Folia Theologica et Canonica 9. 31/23 (2020)
Ius canonicum
86 PÉTER ERDŐ 2. Urban parish structures The subdivision into parishes of cities had a different history.86 In the largest cities such as Rome or Alexandria, formal structures which can be considered the precursors of parishes (churches with priests celebrating there regularly) emerged before church-building in the countryside became common. The unity of the diocese in terms of property ownership and financial decision-making was stronger in cities. From the ninth century collegial churches frequently began to appear. In larger mediaeval cities, a whole system of parishes or collegial churches with parochial functions developed. These churches sometimes had a provost at their head, and were assigned their own parish territory. In cities too, parishes began to have civil responsibilities in administrative and legal matters, and even taxation. This system was disrupted in the thirteenth century by the mendicant orders.87 The law of the Decretals became ever more insistent that it pertained to the bishop to found or divide parishes. In some Italian towns (e.g. in Catania) the division into parishes, and especially the commission of pastoral responsibility for territorial subdivisions of a city to particular priests, did not become well established practice until more recent times. As towns developed and their population grew, the foundation of new parishes became more and more common. All this naturally affected parishes’ financial situation. VI. Parishes’ financial autonomy As stated above, in antiquity the whole of each diocese was a single entity as far as the ownership of property was concerned. It was Caesarius of Arles who sought to guarantee a degree of autonomy for rural churches in financial affairs. At the Council of Carpentras, over which he presided, he sought to limit bishops’ ability to take property away from country churches: this was only to be allowed if the churches were rich and the cathedral was in grave need of it.88 The II Council of Braga also had to forbid bishops from asking for special 86 On the specific features of the organisation of parishes in Italian cities in the late Middle Ages see e.g., Ronzani, M., Aspetti e problemi delle pievi e delle parrocchie cittadine nell 'Italia centro-settentrionale, in Pievi eparrocchie in Italia nel basso medioevo sec. XIII-XV. Atti del VI Convegno di Storia della Chiesa in Italia, I. 307-349. 87 Leisching, P., Pfarrsprengel, 1721. 88 Conc. Carpentorat. (527), c.l, CCL 148A, 48: (...) si ecclesia ciuitatis eius, cui episcopus praeest, ita est idonaea ut Christo propitio nihil indegiat, quidquid parrociis fuerit derelictum clerecis, qui ipsis parrociis deseruiunt, uel reparationibus basilicarum rationabiliter dispensetur. Si uero episcopum multas expensas et minorem substantiam habere constiterit, parrociis, quibus largior fuerit conlata substantia, hoc tantum, quod clericis uel sarchetictis ratinonabiliter sufficat, reseruetur (...).
