Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Members of the Church · On Monks (Book II)
Chapter 25: The Same Asserted from the Councils
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Monachis (De Membris Ecclesiae, Book II), On Monks (On the Members of the Church, Book II). The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
Now, secondly, our opinion is to be proved by the testimony of all the Churches, which can easily be had from the ancient Councils. The judgment of the Eastern Church appears from the Council of Ancyra (canon 18): “As many as have transgressed the virginity they promised, the profession being contemned, let them be held among the twice-married.” Likewise from the general Council of Chalcedon (canon 16): “It is not lawful for a virgin who has consecrated herself to the Lord, and likewise a monk, to contract the rights of marriage; but if they be found doing this, let them be excommunicated.”
The judgment of the African Church appears in the Third Council of Carthage (chapter 33), where it is commanded that the sacred virgins be most diligently guarded in the monasteries. And in the Fourth Council of Carthage (last chapter), as was cited above.
The judgment of the Spanish Church appears in the Fourth Council of Toledo (chapter 55): “There are two kinds of widows, secular and consecrated.” And a little below: “These, if they pass to marriage, according to the Apostle, will not be without damnation, because, first vowing themselves to God, they afterward cast away the purpose of chastity.”
The judgment of the Gallican Church appears in the Second Council of Tours (chapter 16), celebrated a thousand years ago: “If any have been converted in a monastery, let them by no means thenceforth have license of wandering, nor — which God forbid — let any of them take a wife; and if he take a wife, let him be excommunicated, and from the fellowship of the ill-associated wife let him be separated, even by the help of the judge. And if the judge be unwilling to give this aid, let him be excommunicated. Which unhappy monk, defiled by such a union, if by anyone’s patronage he try to defend himself, both he who persists in this obstinacy and those who have received him to be defended, let them be segregated from the Church, until he return to the enclosure of the monastery, and do the penance enjoined by the abbot, as long as it shall be commanded him, and after satisfaction let him return to grace.”
The judgment of the German Church appears from the Council of Mainz, in the time of the Emperor Arnulf, last chapter: “Those who have undertaken the purpose of chastity, let them either be regularly confined in the cloisters of a monastery, or, remaining at home, most inviolably keep the chastity of their profession.” In the same place is confirmed decree 13 of the Council of Elvira, and the sixth of the Council of Cologne, under Charles the Fat, in which it was established that sacred virgins, if once they have violated their vow and lost the compact of virginity, receive communion only at the end of life; but if they have long served lust, receive it not even at the end. Many things too concerning the life of monks and nuns are had in the Council of Mainz, under Rabanus.
The judgment of the Italian Church appears from the Roman Council under Sylvester (canon 10), where the bishop is forbidden to bless a virgin who at some time sought marriage, unless her chastity have long been proved. And from the Council of Friuli, in the time of Charlemagne: “Likewise it pleased that concerning women of whatsoever condition — girls, namely, or widows — who, spontaneously promising the purpose of virginity or continence, have been made over to God, and, for a sign of continence, have been clad in a black garment as religious — as was the ancient custom in these regions — though not consecrated by a priest, we command that they perpetually persevere in this purpose. But if afterward, whether secretly or publicly, they marry, being indeed coerced by worldly judgment with the corporal punishments they deserve, let them be separated from one another, and do penance all the days of their life,” etc.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XXY. Idem asseritur ex Conciliis. Nunc secundo probanda est nostra sen¬ tentia testimonio omnium Ecclesiarum, quod ex Conciliis antiquis facile haberi poterit. Judicium Ecclesiae Orientalis, patet ex Con¬ cilio Ancyrano can. 18 : « Quotquot virgi¬ nitatem pollicitam praevaricati sunt, profes¬ sione contempta, inter digamos habeantur.» Itemex Concilio Chalce donensi generali can. 16 : « Virginem, quae se Domino consecravit, similiter et Monachum, non licere nuptialia jura contrahere, quod si hoc inventi fuerint perpetrantes, excommunicentur. » Judicium Ecclesiae Africanae, patet in Concilio Carthaginiensi III, cap. 33. ubi prae¬ cipitur, ut sacrae Virgines in monasteriis di¬ ligentissime custodiantur. Et in Concilio Carthaginiensi IV, cap. ult. ut supra citatum est. Judicium Ecclesiae Hispanicae , patet in Concilio Toletano IV. cap. 55 : « Duo sunt genera viduarum, saeculares et sanctimonia¬ les. » Et paulo infra : « Eae si ad nuptias transierint, juxta Apostolum, non sine dam¬ natione erunt, quia se primum Deo voventes, postea castitatis propositum abjecerunt. » Judicium Ecclesiae Gallicae, patet in Con¬ cilio Turonensi II, cap. 16. ante annos mille celebrato : « Si qui in monasterio conversi sunt, nullatenus exinde habeant licentiam evagandi, nec, quod absit ullus eorum con- (1) I. Cor. VII, 9. — (2) Rom. III, 8; Rom. XIII, 2. —(3) Joan. III, 17. 568 LIBER II. jugem ducere, et si uxorem duxerit, excom¬ municetur, et de uxoris male sociatae con¬ sortio etiam judicis auxilio separetur. Quod si judex ad hoc solatium dare noluerit, ex¬ communicetur. Qui inlelix Monachus tali conjunctione fcedatus, si per cuiuscumque patrocinium se conatus fuerit defensare, et is, qui in hac pertinacitate perdurat, et illi, qui eum exceperint defensandum ab Ecclesia segregentur, donec revertatur ad septa mo¬ nasterii, et indictam ab Abbate, quamdiu pra3ceptum ei fuerit, agat poenitentiam, et post satisfactionem revertatur ad gratiam. » Judicium Ecclesiae Germanicae, patet ex Concilio Moguntinensi , tempore Arnulphi Imperatoris, capite ultimo : « Quae proposi¬ tum castitatis assumpserint, aut monasterii claustris regulariter constringantur , aut domi manentes, castitatem suae professionis integerrime custodiant. » Ibidem confirma¬ tur decretum 13. Concilii Eliberitani, et sex¬ tum Coloniensis Concilii, sub Carolo Crasso, in quibus statutum fuit, ut Virgines sacrae, si semel votum violaverint, pactumque vir¬ ginitatis perdiderint , solum in fine, vitae communionem percipiant : si autem libidini diu servierint, ne in fine quidem eam acci¬ piant. Multa item de vita Monachorum et Sanctimonialium habentur in Concilio Mo- guntino, sub Rabano. Judicium Ecclesiae Italicae patet ex Con¬ cilio Romano sub Sylvestro can. 10. ubi prohibetur Episcopus benedicere virginem, quae nuptias aliquando expetiit, nisi diu fuerit ejus pudicitia probata. Et ex Concilio Forojuliensi, tempore Caroli Magni : « Item placuit de foeminis cujuscumque conditionis, puellis scilicet vel viduis, quae virginitatis, sive continentiae propositum spontanee pol¬ licentes, Deo mancipatae fuerint, et ob con¬ tinentiae signum nigram vestem, quasi reli¬ giosam : sicut antiquus mos fuit in his regio¬ nibus, inductae fuerint, licet non a Sacerdote sacratae, in hoc tamen proposito eas perpe¬ tim perseverare mandamus. Si vero postea, sive clanculo, seu publice nupserint, dignis quidem mundano judicio corporalibus coer¬ citae vindictis, segregentur ab invicem, et agant cunctis diebus vitae suae pnenitentiam, etc. »