Title — Liber Sextus
Title XII: On Burials
Chapter I
Here a pact concerning the choice of burial is prohibited. Notwithstanding a pact concerning the choice of burial, or concerning a burial already chosen not being changed, a person is to be buried where he was otherwise to be buried by law; and if buried elsewhere, he is to be restored together with all proceeds of the burial. Otherwise, the penalty contained here is incurred. This states the point according to Zenzel.
Boniface VIII.
Wishing to oppose the dangers to souls and scandals that frequently arise from these things, in virtue of holy obedience and under threat of eternal malediction, we most strictly prohibit all religious and secular clerics, of whatever status or condition they may be, from inducing any persons to vow, swear, promise with a pledge of faith, or otherwise promise that they will choose burial at their churches or will thereafter not change a burial already chosen. For if it is done otherwise, we decree that such a choice possesses no validity at all, establishing that those who have chosen in this way can neither be buried in any way at the churches so chosen nor choose burial elsewhere, lest they have occasion to act contrary to a vow, oath, or promise of this kind made by themselves. Rather, all contradiction ceasing, they shall be buried entirely at those churches at which they would have been buried by law if they had perhaps died without otherwise choosing burial.
But if the same religious or clerics presume to bury the aforesaid persons in their churches or cemeteries, we judge them obligated to make full restitution within ten days both of the bodies buried, if they are sought, and also of everything that came to them in any manner on the occasion of those persons' burial. Unless they do this, the churches at which they were buried, as well as their cemeteries, shall from that time by that very fact be placed under ecclesiastical interdict and remain so until full restitution of all the aforesaid things has been made by them.
DE SEPULTURIS.
Hic prohibetur pactum de sepultura eligenda. Non obstante pacto de sepultura eligenda, vel electa non mutanda, sepeliendus est quis, ubi alias erat de iure sepeliendus, et alias sepultus cum omnibus sepulturae obventibus restituendus est; alias poena incurritur hic contenta. H. d. secundum Zenz.
Bonifacius VIII.
Animarum periculis et scandalis, quae frequenter ex his proveniunt, obviare volentes, universis religiosis et saecularibus clericis, cuiuscunque status vel conditionis exsistant, in virtute sanctae obedientiae ac sub interminatione maledictionis aeternae districtissime prohibemus, ne aliquos ad vovendum, iurandum, vel fide interposita seu alias promittendum inducant, ut apud eorum ecclesias sepulturam eligant, vel iam electam ulterius non immutent. Nos enim, si secus actum fuerit, electionem talem decernimus nullius penitus exsistere firmitatis, statuentes, ut hi, qui sic elegerint, nec apud sic electas ecclesias ullatenus sepeliri, nec alibi, ne contra votum, iuramentum aut promissum huiusmodi a se factum materiam habeant veniendi, possint eligere sepulturam; sed, contradictione quacunque cessante, sepeliantur omnino apud illas ecclesias, apud quas sepeliendi de iure fuissent, si alias sepultura non electa forsitan decessissent. Si vero iidem religiosi vel clerici praedictos in suis ecclesiis vel coemeteriis praesumpserint sepelire: ad restitutionem tam sepultorum corporum, si petantur, quam etiam omnium, quae occasione sepulturae illorum pervenerint quomodolibet ad eosdem, infra decendium integraliter faciendam ipsos obligatos esse censemus. Quam nisi fecerint, ecclesiae ipsae, apud quas sepulti fuerint, nec non et coemeteria earundem extunc eo ipso sint et tamdiu maneant ecclesiastico supposita interdicto, donec ab eis facta fuerit restitutio plenaria omnium praedictorum.
Chapter II
The canonical portion is not owed to the church that was left, but to the parish church, and to several churches if there are several. — § 1. A new burial can be chosen even in a less religious place. This states the point according to Zenzel.
The same.
When someone whose ancestors were accustomed from ancient times to be buried in some church leaves it and chooses burial elsewhere, the canonical portion is not owed to the church that was left, but only to the church in which that person was accustomed to hear the divine offices and receive the ecclesiastical sacraments. When burial is chosen in a third place by someone who has two domiciles and establishes himself equally in each, the churches of the domiciles shall divide the canonical portion between themselves.
§ 1. If anyone, leaving the ancient burial, chooses a new burial even in a less religious place, we do not wish a choice of this kind to be impugned in any way, although the laws concerning this appear to differ.
Ecclesiae dimissae non debetur canonica portio, sed parochiali, et pluribus, si sint plures. — §. 1. In loco etiam minus religioso potest nova eligi sepultura. H. d. secundum Zenz.
Idem.
Quum quis, cuius maiores sunt soliti ab antiquo in aliqua ecclesia sepeliri, ea dimissa eligit alibi sepulturam: canonica portio dimissae non debetur ecclesiae, sed illi duntaxat, in qua ille officia consuevit audire divina, et ecclesiastica recipere sacramenta. Quum ab eo, qui duo habet domicilia, se collocans aequaliter in utroque, in loco tertio eligitur sepultura, domiciliorum ecclesiae habebunt inter se dividere canonicam portionem. §. i. Si quis, antiqua dimissa, novam etiam in loco minus religioso elegerit sepulturam, electionem huiusmodi, (licet iura super hoc videantur esse diversa,) nequaquam volumus impugnari.
Chapter III
The transfer of a person to a certain place for a time does not take away the church's right of burial. This states the point according to Zenzel. — § 1. A deceased woman who married several men is buried with her last husband. This states the point.
The same.
A person who has a domicile in a city or town and sometimes transfers himself to a rural village for the sake of recreation or to carry out rural work there shall, if he dies there without having chosen burial, be buried not in the church of that village, but in his own parish church, or rather in the church in which the burial place of his ancestors existed from ancient times, provided that he can be conveyed to it without danger.
§ 1. A woman who successively had several husbands, if she does not choose burial, is to be interred with her last husband, whose domicile and honor she retains.
Translatio personae, ad certum locum facta ad tempus, ecclesiae ius sepulturae non aufert. H. d. secundum Zenz. — §. 1. Mulier mortua, quae pluribus nupsit, cum viro ultimo sepelitur. Hoc dicit.
Idem.
Is, qui habet * domicilium in civitate vel castro, quandoque ad villam ruralem se transfert recreationis causa, vel ut ruralia exerceat in eadem, si non electa sepultura decedat ibidem, non in ecclesia dictae villae, sed in sua parochiali, vel in ea potius, in qua maiorum ipsius ab antiquo sepultura exstitit, sepeliri debebit, dummodo absque periculo ad ipsam valeat deportari. §. i. Mulier autem, quae plures viros habuit successive, si sepulturam non eligat, est cum viro ultimo, cuius domicilium retinet et honorem, tumulanda.
Chapter IV
By custom a father can choose burial for an impubescent child, but one who has reached puberty chooses for himself. And this states the point according to Zenzel with regard to the title, but not with regard to the text. Hence this could be added: and he may not bequeath non-castrense goods for his soul without his father's assent. Dominicus.
The same, in the same council.
Although a father can, if the custom of the land so provides, bury his minor children—who cannot choose burial before they reach the age of puberty—wherever he wishes, nevertheless he cannot do this where a custom of this kind does not exist; rather, they are to be interred with their ancestors or in the parish church. Although a son under paternal power can freely choose burial for himself without his father's assent, nevertheless, without that assent he cannot dispose of anything for his own soul unless he has a castrense or quasi-castrense peculium.
Ex consuetudine potest pater impuberi eligere sepulturam; pubes autem eligit per se ipsum. Et hoc dicit secundum Zenz. quoad titulum, sed non quoad textum. Unde posset addi: et pro anima non legat sine assensu patris bona non castrensia. Domin.
Idem in eodem *.
Licet pater minores filios, qui nequeunt, antequam ad annos pubertatis perveniant, eligere sepulturam, possit, si consuetudo terrae id habeat, quo voluerit sepelire: hoc tamen non potest, ubi consuetudo huiusmodi non habetur, sed sunt cum suis maioribus vel in parochiali ecclesia tumulandi. Quamvis autem filiusfamilias absque patris assensu sibi possit libere eligere sepulturam: pro anima tamen sua praeter ipsius assensum, nisi peculium castrense aut quasi castrense habeat, aliquid iudicare non potest.
Chapter V
Religious cannot choose burial elsewhere unless they are very far from their monastery. This states the point according to Zenzel's understanding.
The same, in the same council.
Religious, unless perhaps they are so far from their own monasteries that they cannot conveniently be carried to them when they die, cannot choose burial for themselves, since they do not have the power to will or not to will; rather, they are to be interred at their own monasteries.
Religiosi, nisi multum remoti a monasterio, nequeunt alibi eligere sepulturam. H. d. secundum intellectum Zenz.
Idem in eodem *.
Religiosi, nisi a propriis monasteriis adeo forsitan sint remoti, quod ad ea, quum moriuntur, commode portari non possint, nequeunt, quum velle vel nolle non habeant, sibi eligere sepulturam; sed sunt apud sua monasteria tumulandi.