Another Text of the Same Zacharias

Vatican Codex 1343, 1.169, has these things: "These are sayings of Pope Zacharias concerning the fact that no blood-relative ought to be coupled: since it is not fitting to accept as wife the widow of a cousin or one's own female cousin, nor to hand over in marriage to one's son the daughter whom he lifts from the sacred font (cf. Response I to Theodore); because in divine knowledge he is found to be a full brother (the son of the one receiving is held as the brother of the received girl according to the rules of divine doctrine). For concerning the generation of these we speak thus: that in no way shall one accept as wife one from his own kinship, unless the seventh generation has been completed and passed. In the Acts of the Apostles, in the fourth chapter, we are admonished of this: abstain from fornication and corruption of kinship, on account of which the tradition (read: wrath of God) comes upon the sons of unbelief. Whence blessed Augustine, writing in his epistle to Constantine Augustus concerning this chapter, says: thus it is read in the book of Genesis: in six days the Lord made heaven and earth; on the seventh he rested from every work which he had completed. Thus also through six thousand years this world is enclosed; but on the seventh our Lord is to judge the age by fire.

"Therefore by this mode or septenary number the carnal generations are to be commemorated. But if, beyond this number, wherever they shall have been found, they are joined, let them be separated. But when the seventh progeny has been completed, if they have been joined, they are not to be separated; if it was done through ignorance, penance is to be added to them by the priests. If, however, someone knowing this and having had it known, has badly detracted from this holy and great Nicene Council and the decrees of the holy Fathers, let him be abominated by the holy Catholic Church, and not even at the end is communion to be given to him.

"If anyone has associated to himself in marriage a sister from the sacred font or chrism, let them be divided and do penance for five years. If she has committed fornication with a man, let her do penance for seven years, and let each one go into exile."

It follows: "That it is lawful for no one to accept a wife from his own kinship: in the coupling of the faithful we do not define the number of kinships, but we establish this, that it is lawful for no Christian to accept a wife from his own consanguinity or kinship so long as the generation is remembered and known or is recalled to memory" (from the periodical Der Katholik, July 1882).

It is permissible to doubt whether such sayings really proceeded from Zacharias the Pontiff. For how do the former cohere with the latter? What have the Acts of the Apostles to do with the prohibited degrees of kinships? What is the epistle of Augustine? Did Augustine ever discourse in this way? What do those words mean: "this holy and great Nicene Council," with what follows?