Folia Canonica 10. (2007)

PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE - Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi: Development of the Clerical Duties and Rights Based on the 11th-12th Centuries. Canonical Collections

214

SZABOLCS ANZELM SZUROMI

all other priests impose their hands on the newly ordained priest. The bishop had to convoke the college of priests before the ordination. We can link these general infonnations to the Ans 7. 78 which cites a text from St. Jerome’s works and speaks expressively on biblical basis about the different missions (or duties) of deacon, priest and bishop.49 This long canon quotes St. Paul’s letterto Titus, concerning the superiors, and their life, which has to be pure and also at most only one time married.50 St. Jerome refers to the original Greek meaning of “episcopos”, which expressed the protection of doctrine and the Church.

Sometimes the collected canons attribute to the priests a substitute office of bishop in Book 7.51 For example a priest administers the babtism, because the bishop is not able to be present (Ans. 7.1 ll).52 This described possibility similer to Ans. 9. 22, which reserves the rights of administering baptism to the diocesan bishop as a basic norm, and also the rigths to give the homily.53 To protect the ecclesiastical tradition, and its interpretation is the own right of the bishop, who exercises his teaching mission especially from the “cathedra” of his cathedral. Nevertheless, another canon by St. Jerome, Ans. 7.113, gives the right of preaching and blessing the faithful to priests also.54 Either of the themes - baptism and homily - is a good example for the particular capacity of priests: the priest is capable of ad49 Ans. 7. 78: (...) Sed et Petrus in epistola: Presbyteros, inquit, in vobis precor conpresbyter et testis passionum Christi et futurae gloriae, quae revelanda est, particeps regere gregem Christi et inspicere non ex necessitate sed voluntarie iuxta Deum. Quod quidem Graece significatntius dieitur e3ticK07tsuovxEÇ unde et nomen episcopi tractum est. Parva tibi videntur tantorum testimonia. (...) Qui provehitur, a minori ad maius provehitur; aut igitur ex presbytero ordinetur diaconus, ut presbytero maior comprobetur, in quem crescit ex pravo, aut si ex diacono ordinatur presbyter, noverit se lucris minorem sacerdotio esse maiorem. Thaner 396-397.

50Tit. 1:5-7.

51 Thaner 362-434.

52 Ans. 7.111: Pervenit quoque ad nos quosdam scandalizatos fuisse quod presbyteros chrismate tangere eos qui baptizati sunt prohibuimus. Et nos quidem secundum usum veterem ecclesiae nostrae fecimus. Sed si omnino hac de re aliqui contristantur, ubi episcopi desunt, ut presbyteri etiam in frontibus baptizatos chrismate tangere debeant concedimus. Thaner 409-410.

53 Ans. 9. 22: De consignandis infantibus manifestum est non ab alio quam ab episcopo fieri licere. Nam presbyteri licet sint sacerdotes pontificatus tamen apirem non habent. Hoc autem pontificibus solis debetur, ut vel consignent vel paraclitum Spiritum tradant. Nam presbyteris seu extra episcopum seu presente episcopo cum baptizant chrismate baptizatos unguere licet, sed quod ab episcopo fuerit consecratum, non tamen frontem eodem oleo signare, quod solis debetur episcopis, cum tradunt Spiritum paraclitum. Thaner 465-466.

54 Ans. 7.113: Ecce ego dicopresentibus episcopis suis atque astantibus in altario presbyteros posse sacramenta conficere, sed quia scriptum est: Presbyteri duplici honore honorentur, maxime qui laborant in verbo Dei predicare eos decet. Utile est benedicere, congruum confirmare, convenit reddere communionem, necesse est visitare infirmos, orare pro invalidis atque omnia Dei sacramenta complere. Nemo hic episcoporum invidia diabolicae temptationis infletur, irascatur interdum si presbyteri exhortentur plebem, si in ecclesiis predicent, si plebi, ut scriptum est, benedicant. (...) Thaner 410.