distinction — Decretum of Gratian
Distinction XXX
GRATIAN. Part I. That which is read in the Canon of the Apostles, the Council of Gangra, and the Sixth Synod is considered according to cause and time. The cause was the heresy of the Manichaeans, which detested marriage, just as the superstition of certain others is also found to have introduced many things to the detestation of Catholics. Against them it is read that the following was established in the Council of Gangra:
GRATIANUS. I. Pars. Illud autem, quod in canone apostolorum, et in Gangrensi concilio, et in VI. sinodo legitur, ex causa consideratur et ex tempore. Causa fuit heresis Manicheorum, que coniugium detestabatur, sicut etiam quorumdam superstitio multa in Catholicorum detestacione introduxisse inuenitur, contra quos in Gangrensi Concilio statutum legitur:
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C. I. Concerning the manifold superstition of the heretics whom the Council of Gangra anathematized.
[Council of Gangra, c. 16.] If any children abandon their parents, especially faithful parents, on the occasion of the worship of God, judging this to be just, and do not rather render the honor owed to their parents so that in them they may venerate this very fact, that they are faithful, let them be anathema.
C. I. De multimoda supersticione hereticorum, quos Gangrense concilium anathematizauit.
[Conc. Gangr. c. 16.] Si qui filii parentes, maxime fideles, deseruerint occasione Dei cultus, hoc iustum esse iudicantes, et non potius debitum honorem parentibus reddiderint, ut hoc ipsum in eis uenerentur, quod fideles sunt, anathema sint.
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C. II. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 17.]
Whatever woman, judging it fitting to religion, cuts off her own hair, which God gave her as a veil and as a reminder of her subjection, as though dissolving the law of subjection, let her be anathema.
C. II. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 17.]
Quecumque mulier, religioni iudicans conuenire, comam sibi amputauerit, quam Deus ad uelamen eius et ad memoriam subiectionis illi dedit, tanquam resoluens ius subiectionis, anathema sit.
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C. III. Concerning the same matter. Likewise from the same [c. 14].
If any woman wishes to depart after abandoning her husband, with the bond of marriage dissolved, condemning marriage, let her be anathema.
C. III. De eodem. Item ex eodem. [c. 14.]
Si qua mulier derelicto uiro discedere uoluerit, soluto uinculo coniugali, nuptias condempnando, anathema sit.
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C. IV. Concerning the same matter. Likewise from the same [c. 10].
If anyone who has professed virginity for God disparages through arrogance those placed in marriage, let him be anathema.
C. IV. De eodem. Item ex eodem. [c. 10.]
Si quis propter Deum uirginitatem professus in coniugio positos per arrogantiam uituperauerit, anathema sit.
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C. V. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 9.]
If anyone who has professed either virginity or continence judges marriage abominable and does not do so solely because the good of continence and virginity is a holy resolve, let him be anathema.
C. V. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 9.]
Si quis uel uirginitatem, uel continentiam professus, tanquam abominabiles nuptias iudicat, et non propter hoc solum, quod continentiae et uirginitatis bonum sanctum propositum sit, anathema sit.
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C. VI. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 13.]
If any woman, judging it useful for her resolve that she use masculine clothing, imitates a man’s habit for this reason, let her be anathema.
C. VI. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 13.]
Si qua mulier suo proposito utile iudicans, ut uirili ueste utatur, propter hoc uiri habitum imitetur anathema sit.
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C. VII. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 18.]
If anyone, judging this fitting to continence, fasts on the Lord’s day in contempt of that day, let him be anathema.
C. VII. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 18.]
Si quis, tanquam hoc continentiae conuenire iudicans, die dominico ieiunauerit in eiusdem diei contemptum, anathema sit.
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C. VIII. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 19.]
If anyone among those who are in the resolve of continence is proud because of bodily necessity and thinks the common fasts are to be despised, judging the perfect principle of the whole Church to exist in his own conscience, let him be anathema.
C. VIII. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 19.]
Si quis eorum, qui in proposito sunt continentiae, propter necessitatem corporalem superbiat, et ieiunia communia putauerit contempnenda, tocius ecclesiae perfectam in sua conscientia iudicans rationem, anathema sit.
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C. IX. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 20.]
If anyone through pride, regarding himself as perfect, either accuses the assemblies that are held in various places and in the basilicas of the holy martyrs, or believes that the offerings celebrated there are to be spurned and the memorials of the saints despised, let him be anathema.
C. IX. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 20.]
Si quis per superbiam, tanquam perfectum se existimans, conuentus, qui per loca et basilicas sanctorum martirum fiunt, uel accusauerit, uel etiam oblationes, que ibidem celebrantur, spernendas esse crediderit, memoriasque Sanctorum contempnendas, anathema sit.
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C. X. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 3.]
If anyone teaches that the house of God and the congregations that are held in it ought to be despised, let him be anathema.
C. X. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 3.]
Si quis docet, domum Dei contemptibilem esse debere et congregationes, que in ea fiunt, anathema sit.
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C. XI. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 6.]
If anyone, gathering peoples privately outside the Church, despises ecclesiastical sanctions and conducts the Church among his own people with a priest but without the counsel of the bishop, let him be anathema.
C. XI. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 6.]
Si quis extra ecclesiam priuatim populos congregans contempnat ecclesiasticas sanctiones, ipsam ecclesiam apud se sine episcopi consilio cum presbitero agat anathema sit.
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C. XII. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 1.]
If anyone brings an accusation against marriage and believes that a faithful and religious woman sleeping with her husband is to be abominated or even accused, as though married persons could not enter the kingdom of God, let him be anathema.
C. XII. Item de eodem. [ib. c. I.]
Si quis nuptias in accusatione duxerit, et mulierem fidelem ac religiosam cum uiro suo dormientem abhominandam crediderit aut etiam accusandam, tamquam non posse coniugatos in regnum Dei ingredi, anathema sit.
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C. XIII. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 2.]
If anyone believes that one who eats meat in faith and with religion—except blood, what is sacrificed to an idol, and what is strangled—is to be condemned as though one who eats it has no hope, let him be anathema.
C. XIII. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 2.]
Si quis carnem manducantem ex fide cum religione, preter sanguinem et ydolo inmolatam et suffocatam, crediderit condempnandum, tanquam spem non habentem, qui eam manducat, anathema sit.
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C. XIV. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 15.]
If anyone abandons his own children and does not nourish them and furnish them the necessities, as is the duty of piety, but thinks they are to be neglected on the occasion of continence, let him be anathema.
C. XIV. Item de eadem. [ib. c. 15.]
Si quis dereliquerit proprios filios, et non eos aluerit et (quod pietatis est) necessaria non prebuerit, sed sub occasione continentiae negligendos putauerit, anathema sit.
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C. XV. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, c. 12.]
If any man thinks it fitting to the holy resolve, that is, continence, that he use a cloak as though he will have righteousness from it, and reproves or judges others who with reverence use hooded cloaks and other common clothing that is in use, let him be anathema.
C. XV. Item de eodem. [ib. c. 12.]
Si quis uirorum putauerit sancto proposito (id est continentiae) conuenire, ut pallio utatur, tamquam ex eo iustitiam habiturus, et reprehendat uel iudicet alios, qui cum reuerentia birris utuntur et alia ueste communi, que in usu est, anathema sit.
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C. XVI. Likewise concerning the same matter. [In the same, final chapter.]
Part II. We have written these things not cutting off those who in the Church of God choose, according to the Scriptures, the holy resolve of continence, but those who assume its habit and are raised up in pride against those who live more simply. But we also condemn those who exalt themselves against the Scriptures and the ecclesiastical canons and introduce new precepts. We, however, both admire virginity with humility, and call continence with chastity and religion most acceptable to God; and, approving, we praise renunciations of secular affairs and acts with humility; and we honor the bond of marriage that endures according to chastity; and we do not cast out the rich who possess justice and good works.
C. XVI. Item de eodem. [ib. c. ultimo]
II. Pars. Hec scripsimus, non abscindentes eos, qui in ecclesia Dei secundum scripturas propositum sanctum continentiae eligunt, sed eos, qui suscipiunt habitum eius et in superbiam efferuntur aduersus eos, qui simplicius uiuunt. Sed et hos condempnamus, qui se extollunt aduersus scripturas et ecclesiasticos canones, et noua introducunt precepta. Nos autem et uirginitatem cum humilitate admiramur, et continentiam cum castitate et religionem Deo acceptissimam dicimus, et renunciationes secularium negotiationum atque actuum cum humilitate approbando laudamus, et nuptiarum uinculum quod secundum castitatem perdurat, honoramus, et diuites cum iustitia et operibus bonis non abicimus.
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C. XVII. One who follows the superstitions of the Manichaeans is anathematized.
Likewise from the Council of Pope Martin. If any priest, because of public penance received from a priest, fasts without any necessity on the Lord’s day out of a certain religiosity, as the Manichaeans do, let him be anathema. §1. Likewise, as the ancient canon handed down by the Apostles maintains, it pleased the council that on every Sunday and on every day of Easter until the fiftieth day, they should not prostrate themselves in the prayer of humility, but with face upright should perform the office of prayer to the Lord, because on these days we celebrate the joy of the Lord’s resurrection. If anyone also abstains from foods not for abstinence but from execration, it pleased the holy council that he should first taste them and then, if he wishes to abstain, abstain. But if he spurns them so that he does not taste vegetables cooked with meat, then, as one who is disobedient and does not remove from himself the suspicion of heresy, let him be deposed from the order of the clerical state.
C. XVII. Anathematizatur, qui Manicheorum supersticiones sequitur.
Item ex Concilio Martini Papae. Si quis presbiter propter publicam penitentiam a sacerdote acceptam absque aliqua necessitate die dominica pro quadam religione ieiunauerit, sicut Manichei, anathema sit. §. 1. Similiter et quod ab apostolis traditum canon tenet antiquus, placuit, ut per omnes dominicas et per omnes dies pascae usque ad quinquagesimam non prosternant se in oratione humilitatis, sed recto uultu ad Dominum orationis fungantur offitio, quia in his diebus gaudium resurrectionis Domini celebramus. Si quis etiam non pro abstinentia, sed pro exsecratione escarum abstinet placuit sancto concilio, ut pregustet, et sic, si uult abstinere, abstineat. Si autem spernit, ita ut olera cocta cum carnibus non degustet, iste non obediens, nec suspitionem heresis a se remouens, deponatur de ordine clericatus.
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