Letters of Callistus I

Letters of Pope Callistus

Letter I. To Bishop Benedict. On the Ember Day fasts, and that no one should entertain an accusation against a teacher.

Callistus, Archbishop of the Catholic Church of the city of Rome, to Benedict, brother and bishop, greeting in the Lord.

We are constrained by the love of brotherhood, and compelled by apostolic moderation, to respond to the consultations of our brothers as the Lord shall grant, and to instruct them by the authority of the apostolic see.

^A

I. On the times of the fasts.

The fast, which you have learned to observe among us three times in the year, we now decree to be more conveniently performed at the four seasons, so that just as the year revolves through four seasons, we also may observe a solemn fast of four times, throughout the four seasons of the year. And just as we are filled with grain, wine, and oil for the nourishing of our bodies, so may we be filled with fasting for the nourishing of our souls, according to the voice of the prophet Zechariah, who says: ^B There was the word of the Lord unto me, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and great solemnities: only love ye truth and peace (Zach. VIII, 19). Therefore, if the people of old kept these fasts, how much more fitting is it for us, who are adorned with the grace of the Gospel, to observe these four fasts according to the apostolic authority?

II. The three causes of the fast of the four seasons.

There are three causes, as the holy pontiffs indicate, for observing the fast at the four seasons. First, that Christians might not appear more remiss than the Jews in this regard. For it is evident from the following words of the prophecy that the Jews fasted four times a year with a solemn fast; it was just, therefore, that Christians, who ought to be more perfect than the Jews, should also have their four seasons, by which to fast with a solemn and common fast throughout the whole world. This same reason for the institution of the fast of the four seasons is also given by St. Leo in sermon 7 on the fast of the seventh month, and likewise in sermons 4 and 6 on the fast of the tenth month.

The second cause is that in these seasons we should suppliantly pray to God for the crops and fruits of the earth, and give thanks for those already received. For during these four seasons, the temperature of the air varies greatly, and all fruits and crops are either sown, or born, or reach maturity, or are harvested. St. Leo brings forward this reason in sermons 2, 5, and 8 on the fast of the tenth month.

The third cause is that in every month some fixed and solemn fast should be observed, just as the Lenten fast is observed every year, and as in past times the fourth and sixth days of the week were kept, and now the Sabbath, and consequently we fast for three days of one week in the four seasons of the year, for the three months: namely, in the month of March we fast for three days for the first, second, and third months; in the month of June, around Pentecost, we fast for three days for the three following months—that is, June, July, and August; in the month of September, for the seventh, eighth, and ninth months; and in December, for the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth months of the year, that is, for December, January, and February. And this was done for the sake of greater convenience. This is from Leo, sermon 9 on the fast of the seventh month, and sermon 8 on the fast of the tenth month; Amalarius, *De offic. eccles.*, bk. II, c. 2.

The fourth cause for the institution of the fast of the Four Seasons is the ordination of the clergy, which, since it is ordinarily performed at these times throughout the universal Church, all and every the faithful of Christ, following the example of the primitive Church—which we know from Acts XIII to have fasted at the time of ordination—rightly pray with fasting, that Christ the Lord may deem it worthy to send faithful laborers into His vineyard. And although the first supreme pontiffs, as is evident from the *Liber Pontificalis* and the testimony of Amalarius, *De offic. eccles.*, bk. II, c. 1, conferred holy orders only in the month of December, yet as the number of those to be ordained increased, it was rightly instituted that sacred orders should be conferred at the other three times as well; thus Gelasius in his first epistle.

The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: As I thought to afflict you, when your fathers provoked me to anger, and I had no mercy; so have I turned and thought in these days to do well to Jerusalem and the house of Juda. Fear not. These are the things which you shall do: Speak ye truth every one to his neighbor; judge ye truth and judgment of peace in your gates; and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his friend; and love not a false oath. For all these are the things that I hate, saith the Lord of hosts. And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Juda joy, and gladness, and great solemnities; only love ye truth and peace, saith the Lord of hosts. In this, therefore, it behooves us all to be of one mind, so that according to the apostolic teaching, we may all say the same thing, ^A and there may be no schisms among us. Let us be perfect in the same sense and in the same judgment, in the devotion of which work we congratulate your love for being a participant. For it is not fitting that the members should dissent from the head, but, according to the testimony of Holy Scripture, all members should follow the head. There is, however, no doubt (38) that the apostolic Church is the mother of all Churches, from whose rules it is in no way fitting to deviate. And as the Son of God came to do the will of the Father, so also you should fulfill the will of your mother, which is the Church, whose head, as has been said before, is the Roman Church. Whatever, therefore, has been done against its discipline without the discretion of justice, no reason allows to be held valid.

II. Regarding the accusations of teachers.

Nobody should entertain charges against a teacher, because it is not fitting for sons to reprehend their fathers, nor for servants to tear down their masters. For all those whom they instruct are sons of the teachers. And just as sons ought to love their carnal fathers, so these ought to love their spiritual fathers. For he does not live well who does not believe rightly, or who reprehends or slanders his fathers. Therefore, teachers, who are also called fathers, are to be borne with rather than reprehended, unless they have erred in the true faith. Therefore, let no one accuse a teacher in writing, nor should he answer an accuser except one who is faithful and legitimate, and who leads an irreproachable life and manner of conduct; ^B for it is unworthy that a doctor should answer a foolish and ignorant man who lives reprehensibly according to his foolishness, as Scripture says: "Answer not a fool according to his folly." He does not live well who does not believe rightly. He who is faithful wills no evil. If any one is faithful, let him see to it that he does not speak falsely or set snares for anyone. A faithful man always acts faithfully, and the unfaithful man acts with cunning, and strives to destroy the faithful who are living piously and justly, because like seeks its like. The unfaithful man is dead in a living body. And on the other hand, the words of the faithful man guard the life of his hearers. For a catholic teacher, and especially a priest of the Lord, as he must not be involved in any error, so he ought not to be violated by any stratagem or greed. For the Holy Scripture says: "Go not after thy lusts, and turn away from thy will." ^C One must resist the many allurements and vanities of this world, so that the integrity of true continence may be obtained. The first stain of this is pride, the beginning of transgression and the root of sin; for the mind is greedily prone, knowing neither how to abstain, nor how to give consent to piety. No one has an enemy among the good, except for evil, which is permitted to exist so that he may either be corrected, or the good man may be exercised by him. Whatever, therefore, is irreproachable, the catholic Church defends. It is not permitted for any emperor, or for anyone at all keeping piety, to presume anything against divine mandates. Therefore, an unjust judgment and an unjust definition, brought about or enacted by judges through royal fear or command, or by any bishop or potentate, should not prevail. For a religious man, it should be a small thing not to exercise enmity toward others, or to increase it by speaking evil, unless he also strives to extinguish it by speaking well. A humble confession in evil deeds is better than a proud glorification in good ones. But all who love ^D a blessed life prefer it to run in its state of tranquility and justice, rather than to be interrupted by the avenging punishments for our sins. For I am mindful that I preside under the name of that Church (39) whose confession was glorified by our Lord Jesus Christ, and whose faith always destroys all errors. And I understand that it is not permitted for me to do otherwise than to spend all my efforts on that cause in which the salvation of the universal Church is being beset. I hope, however, that the mercy of God will be present, that with His clemency cooperating, every pestilent disease may be taken away by His own hand, and that whatever can be done healthfully by His inspiration and assistance may be accomplished with the praise of your faith and devotion.

^A For since all things cannot otherwise be secure, unless the priestly authority defends those things which pertain to the service of the divine gift. Given on the eleventh day before the Kalends of December, in the consulship of the most illustrious men, Antoninus and Alexander.

EPISTLE II. TO ALL THE BISHOPS OF THE GALLIC PROVINCES.

I. Concerning those who conspire against bishops, or who consent to them. We have heard that the crimes of conspiracies prevail in your parts, and it has been made clear to us that the common people are conspiring against their own bishops. The cunning of this crime is abominable not only among Christians, but it is prohibited even among the Gentiles and by external laws. And for this reason, the guilty of this crime are condemned not only by ecclesiastical but also by secular laws; and not only the conspiring, but also those ^C consenting to them. Our predecessors, indeed, with a very great number of bishops, commanded that whoever of those placed in priestly honor, or clerics, are found to be so acting, shall fall from the honor which they enjoy; and they ordered the others to be deprived of communion and to be made exiles from the Church; and they judged all men of both orders to be infamous, not only the doers but also those consenting to them. For it is just that those who contemn the divine commandments and are disobedient to the injunctions of the fathers should be corrected with more severe punishments, so that others may fear to commit such things, and all may rejoice in fraternal concord, and all may take an example of severity and kindness. For if, which God forbid, we neglect ecclesiastical solicitude and vigor, sloth destroys discipline, and the souls of the faithful will surely be harmed. These men, however, are in a position to be accused by no one, ^A nor can their voice, nor that of those excommunicated, injure or accuse anyone.

II. Concerning those who communicate with the excommunicated, or with infidels. Let no one receive those excommunicated by priests before a just examination of both parties, nor communicate with them in prayer, or in food, or in drink, or in a kiss, nor even say "Hail" to them; because whoever shall have knowingly communicated with the excommunicated in these or other prohibited things, according to the institution of the apostles, shall himself be subject to a similar excommunication. Let clerics and laity, therefore, abstain from these men, who refuse to suffer the same things. Do not be joined with ^B the infidels, nor have any participation with them. For those who do such things are judged not as faithful, but as infidels. Whence says the Apostle: "What part hath the faithful with the infidel? Or what participation hath justice with iniquity?"

III. That no bishop shall presume anything concerning the parish of another, and concerning the changes of bishops. Let no one, moreover, usurp the boundaries of another, nor presume to judge or excommunicate the parishioner of another; because such adjudication or ordination, or excommunication, or condemnation shall neither be valid nor possess any force; since no one shall be held or condemned by the sentence of any judge other than his own. Whence also the Lord speaks, saying: "Thou shalt not transgress the ancient boundaries which thy fathers have set." Moreover, let no primate or metropolitan presume to excommunicate or judge the church or parish of a diocesan, or anyone of his parish, or to do anything without his counsel or judgment: but let him observe this which has been established by the apostles and by our fathers and by our predecessors, and confirmed by us: that is, if any metropolitan bishop, except for that which pertains only to his own proper parish, shall attempt to do something elsewhere without the counsel and will of all the comprovincial bishops, he shall be subject to the peril of his rank, and what he has done shall be held as void and of no effect; but whatever it is necessary to act upon or dispose of concerning the causes of the provincial co-bishops, and the necessities of their churches and of clerics and of seculars, this shall be done with the consent of all the comprovincial pontiffs; ^{C D}

^A nor with any pride of domination, but with the most humble and concordant administration, as the Lord says: *Not to be served, but to serve.* And elsewhere: *He who is the greater among you shall be your minister*, and the rest. Likewise, those comprovincial bishops themselves should conduct all things with his counsel, unless it pertains to their own proper parishes, according to the constitutions of the holy fathers (who, although they may have preceded us by some interval of time, nevertheless drew the light of truth and faith from one and the same fountain of purity, and under the same illuminating and directing Spirit, they sought the stability of the Church of God and the common utility of all Christians), so that with one heart and one mouth, the holy Trinity may be concordantly glorified forever. Let no primate, no metropolitan, and no other bishop approach the city of another, or come to a possession which does not pertain to him and is of another bishop's parish, regarding anyone’s disposition, unless called by him whose jurisdiction it is known to be; nor let him dispose, or order, or judge anything there, if he wishes to enjoy the honor of his degree. If he presumes otherwise, he shall be condemned; and not only he, but his co-operators and those consenting to him: because just as ordination, so also is judgment and the disposition of other things prohibited to them. For he who cannot ordain, how shall he judge? He certainly shall not judge, nor will he be able to judge; for since the wife of another ^B is not permitted to be adulterated by anyone, nor to be judged or disposed of except by her own husband while he lives, so neither may the wife of a bishop (which is understood to be his Church or parish) be judged or disposed of by another while he lives, without his judgment and will, nor is it conceded that anyone may enjoy her company—that is, her ordination. Hence the Apostle says: *The wife is bound to the law as long as her husband lives; but if he is dead, she is released from the law of her husband.* Similarly, the spouse of a bishop (because the Church is called the spouse and wife of him) is bound to him while he lives; but if he is dead, she is released, and may marry whom she wishes, *only in the Lord*, that is, lawfully. If, indeed, while he lives, she marries another, she shall be judged an adulteress. Similarly, if he himself voluntarily takes another, he shall be judged an adulterer and will be deprived of communion. But if he has been persecuted in his own Church, he is to flee to another, and is to be associated with it, the Lord saying: *If they persecute you in one city, flee to another.* But if he must be moved for the sake of utility, let him not do this by himself, but by the invitation of the brethren, and let him do it by the authority of this holy see, not for the sake of ambition, but for utility.

IV. Of the unions of consanguineous persons; and of those who are born of them, and of accusations which the laws reject.

The unions of consanguineous persons are prohibited, when both divine and secular laws forbid them. Divine laws, therefore, doing this, not only cast them out, but also call those who are born of them accursed. Secular laws, therefore, call such persons infamous and cast them out from inheritance. We, however, following our fathers and adhering to their footprints, mark them with infamy and deem them to be infamous, because they are sprinkled with the stains of infamy. Nor ought we to accept as men, nor accept the accusations of those whom secular laws reject. (For who doubts that human laws, not repugnant to reason and honesty, are to be embraced, especially where they consult for public utility or defend the authority of ecclesiastical dignity, and maintain it for the sake of support?) We call those consanguineous ^C whom the laws of divine and emperors, and of the Romans and Greeks, call consanguineous, and they receive them into inheritance, nor can they repel them. For the unions of such are neither legitimate, nor can they remain, but are to be repelled. (And if any have been attempted with rash daring, they are to be rescinded by apostolic authority.)

V. Of who ought not to be admitted to accusation, or to testimony: and that testimony is not to be given except concerning those things which were done in the presence of the witness.

Whoever, therefore, is not legitimately joined, or is coupled without a dotal title and the blessing of a priest, can in no way accuse priests or those who are legitimately joined, nor testify against them, since he who is polluted by the stain of any incest is infamous, and is not permitted to accuse those mentioned above. Not only, therefore, are these to be rejected and made infamous, but also all those who consent to them. Similarly, regarding those who commit rape, or those who attack their elders, it is decreed. ^D Whence it is rightly decreed by apostolic constitution, which exists in the canons of the apostles 14, 15 and 16, that bishops or others holding appointed benefices may not, of their own accord, change their dioceses and parishes without the grave cause of greater utility; just as that which provides that those who, after having received holy orders, however invalidly, presume to contract marriage in the face of the Church, incur interpretative bigamy, as they call it, and consequently irregularities and other penalties, can. *Quotquot*, 27, quaest. 1. Id.

We judge these men to be destroyed by the laws of the world; yet we, with mercy leading the way, receive them under a note of infamy to penance. We cannot undo the infamy itself with which they are besmirched, but we desire to heal their souls through public penance and the satisfaction of the Church, because manifest sins are not to be purged by secret correction. ^A Therefore, all who are under suspicion regarding the true faith should in no wise be received in the accusation of priests and of those whose faith is not brought into doubt, and they are to be held as dubious in human testimony. Therefore, it is fitting that the voice of those whose faith is doubted should be weakened, and no credence at all should be given to those who do not know the true faith. It must be asked, therefore, in judgment, what is the character and faith of the one who accuses, and of the one who is accused, since those who are not of right behavior and faith, and whose life is accusable, are not permitted to accuse their elders, nor those whose faith, life, and freedom are unknown. ^B Nor are base persons to be received into their accusation. The status of accusers must be inquired into minutely; they may never be accepted without a written statement, for by a writing no one can accuse or be accused, but each one must conduct his accusation personally by his own voice and in the presence of him whom he wishes to accuse. Nor, in the absence of the one whom he wishes to accuse, may any credence be given to any accuser. Similarly, witnesses should not proffer testimony through any writing, but being present, they should truthfully speak testimony of those things which they have seen and known. Nor should they speak testimony concerning other causes or business, except those which are known to have been done in their presence. ^C But blood relations should not speak testimony as accusers against strangers, nor should members of the household or those coming from the same house; but if they wish, and have consented among themselves, only kindred may testify, and not others. Nor should suspected persons be received as accusers or witnesses: because the affection of relationship, of familiarity, and of mastery is wont to impede the truth. Carnal love, and fear, and avarice usually dull human senses and pervert judgments; so that one considers gain to be piety, and money as the reward of prudence. For no one should speak guile against his neighbor. The mouth of the malevolent is a deep pit. When the innocent trusts easily, he falls quickly. But that fallen man rises; and the prevaricator is cast down by his own arts, from which he may never escape or be freed. Therefore, let everyone weigh his own words, and what he does not wish to be said to himself, let him not speak to another. Hence the sacred Scripture rightly says: "What you do not wish to be done to you, do not do to another." We ^D need time, therefore, so that we may act with greater maturity. Nor should we precipitate our plans and works, nor should we break order. But if any lapse occurs in any way, let us not destroy him, but correct him with brotherly affection, just as the blessed Apostle says: "If a man be overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ." Furthermore, blessed David performed penance for deadly crimes, and yet he remained in his honor. Blessed Peter, too, shed most bitter tears when he repented of having denied the Lord, yet he remained an apostle. And the Lord promises to sinners through the prophet, saying: "In whatsoever day the sinner is converted, I will not remember all his iniquities any more."

VI. Whether a priest can minister after a fall.

Those who think that the Lord’s priests, after a fall, if they have performed worthy penance, cannot minister to the Lord and enjoy their honors, if they have thereafter led a good life and worthily guarded their priesthood, are in error. And they who think this not only err, but also dispute against the keys given to the Church and seem to act contrary to them, concerning which it was said: "Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in heaven." Otherwise, this sentence either is not of the Lord, or it is true. But we undoubtedly believe that both the Lord’s priests and the rest of the faithful, after worthy satisfaction, can return to their honors, the Lord testifying through the prophet: "Shall he who falls, not rise again? And he who is turned away, shall he not return?" And elsewhere: "I desire not," says the Lord, "the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live." And the prophet David, performing penance, said: "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and with a princely spirit confirm me." For he himself, after penance, both taught others and offered sacrifice to God, giving an example to the teachers of the holy Church, that if they have fallen and performed worthy penance to God, they can do both. For he taught when he said: "I will teach the unjust thy ways, and the wicked shall be converted to thee." And he offered sacrifice to God for himself when he said: "A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit." For the Prophet, seeing his sins cleansed through penance, did not hesitate to heal others by preaching and making an offering to the Lord. Therefore, the pouring out of tears moves the passion of the soul. But when satisfaction is completed, the soul is turned away from anger. For he who does not ignore...