Folia Canonica 5. (2002)
STUDIES - Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi: The Development of the Clerical Orders prior to the Discipline of Statuta Ecclesiae Antique (5th Century)
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CLERICAL ORDERS 103 The Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua mainly contains rules concerning duties and rights of bishops, their activity in administering the sacraments, and canons about the degrees of Holy Orders. We can distinguish the basic differences of the deacon-priest-bishop hierarchical order. By this rule the deacon is ordained for serving the priest or the bishop.46 The deacon ought to obey a priest who instructs him,47 moreover he has to answer questions put to him by the colllege of priests.48 The difference between the status of bishop and the status of priest is not so clear and it was not defined exactly.49 The deaconate ordination was reserved for the bishop, but there is no notable difference between the relation of a deacon and a priest, and the relation of a deacon and a bishop, because both these degrees are usually found together in the canonical texts. The presence of, or the consent of, the presbyters is necessary for all the important decisions of the bishop to be licit. This shows clearly the cooperation between the bishop and the college of priests.50 But the discipline concerning bishops and priests does not seem to follow any clear order. The Statuta Ecclesiae Antiqua contains 101 canons; 36 of 101 (the largest group) deal with rules concerning bishops.51 24 of these 36 speak about the bishop’s own activity and rights, without any reference to priests.52 This discipline should compared with tradition of canons of the Canones apostolid concerning the same theme. There 52 canons of 85 deal with bishops.53 21 of these 52 contain together all of the three orders of priesthood vel praesentia vel decreto ordinatio celebretur. Quod si secus contra definita factam fuerit, nullas ordinatio vires habeat; si vero iuxta definitam regulam fiat, et nonnulli pro contentione propria contradicant, obtineat sententia plurimorum.” Joannou (ed.), Les Canons (nt. 10), 120-21. cf. Sz. A. SZUROMI, A püspökökre vonatkozó egyházfegyelmi szabályok a Dionysio-Hadriana gyűjteményben in Kánonjog 2 (2000) 87-95. especially 89. 46 C. 57 „Diaconus ita se presbyteri ut episcopi ministrum nouerit.” Munier (ed.), Concilia Galliae (nt. 25), 175. 47 C. 59 „Ut diaconus quolibet loco, iubente presbytero, sedeat.” Munier (ed.), Concilia Galliae (nt. 25), 176. 48 C. 61 „Ut diaconus in conuentu presbyterorum interrogatus loquatur.” Munier (ed.), Concilia Galliae (nt. 25), 176. 49Cf. Reynolds, Patristic 'presbiterianism' (nt. 4), 312-315. Sz. A. Szuromi, Die patristische Wurzel der bischöflichen Kirchendisziplin in der „ Collectio Anselmi Lucensis" in Rivista internazionale di diritto comme 12 (2001) 249-263. especially 261-262. 50 See i. e. cc. 2, 10, 14. Very importantly canon 14 orders the bishop to listen cases in the presence of the whole clergy. „Ut episcopus nullius causam audiat absque praesentia clericorum suorum; alioquin irrita erit sententia episcopi nisi clericorum praesentia confirmetur.” Munier (ed.), Concilia Galliae (nt. 25), 168-169. 51 Cc. 1-12, 14-17, 47-48, 50-51, 54, 56, 57, 68, 84-85, 88-95, 97, 99. 52 Cc. 1-9, 11-12, 16-17, 54, 84-85, 90-95, 97, 99. 53 Cc. 1-3, 5, 7-9, 14-18, 21, 25, 28-30, 32-42, 44-^7, 49-53, 55-56, 58-59, 63, 68-70, 74-78, 83.
