distinction — Decretum of Gratian
Distinction XC
GRATIAN. Part I. A litigious man is also prohibited from being ordained, because one who by his power ought to draw the discordant to concord, and who is prohibited from receiving the offerings of those at dissension, ought by no means, through readiness to litigate, to provoke others to dissension. Hence it reads in the Fourth Council of Carthage, [c. 59]:
GRATIANUS. I. Pars. Litigiosus quoque prohibetur ordinari, quia qui sua potestate discordantes ad concordiam debet attrahere, qui oblationes dissidentium prohibetur recipere, nequaquam litigandi facilitate alios ad discidium debet prouocare. Unde in Cartaginensi Concilio IV. [c. 59.] legitur:
Friedberg, col. 313/314
C. I. Discordant clerics are to be recalled to concord or cast down to concord.
Let a bishop draw discordant clerics to concord either by reason or by authority; let the synod condemn the disobedient through a hearing.
C. I. Clerici discordantes reuocentur ad concordiam uel deiciantur ad concordiam.
Discordantes clericos episcopus uel ratione, uel potestate ad concordiam trahat; inobedientes sinodus per audientiam dampnet.
Friedberg, col. 313/314
C. II. The offerings of brothers at dissension are not to be received in the church.
Likewise from the same, [cc. 93 and 94]. Let the offerings of brothers at dissension be received neither in the sacristy nor in the treasury. Likewise: § 1. The gifts of those who oppress the poor are to be rejected by priests.
C. II. Dissidentium fratrum oblationes in ecclesia non recipiantur.
Item ex eodem. [c. 93. et 94.] Oblationes dissidentium fratrum neque in sacrario, neque in gazophilacio recipiantur. Similiter: §. 1. Dona eorum, qui pauperes obprimunt, a sacerdotibus refutanda sunt.
Friedberg, col. 313/314
C. III. One who does not have peace with his neighbor is proved to be outside the Church.
Likewise Cyprian, [On the Unity of the Church]. God had regard neither for Cain nor for his gifts;
for he could not have God at peace with him who had not peace with his brother but the discord of jealousy. What peace, therefore, do enemies of brothers promise themselves? What sacrifices do rivals of priests believe themselves to celebrate? Do those who gather outside the Church of Christ think that Christ is with them when they have gathered? Even if such persons have been killed in confession of the name of Christ, this stain is not washed away even by blood. The inexpiable and grave fault of discord is not cleansed even by suffering.
C. III. Extra ecclesiam esse probatur, qui pacem cum proximo non habet.
Item Ciprianus. [de unitate ecclesiae] Neque ad Cain neque ad munera eius respexit Deus; neque enim habere pacatum Deum poterat, qui cum fratre non pacem sed zeli discordiam habebat. Quam sibi igitur pacem promittunt inimici fratrum? que sacrificia celebrare se credunt emuli sacerdotum? Secum esse Christum, cum collecti fuerint, opinantur hii, qui extra Christi ecclesiam colliguntur? Tales etiamsi occisi in confessione nominis Christi fuerint, macula ista nec sanguine abluitur. Inexpiabilis et grauis culpa discordiae nec passione purgatur.
Friedberg, col. 313/314
C. IV. Let murmurers be made strangers to the unity of the brothers.
Likewise from the Eighth Synod. Let one who murmurs be a stranger to the unity of the brothers, and let the work of one who has proved to be murmuring be cast away, lest he incur the penalty of the murmurers, concerning which the Apostle says: “Neither shall you murmur, as certain persons murmured and perished by the destroyer.” Therefore, according to the measure of his work, let the sinner—who is fully disclosed in this saying of the Apostle—do penance at the judgment of the priest.
C. IV. Murmurantes a fratrum unitate alieni efficiantur.
Item ex Octaua Sinodo. Alienus sit a fratrum unitate, qui murmurat, et opus eius abiciatur, qui murmurans extiterit, ne penam murmurantium incurrat, de qua dicit Apostolus: "Neque murmuraueritis, sicut quidam murmurauerunt, et perierunt ab exterminatore." Iuxta mensuram itaque operis peccator (qui in hac sententia Apostoli pleniter declaratur) sacerdotis iudicio peniteat.
Friedberg, col. 313/314
C. V. Those who love quarrels and contentions are to be corrected.
Likewise from the same. If any monk loves contentions or quarrels, or inflicts a manifest insult upon a brother, let him expiate it by prolonged penance according to the judgment of the ruler and the measure of the sin. Likewise: § 1. One who has proved contentious or murmuring is to do penance according to the judgment of the prior for as long as the character of the fault remains.
C. V. Corripiantur, qui rixas et contenciones amant.
Item ex eodem. Si quis monachus contenciones uel rixas amauerit, uel manifestum conuitium intulerit fratri, iuxta arbitrium rectoris modumque peccati diuturna expietur penitentia. Item: §. 1. Qui contentiosus aut murmurans extiterit, secundum arbitrium prioris tamdiu peniteat, quamdiu qualitas culpae extat.
Friedberg, col. 313/314
C. VI. Bishops at dissension are to be compelled to return to concord.
Likewise from the Fourth Council of Carthage, [c. 25]. If fear of God does not reconcile bishops at dissension, let the synod do so.
C. VI. Dissidentes episcopi ad concordiam redire cogantur.
Item ex Concilio Cartaginensi IV. [c. 25.] Dissidentes episcopos, si non timor Dei, sinodus reconciliet.
Friedberg, col. 313/314
C. VII. On the same.
Likewise from the same, [c. 26]. Bishops are to take care that they exhort brothers at dissension, whether clerics or laymen, to peace rather than to judgment.
C. VII. De eodem.
Item ex eodem. [c. 26.] Studendum est episcopis, ut dissidentes fratres, siue clericos, siue laicos, ad pacem magis quam ad iudicium cohortentur.
Friedberg, col. 313/314
C. VIII. The gifts of those who oppress the poor are not to be received.
Likewise from the same, [c. 94]. The gifts of those who oppress the poor are to be rejected by priests.
C. VIII. Non recipiantur dona eorum, qui pauperes obprimunt.
Item ex eodem. [c. 94.] Eorum, qui pauperes obprimunt, dona a sacerdotibus sunt refutanda.
Friedberg, col. 313/314
C. IX. Those who scorn to return to concord are to be removed from the assembly of the faithful.
Likewise from the Council of Agde, [c. 31]. It also pleased the council that, as often happens, whoever have dissented from one another through hatred or a protracted lawsuit, and through prolonged obstinacy have been unable to be recalled to peace, are first to be reproved by the priests of the city. But if with pernicious intention they are unwilling to lay aside their enmities, let them be expelled from the assembly of the Church by a most just excommunication.
C. IX. A cetu alienentur fidelium, qui ad concordiam redire contempnunt.
Item ex Concilio Agatensi. [c. 31.] Placuit etiam, ut (sicut plerumque fit) quicumque odio aut longinqua inter se lite dissenserint, et ad pacem reuocari diuturna nequiuerint obstinatione, a sacerdotibus ciuitatis primitus arguantur. Qui si inimicitias deponere pernitiosa intentione noluerint, de ecclesiae cetu iustissima excommunicatione pellantur.
Friedberg, col. 315/316
C. X. One who is unwilling to be reconciled to his brother is to be afflicted with most severe fasts.
Likewise Pope Fabian. If anyone who has been grieved is unwilling to be reconciled to his brother, when the one who grieved him has made satisfaction, let him be afflicted with the most severe fasts until he receives the satisfaction with a grateful spirit.
C. X. Inediis maceretur acerrimis, qui fratri suo reconciliari non uult.
Item Fabianus Papa. Si quis contristatus noluerit reconciliari fratri suo, satisfaciente eo qui contristauerit, acerrimis maceretur inediis, usque dum gratanti animo satisfactionem recipiat.
Friedberg, col. 315/316
C. XI. Bishops are mutually to furnish counsel and aid to one another for firmly maintaining peace.
Likewise Innocent II. Part II. We command that bishops, having regard for God alone and the salvation of the people, with all lukewarmness set aside, mutually furnish counsel and aid to one another for firmly maintaining peace, and not omit this through love or hatred of anyone. But if anyone is found lukewarm in this work of God, let him incur the loss of his own dignity.
C. XI. Episcopi ad pacem firmiter tenendam uicissim sibi consilium et auxilium prestent.
Item Innocentius II. II. Pars. Precipimus, ut episcopi, ad solum Deum et salutem populi habentes respectum, omni tepiditate seposita, ad pacem firmiter tenendam mutuum sibi consilium et auxilium prebeant, neque hoc alicuius amore uel odio pretermittant. Quod si quis in hoc Dei opere tepidus fuerit inuentus, dampnum propriae dignitatis incurrat.
Friedberg, col. 315/316
C. XII. Those who are unwilling to be reconciled to one another are to be driven from the communion of the faithful.
Likewise Pope Victor, [to the Africans, epistle II]. It has been reported to the apostolic see that some among you wish to harm their brothers and strive that they fall, similarly that they disagree in the sacraments, and that on account of this contentions and rivalries arise among you. We command you to turn away from these dissensions, to agree in all these things, and mutually to bear aid. For if you quickly neglect to do this and do not strive to be reconciled to one another, do not doubt that you will be driven from the communion of the apostolic see and of the whole Church.
C. XII. Pellendi sunt a communione fidelium, qui sibi inuicem reconciliari nolunt.
Item Victor Papa. [ad Afros, epist. II.] Perlatum est ad sedem apostolicam, aliquos uestrum nocere fratribus uelle, et ut cadant decertare, similiter in sacramentis discrepare, et ob id contentiones et emulationes inter uos fieri, a quibus dissensionibus uos auertere, et in his omnibus concordare, et opem ferre uicissim mandamus. Nam si hoc agere cito neglexeritis, et uicissim reconciliari non studueritis, ab apostolicae sedis et totius ecclesiae communione uos pelli non dubitetis.
Friedberg, col. 315/316