also cease which was done because of necessity. For where the slaughter of many lies, something must be withdrawn from severity. GRATIAN. An election too, unless it was made by Catholics, is proved to be void. Hence Gregory writes to the people of Milan, [book VIII, letter 65]:
C. V. Qui nominatim excommunicati sunt, et qui aliorum sedes inuadunt, alios ordinare non possunt.
Ordinationes, que ab heresiarchis factae sunt nominatim excommunicatis, et ab eis, qui catholicorum adhuc uiuentium episcoporum sedes inuaserunt, irritas esse iudicamus nisi probare ualuerint, se, cum ordinarentur, eos nescisse dampnatos. §. 1. Qui uero ab episcopis quondam quidem catholice ordinatis, sed in scismate a Romana ecclesia separatis consecrati sunt, eos, nimirum cum ad ecclesiae unitatem redierint, seruatis propriis ordinibus misericorditer suscipi iubemus, si uita et scientia eos conmendat. §. 2. Amodo uero quicumque a predictis scismaticis sanctae Romanae ecclesiae aduersariis se ordinari permiserit, nullatenus hac uenia dignus habeatur. §. 3. Quamuis autem misericordiae intuitu magnaque necessitate cogente hanc in sacris ordinibus dispensationem constituerimus, nullum tamen preiudicium sacris canonibus fieri uolumus, sed obtineant proprium robur, et cessante necessitate illud quoque cesset, quod factum est pro necessitate. Ubi enim multorum strages iacet, subtrahendum est aliquid seueritati. Gratian. Electio quoque, nisi a catholicis facta fuerit, irrita esse probatur. Unde Gregorius scribit Mediolanensibus: [lib. VIII. epist. 65.]
Friedberg, col. 601/602
C. VI. Let an election which is proved not to have been made by Catholics be void.
We offer our consent under no reasoning to a man who is not elected by Catholics, nor, if it was done by anyone's usurpation, do we receive him into the place or order of priest.
C. VI. Irrita sit electio, quae non a catholicis facta probatur.
Nos in hominem, qui non a catholicis eligitur, nulla prebemus ratione consensum, nec, si alicuius usurpatione factum fuerit, in locum uel ordinem illum sacerdotis suscipimus.
Friedberg, col. 601/602