distinction — Decretum of Gratian
Distinction LXXVIII
GRATIAN. At what age priests ought to be ordained Pope Boniface defines, saying:
GRATIANUS. Qua uero etate sacerdotes ordinari debeant, Bonifatius Papa diffinit, dicens:
Friedberg, col. 275/276
C. I. A priest is not to be ordained before thirty years.
If anyone has not completed thirty years of his age, let him in no way be ordained a priest, even if he is very worthy.
[PALEA.
C. I. Ante XXX. annos presbiter non ordinetur.
Si quis triginta etatis suae non inpleuerit annos, nullo modo ordinetur presbiter, etiamsi ualde sit dignus.
[PALEA.
Friedberg, col. 275/276
C. II. On the same.
Likewise in the Novels, in the Authenticum, Concerning the Most Holy Bishops, § “Clerics,” in Julian the Antecessor, constitution CXV, c. 19. Let no one be consecrated a priest who is younger than thirty years; let no one be made a deacon or subdeacon who is younger than twenty-five years; let no one be numbered among the readers who is younger than eighteen years; let no woman be consecrated among the deaconesses of the most holy Church who is younger than forty years or has come to a second marriage.]
C. II. De eodem.
Item in Nouellis in Authentica de sanctissimis episcopis §. Clericos, apud Iulianum Antecessorem constitutione CXV. c. 19. Nemo presbiter consecretur, qui minor triginta annis sit; nemo diaconus uel subdiaconus fiat, qui minor uigintiquinque annis sit; nemo lectoribus connumeretur, qui minor decem et octo annis fuerit; nemo inter diaconissas consecretur sacrosanctae ecclesiae, que minor sit quadraginta annis, uel ad secundum matrimonium peruenerit. ]
Friedberg, col. 275/276
C. III. No one is to be ordained a priest unless approved by a lengthy examination.
Likewise Pope Leo, [to the African Bishops, epistle LXXXV, c. 1]. What is it to impose hands quickly, if not to grant priestly honor to unapproved persons before the age of maturity, before the time of examination, before the merit of obedience, and before experience of discipline? And what is it to share in another’s sins, if not for the one ordaining to be made such as is the man who did not deserve to be ordained?
C. III. Non est ordinandus sacerdos, nisi longo probatus examine.
Item Leo papa. [ad Episcopos Africanos, epist. LXXXV. cap. 1.] Quid est: manus cito inponere, nisi ante etatem maturitatis, ante tempus examinis, ante meritum obedientiae, ante experientiam disciplinae sacerdotalem honorem tribuere non probatis? Et quid est: communicare peccatis alienis, nisi talem effici ordinantem, qualis ille est, qui non meruit ordinari?
Friedberg, col. 275/276
C. IV. A priest is not to be ordained before thirty years.
Likewise from the Council of Neocaesarea, [c. 11]. Let a priest not be ordained before thirty years of age, although he may be of approved life; rather, let him be kept until the predetermined time. For the Lord was baptized in his thirtieth year and then preached. GRATIAN. This is regular, whence Christ, John the Baptist, Ezekiel, and certain of the prophets are not read to have preached or prophesied before this. But because Jeremiah and Daniel are read to have received the spirit of prophecy before youthful age; David and Solomon also are found to have been anointed in adolescence; John the Evangelist, while still an adolescent, is found to have been elected by the Lord as an apostle and sent with the others to preach; and the Apostle Paul also is asserted to have been elected by the Lord and sent to preach in adolescence, the Church likewise, when necessity demands, has been accustomed to ordain certain persons before the thirtieth year. Hence Pope Zacharias to Bishop Boniface, [epistle VI, whose beginning is “Blessed be God”]:
C. IV. Ante XXX. annos presbiter non ordinetur.
Item ex Concilio Neocesariensi. [c. 11.] Presbiter ante triginta annorum etatem non ordinetur, quamuis sit probabilis uitae; sed obseruetur usque ad prefinitum tempus. Dominus enim tricesimo anno baptizatus est, et tunc predicauit. Gratian. Hoc regulariter, unde et Christus, et Iohannes Baptista, et Ezechiel, et nonnulli prophetarum non leguntur predicasse uel prophetasse. Verum, quia et Ieremias et Daniel ante iuuenilem etatem spiritum prophetiae accepisse leguntur, Dauid quoque et Salomon in adolescentia uncti inueniuntur, Iohannes etiam Euangelista, cum adhuc esset adolescens, a Domino in apostolum electus et cum aliis ad predicandum missus inuenitur; Paulus quoque apostolus in adolescentia a Domino electus, et ad predicandum missus asseritur: ecclesia similiter necessitate exigente nonnullos ante trigesimum annum ordinare consueuit. Unde Zacharias papa Bonifatio Episcopo: [epist. VI. cuius initium: "Benedictus Deus"]
Friedberg, col. 275/276
C. V. When necessity compels, priests of twenty-five years are to be ordained.
If men of thirty years are not found and necessity demands it, let priests be ordained from twenty-five years.
C. V. Necessitate cogente XXV. annorum sacerdotes ordinentur.
Si triginta annorum non reperiuntur, et necessitas exposcit, a uiginti quinque annis sacerdotes ordinentur.
Friedberg, col. 275/276