Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent/Session V/Reformation

by the Council of Trent

DECREE CONCERNING REFORMATION.

CHAPTER I.

On the Institution of a Lectureship of Sacred Scripture, and of the Liberal Arts.^[1]

The same sacred and holy synod, adhering to the pious constitutions of the sovereign pontiffs, and of approved councils, and embracing and adding to them; that the heavenly treasure of the sacred books, which the Holy Ghost has with the greatest liberality delivered unto men, may not lie neglected, hath ordained and decreed, that, in those churches where there is found to be a prebend, prestimony,^[2] or other stipend, under what name soever, destined for readers^[3] in sacred theology, the bishops, archbishops, primates, and other ordinaries of those places, shall force and compel, even by the subtraction of the fruits, those who hold such prebend, prestimony, or stipend, unto the expounding and interpreting of the said sacred Scripture, either personally, if they be competent, or otherwise by a competent substitute, to be chosen by the said bishops, archbishops, primates, and other ordinaries of those places. But, for the future, let no such prebend, prestimony, or stipend be bestowed save on competent persons, and those who can of themselves fulfil that office; and let the provision made otherwise be null and void. But in metropolitan, or cathedral churches, if the city be distinguished or populous, and also in collegiate churches situated in any large town, even though they belong to no diocese, provided the clergy be numerous there; wherein there is no such prebend, prestimony, or stipend, set aside for this purpose, let the prebend that shall first become vacant in any way soever, except by reason of resignation, and to which some other incompatible burthen is not attached, be understood to be ipso facto appointed and set apart to that purpose for ever. And in case that in the said churches there should not be any, or not any sufficient prebend, let the metropolitan, or the bishop himself, by the assigning thereunto of the fruits of some simple benefice, the burthen of the obligations thereto belonging being nevertheless discharged, or by the contributions of the beneficiaries of his city and diocese, or otherwise, as may be most convenient, provide in such wise, with the advice of his chapter, as that the said reading of sacred Scripture be held; yet so that what other readings soever there may be, whether established by custom, or in any other way, be not by any means therefore omitted. As to those churches, however, whose annual revenues may be slight, and where the number of the clergy and laity is so small, that a readership of theology cannot be conveniently held therein, let them at least have a master, to be chosen by the bishop, with the advice of the chapter, to teach grammar gratuitously to clerks, and other poor scholars, that so they may afterwards, with God's permission, pass on to the said study of sacred Scripture itself. And to this end, either let there be assigned to that master of grammar the fruits of some simple benefice, which he may receive so long as he continues teaching (provided, however, that the said benefice be not deprived of the duty due to it), or let some suitable remuneration be paid him out of the episcopal or capitular income; or, in fine, let the bishop himself devise some other method suited to his church and diocese; that so this pious, useful, and profitable provision may not, under any colourable pretext soever, be neglected. In the monasteries also of monks, where it can be conveniently done, let there be in like manner, a lecture on sacred Scripture, wherein if the abbots be negligent, let the bishops of the places, as the delegates herein of the Apostolic See, compel them thereto by fitting remedies. And in the convents of other regulars, in which studies can conveniently flourish, let there in like manner be a readership of sacred Scripture; which readership shall be assigned by the general or provincial chapters, to the more worthy masters. In the public colleges also, wherein a readership so honourable, and the most necessary of all, has not hitherto been instituted, let it be established by the piety and charity of the most religious princes and states, for the defence and increase of the Catholic faith, and the preservation and propagation of sound doctrine; and where it has been once instituted, and has been neglected, let it be restored. And, lest impiety be disseminated under the semblance of piety, the same holy synod ordains, that no one be admitted to this office of reading, whether in public or in private, who has not been previously examined and approved of by the bishop of the place, as to his life, conversation, and knowledge; which, however, is not to be understood of lecturers in convents of monks. But those who are teaching the said sacred Scripture, as long as they publicly teach in the schools, as also the scholars who are studying in those schools, shall fully rejoice in and enjoy, though absent,^[4] all the privileges accorded by common law, as regards the reception of the fruits of their prebends and benefices.

CHAPTER II.

On Preachers of the Word of God, and on Questors of Alms.

But whereas the preaching of the Gospel is no less necessary to the Christian commonwealth than the reading thereof; and whereas this is the chief duty of bishops; the same holy synod hath resolved and decreed, that all bishops, archbishops, primates, and all other prelates of the churches be bound personally, if they be not lawfully hindered, to preach the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ. But if it should happen that the bishops and others aforesaid, be hindered by lawful impediment, they shall be bound, according to the form prescribed by the general council,^[5] to appoint fit men to discharge wholesomely this office of preaching. But if any one disdain to execute this, let him be subjected to strict punishment.

Archpriests also, curates, and all those who in any manner soever hold any parochial or other churches, which have the cure of souls, shall, at least on the Lord's days and solemn feasts, either personally, or, if they be lawfully hindered, by others who are competent, feed the people committed to them, with wholesome words, according to their own capacity, and that of their [congregations]; by teaching the things which it is necessary for all to know unto salvation, and by announcing to them with briefness and simplicity of discourse the vices which they must needs avoid, and the virtues which they must follow after, that they may escape everlasting punishment, and obtain the glory of heaven. And if any one of them neglect to discharge this duty, even though he may plead, on whatsoever ground, that he is exempt from the jurisdiction of the bishop, and even though the churches may be, in what manner soever, said to be exempted, or perhaps annexed or united to a monastery that is even out of the diocese, let not the watchful pastoral care of the bishops be wanting, provided [those churches] really be within their diocese; lest that word be fulfilled; The young children have asked for bread, and there was none to break it unto them.^[6] Wherefore, if, after having been admonished by the bishop, they shall neglect this their duty for the space of three months, let them be compelled by ecclesiastical censures, or otherwise, according to the discretion of the said bishop; in such wise that even, if this seem to him expedient, some fair remuneration be paid, out of the fruits of the benefices, to another person to discharge that office, until the principal himself, coming to his right senses, shall fulfil his own duty. But should there be found to be any parochial churches, subject to monasteries which are in no diocese, if the abbots and regular prelates be negligent in the matters aforesaid, let them be compelled thereto by the metropolitans, in whose provinces the said dioceses are situated, as the delegates to that end of the Apostolic See; nor let custom, or exemption, or appeal, or reclamation, or action of recovery, have power to impede the execution of his decree; until by a competent judge, who shall proceed summarily, and by examining only into the truth of the fact, the case shall have been taken cognizance of, and decided. But regulars, of what order soever, may not preach even in the churches of their own order, unless they have been examined and approved of concerning their life, manners, and knowledge, by their own superiors, and with their license; with which license they shall be bound to present themselves personally before the bishops, and crave a blessing from them, before they begin to preach. But, in churches which are not those of their own orders, besides the license of their own superiors, they shall be obliged to have also the license of the bishop, without which they may not on any account preach in the said churches which belong not to their own orders. But the said license the bishops shall grant gratuitously. But if, which heaven avert, a preacher should spread errors, or scandals, amongst the people, even though he preach in a monastery of his own, or of another order, let the bishop interdict his preaching. But if he preach heresies, let him proceed against him according to the appointment of the law, or the custom of the place, even though the said preacher should plead that he is exempted by a general or special privilege: in which case the bishop shall proceed by apostolic authority, and as the delegate of the Apostolic See. But let bishops be careful, that no preacher be harassed, either by false accusations, or in any other way calumniously; or have any just cause of complaint against them. Furthermore, let bishops be on their guard not to permit any one, whether of those, who, being regulars in name, live nevertheless out of their cloisters, and the obedience of their religious rules, or secular priests, unless they be known to them, and are approved in morals and doctrine, to preach in their own city or diocese, even under the pretext of any privilege soever; until the holy Apostolic See has been thereon consulted by the said bishops; from which [see] it is not likely that such privileges can be extorted by unworthy persons, except by suppressing the truth, or by uttering falsehood. Those who quest for alms, who are also commonly called Questors, of whatsoever condition they be, shall not in any way presume, either of themselves, or by another, to preach; and those who act contrarily shall, any privileges notwithstanding, be wholly restrained by opportune remedies, by the bishops and ordinaries of the places.

 

1. Cf. Sess. xxiii. § 18, etc.
2. This word probably means "a fund, or revenue, appropriated by the founder for the subsistence of a priest, without being erected into any title of benefice, chapel, prebend, or priory, and which is not subject either to the pope or to the ordinary, but whereof the patron, and those who have a right from him, are the collators, and nominate and confer pleno jure"—Encycl. Brit. v. xvii. p. 349. Hoffman, Lex. t. iii. p. 879, defines it—"beneficium cum aliquo onere," referring to Council of Trent, Sess. xxiii. 18. See Du Cange, vol. v. p. 781.
3. I. e. lecturers. So at Oxford we have "readers" of rhetoric, anatomy, &c.
4. In absentia.
5. Of Lateran. See c. 15, x. de off. jud. ord. i. 31 (Conc. Lat. IV.).
6. Lament. iv. 4.