Cap. LXIV
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Ch. 64
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Sequitur: 1In abbatis ordinatione illa semper consideretur ratio, ut hic constituatur, quem sibi omnis concors congregatio secundum timorem Dei, sive etiam pars quamvis parva congregationis saniore consilio elegerit. 2Vitae autem merito et sapientiae doctrina eligatur, qui ordinandus est, etiamsi ultimus fuerit in ordine congregationis et reliqua. |
He says next: 1In appointing an abbot, this procedure must always be kept in mind: the one installed should be one whom the entire community chooses, in harmony and the fear of God, or else the part of the community, however small, of sounder judgment. 2The one to be appointed should be chosen for merit of life and wisdom of teaching, even if he has the last rank in the community. |
Forte quaerit aliquis, quare S. Benedictus hoc capitulum in primordio non scripsit. Cui respondendum est: Bene in hoc loco hoc capitulum scripsit, nec aliter etiam debuit facere, qui imprimis scripsit de illo vel pro illo, cum dixit: Ausculta o fili, praecepta magistri, [Regula Benedicti, prologue.1] eo, quod discipulum admonuit, ut obediret magistro. Deinde totum corpus comprehendit, cum de generibus vel vita monachorum dixit; ait enim: Ad coenobitarum fortissimum genus adjuvante Christo veniamus. [Regula Benedicti 1.30] Post vero quasi caput hujus corporis constituit, cum de abbate dixit, qualis debeat esse [Regula Benedicti, c. 2], tam in se, quam in exterioribus. Post vero de instrumentis bonorum operum dixit. [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 4] Deinde de duodecim gradibus humilitatis dicit; [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 7] post autem de officiis divinis, [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 8-20] deinde de judiciis, [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 23-30] postmodum autem qualiter suscipiantur novitii, [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 58] deinde de ordine congregationis. [Regula Benedicti, c. 63] |
You may ask why Saint Benedict did not write this chapter at the beginning (of his Rule). The answer is: It is a good thing that he put this chapter in this place, and he should not have done differently, since he wrote in the first place about the abbot and in the interest of the abbot when he said: Listen, o son, to the commands of the master. [Regula Benedicti, prologue.1] For there he admonished the student to obey the master. Afterwards he encompassed the whole body (of the monastic congregation), when he was speaking about the kinds and the life of monks. For this is what he said: Let us now with the help of Christ come o the strongest kind of monks, the cenobites. [Regula Benedicti, c. 1.30] But after this, he established a head for this body, so to speak, when he was talking about the abbot, what sort of a man he should be [Regula Benedicti, c. 2] both with regard to his own character and to his dealings with the outside world. Again, after that, he discussed the instruments of good works. [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 4] After that, he discussed the twelve grades of humility, [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 7] then the Divine Offices, [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 8-20] judgments, [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 23-30] afterwards, how novices should be received, [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 58] then the order in the congregation. [Regula Benedicti, c. 63] |
Deinde ordinato capite cum corpore suo, quia non potest aliter, ut istud caput, i. e. abbas non moriatur, ideo nunc de restauratione capitis, i. e. abbatis congruo loco hoc capitulum constituit. Dicit enim: In abbatis ordinatione illa semper consideretur ratio, ut hic constituatur, quem sibi omnis concors congregatio secundum timorem Dei - subaudiendum est: elegerit - sive etiam pars quamvis parva congregationis saniore consilio elegerit. Notandum vero est, quia tres distinctiones in hoc loco fecit S. Benedictus : primam, cum dixit si omnis concors congregatio cum timore Dei elegerit. |
Now he has a body with a head assigned to it: but since it is impossible that this head, that is, the abbot, does not die, he now dedicates this chapter, in its fitting place, to the question of how this head, that is, the abbot, should be replaced. For this is what he says: In appointing an abbot, this procedure must always be kept in mind: the one installed should be one whom the entire community chooses, in harmony and the fear of God – understand: chooses1 –, or else the part of the community, however small, of sounder judgment. Note that Saint Benedict in this place made three distinctions. The first occurs when he said: the entire community chooses, in harmony and with2 the fear of God. |
Et bene dixit cum timore Dei; quia et est mala concordia sine timore Dei, sicut inferius dicturus est, [page 584] cum dicit: 3Quod si etiam omnis congregatio vitiis suis, quod quidem absit, consentientem personam pari consilio elegerit, 4et vitia ipsa aliquantulum in notitiam episcopi, ad cujus dioecesim pertinet locus ipse, vel ad abbates aut christianos vicinos claruerint, 5prohibeant pravorum praevalere consensum, sed domui Dei dignum constituant dispensatorem, 6scientes pro hoc se recepturos mercedem bonam, si illud caste et zelo Dei faciant, sicut econtrario peccatum, si negligant |
And he did well to say with the fear of God, because there also is an evil harmony without the fear of God; which is something he will discuss later, [page 584] when he says: 3If, God forbid, the entire community in common counsel chooses a person who condones its vices, 4and these vices somehow come to the attention of the bishop in whose diocese the monastery is located or to neighboring abbots and Christians, 5they should prevent the plotting of the perverse from prevailing, instead setting up a worthy steward of the house of God, 6knowing that they will receive a good reward for it, provided they do it purely and with zeal for God, and if, on the contrary, they neglect this duty, it is a sin. |
Secundam distinctionem fecit, cum dicit sive etiam pars quamvis parva saniore consilio elegerit. Tertiam vero distinctionem fecit illam, quam praediximus, cum dicit quod si etiam omnis congregatio vitiis suis, quod quidem absit, consentientem personam pari consilio elegerit, et reliq. |
He made the second distinction when he said: or else the part of the community, however small, of sounder judgment. The third distinction he made is the one we have mentioned before, when he said If, God forbid, the entire community in common counsel chooses a person who condones its vices, and so on. |
Hoc notandum est, quia in hoc loco, quod dicit quamvis parva, subintelligitur: si media pars congregationis saniore consilio, sive etiam pars major congregationis saniore consilio elegerit, illis consentiendum est, qui saniori, i. e. meliori consilio eligunt. |
Note that when he says here however small is is to be understood that whatever part of the community chooses the abbot with sounder judgment, be it a medium-size part or a even a large one, those are the ones we should agree with, who use sounder judgment in their choice, that is, better judgment. |
Quid est parva congregatio? Verbi gratia, si quinquaginta monachi sunt, qui malum abbatem eligunt, et sunt duo boni fratres, qui meliorem abbatem eligunt, istis duobus consentiendum est et non illis quinquaginta. Similiter si centum sunt, qui negligentem abbatem eligunt, et tres sunt, qui meliorem abbatem eligunt, illis tribus consentiendum est et non illis centum. Similiter si ducenti vel trecenti aut etiam quingenti, et fuerint tres aut quatuor vel quinque boni, qui meliorem eligunt, istis tribus vel quatuor aut quinque fratribus consentiendum est et non illis ducentis vel trecentis aut quingentis. |
What is a small community?3 For example, if there are fifty monks who choose a bad man for their abbot and two good brothers who choose a better one, we should give our consent to the two and not to the fifty. Similarly, if there are a hundred who choose a careless man for their abbot and three who choose a better man, we have to give our consent to the three and not to the hundred. In the same way if there are two hundred or three hundred or even five hundred, we have to give our consent to the three or four or five brothers and not to the two hundred or three hundred or five hundred. |
Et bene dixit etiamsi ultimus fuerit in congregatione, quia in tali electione nullatenus ordo servari debet. Verbi gratia, si fuerit talis, qui per triginta annos fuerit in monasterio et non fuerit dignus, et alter fuerit, qui uno anno habitavit in monasterio et fuerit dignus, iste est eligendus, qui uno anno habitavit in monasterio studiose et diligenter, et non ille, qui per triginta annos tepide et negligenter habitavit in monasterio. |
And he does well to say: even if he has the last rank in the community, because in this kind of choice, we should by now means attend to hierarchy. For example, if there is someone who has been in the monastery for thirty years and has always been worthless, and there is another one who has dwelt in the monastery for one year an has been worthy, we should choose the one who has dwelt in the monastery for one year with zeal and diligence and not the one who has dwelt in the monastery for thirty years and has always been lukewarm and uninterested. |
Hactenus B. Benedictus dixit, qualiter eligatur abbas. Nunc vero subjunxit, quae persona eligatur, [page 585] cum dixit: vitae autem merito et sapientiae doctrina eligendus est, qui ordinandus est, etiamsi ultimus fuerit in congregatione. |
Up to this point, Saint Benedict had discussed how the abbot should be chosen. Then he moved on to the question which kind of person should be chosen, [page 585] when he said: The one to be appointed should be chosen for merit of life and wisdom of teaching, even if he has the last rank in the community. |
Attendendum est, quia duo dixit B. Benedictus habere illum, qui eligendus est ad abbatem consecrandum, i. e. vitam et sapientiam. Notandum est enim, quia si inveniri potest, qui ista duo habeat, i. e. sapientiam et vitam bonam, ipse est eligendus; si vero non fuerit inventus, qui ista duo habeat, sed divise. |
Consider that Saint Benedict said that the person who should be chosen to be appointed abbot should have two qualities, namely, his way of life and his wisdom. Note that if someone can be found who has both of these two, that is, wisdom and a good way of life, that person should be chosen; but if no one can be found who has both of those, but only someone who has them separately. |
V. gr. si inventus fuerit talis frater, qui vitam bonam habuerit et tamen non habuerit sapientiam, et iterum invenitur alter frater, qui vitam bonam non habuerit, et tamen habuerit sapientiam, ille eligendus est magis, qui vitam bonam habet, quamvis non habeat sapientiam, quam ille, qui sapientiam habet et non bonam vitam. Si autem talis fuerit illa persona, quae vitam bonam habet et tamen non est affabilis, ut aliis possit prodesse, sicut solent multi esse, eo quod non sunt affabiles nec zelum habent, et iterum est alter, qui sapientiam habet et potest aliis prodesse eo, quod est affabilis et zelans, et quamvis ejus vita sit fragilis, tamen non multum est mala, iste est potius eligendus, qui, quamvis ejus vita sit fragilis, tamen non multum est mala, si sapientiae doctrina affabilis est, ut aliis proficiat. Si autem iste, qui, quamvis sapiens sit, tamen ejus vita multum est mala, ille eligendus est, qui vitam bonam habet, quamvis non sit ita doctus, ut aliis proficiat. |
For example if a brother can be found who has a good way of life, but does not have wisdom, and if, on the other hand, another brother can be found who does not have a good way of life, but has wisdom, we should rather choose the one who has a good way of life, even though he does not have wisdom, than the one who has wisdom, but not a good way of life. But if there is such a person who does have a good way of life, but on the other hand is not eloquent4 enough that he can benefit others – as is the case with many people, because they are not eloquent and do not have zeal – and on the other hand if there is another one who possesses wisdom and can benefit others, because he is eloquent and zealous, and even if his life is prone to temptation,5 it is not all that bad, we should rather choose the one whose life, while prone to temptation, is not all that bad, if he is friendly and possesses the teachings of wisdom, so that he can benefit others. However, if there is one who may be wise, but his way of life is very bad, we should choose one who has a good way of life, even if he is not learned enough to benefit others. |
Dioecesim, i. e. parochiam. Aliquatenus, i. e. aliquo modo. Caste, i. e. sine corruptione vanae gloriae vel praemiorum. Sicut enim merces est, si hoc malum sine vana gloria aut praemio prohibent, ita e contrario peccatum est, si negligant. |
Diocese: that is, parish (parochia).6 Somehow, that is, in some way.7 Purely, that is, without the blemish of vainglory or corruption. For while on the one hand it merits a reward if they avert this evil without being vainglorious or corrupt, it is on the other hand a sin, if they neglect to do so. |
Bene dicit si illud caste et zelo Dei faciant; cum dicit illud, subaudiendum est: bonum, i. e, ut bonus ordinetur abbas, non malus. Ac per hoc ut merces sit illis, qui pro bono ordinando abbate laboraverint, ideo dicit: scientes pro hoc se recepturos mercedem bonam, si illud caste et zelo Dei faciant - quasi diceret: scient, se pro hoc labore a Deo mercedem recepturos, si hoc pro Dei amore laboraverint et sine ullius muneris retributione. Caste enim attinet ad hoc, ut sine corruptione fiat, i. e. [page 586] sine permixtione vanae gloriae aut alicujus muneris vel retributionis. Zelo Dei attinet ad amorem Dei; zelus Dei est amor perficiendi Dei praecepta. Talis enim sensus est in hoc loco, cum dicit caste et zelo Dei, qualis est in illo loco, ubi dicit propheta: Beatus qui excutit manum suam ab omni munere [Is 33.15] |
He aptly says provided they do it purely and with zeal for God. When he says it, understand ‘this good deed’, that is, that a good man be apointed abbot, not an evil one. And because of this, namely, that those who toil for the appointment of a good abbot be rewarded, he says: knowing that they will receive a good reward for it, provided they do it purely and with zeal for God, by which he means: they know that they will receive a reward from God, if they toil in this for the love of God and without receiving gifts for it. For purely refers to the fact that this should happen without corruption, that is [page 586] without the influence of vainglory or whatever gift or payment. With zeal for God refers to the love for God; zeal for God is the loving desire8 to fulfill God’s commands. The meaning of purely and with zeal for God here is similar to the words of the prophet Blessed is he who keeps his hand from all bribes”. [Is 33:15] |
Quem sensum B. Gregorius exponit in evangelio, ubi Dominus dicit: Gratis accepistis, gratis date: [Mt 10:8] Praesciebat namque nonnullos [omitted in ed. Mittermüller, inserted from CCSL: hoc ipsum donum accepti Spiritus in usum negotiationis inflectere, et miraculorum signa ad avaritiae obsequium declinare. Hinc est enim quod Simon Magus, per impositionem manus edita miracula conspiciens, percipere donum Spiritus sancti pecunia voluit, [cf. Act 8:18-19] scilicet ut deterius venderet quod male comparasset. Hinc de templo redemptor noster flagello de resticulis facto turbas ejecit, cathedras vendentium columbas evertit. [cf. Io 2:15; Mt 21:12; Mc 11:15] Columbas quippe vendere est impositionem manus qua Spiritus sanctus accipitur, non ad vitae meritum, sed ad praemium dare. |
The meaning of this is explained by Saint Gregory commenting on the words of the Lord in the Gospel: Freely you have received; freely give [Mt 10:8], thus: For he knew in advance that some people would use this very gift of the Spirit for financial gain, and exploit miracles in the service of greed. This is why Simon Magus, perceiving that miracles were done by laying on hands, wanted to acquire the gift of the Holy Spirit for money, [cf. Act 8:18-19] , thus selling worse what he would have bought badly. This is why our saviour made a scourge out of small cords and drove the masses out of the temple and overturned the tables of the dove-sellers. [cf. Io 2:15; Mt 21:12; Mc 11:15] For to sell doves means to bestow the laying-on of hands not for the gain of life, but for money |
Sed sunt nonnulli qui quidem nummorum praemia ex ordinatione non accipiunt, et tamen sacros ordines pro humana gratia largiuntur, atque de largitate eadem laudis solummodo retributionem quaerunt. Hi nimirum quod gratis acceptum est gratis non tribuunt, quia de impenso officio sanctitatis nummum expetunt favoris. Unde bene cum justum virum describeret propheta, ait: 'Qui excutit manus suas ab omni munere'. [Is 33:15] Neque enim dicit: Qui excutit manus suas a munere, sed adjunxit ab omni, quia aliud est munus ab obsequio, aliud munus a manu, aliud munus a lingua. |
There are some, however, who do not receive cash money for ordination, but they bestow the holy orders out of human kindness and only ask for praise in return. Those other ones do not bestow freely what they received for free, because they ask for the currency of favor in return for the holy office. Is is fitting, therefore, that the prophet, when he described a just man, said, 'he shakes his hands from all gifts'. [Is 33:15] For he does not say “from a gift”, but rather added “all gifts”, because there is a difference between a gift of obedience, a gift of the hand and a gift of the tongue.<>/em |
Munus quippe ab obsequio est subjectio indebite impensa, munus a manu pecunia est, munus a lingua favor. Qui ergo sacros ordines tribuit, tunc ab omni munere manus excutit, quando in divinis rebus non solum nullam pecuniam, sed etiam humanam gratiam non requirit. |
The gift of obedience is submission granted without compulsion, the gift of the hand is money, the gift of the tongue is favor. Hence he who bestows holy orders shakes his hands from all gifts if he not only does not demand money for sacred rites, but not even the favor of men. |
Sed vos, fratres charissimi, quos saecularis habitus tenet, cum quae sint nostra cognoscitis, mentis oculos ad vestra revocate. Cuncta erga vos vicissim gratis agite. Nolite operis vestri in hoc mundo retributionem quaerere, quem cum tanta jam cernitis velocitate defecisse. Sicut male acta abscondi vultis ne alii videant, ita bona ne ad humanam laudem appareant cavete. Neque mala quoque modo, nec bona pro temporali retributione faciatis. Ipsum vestri operis testem quaerite quem judicem sustinctis. Occulta nunc bona vestra esse videat, ut ea retributionis suae tempore] in publico ostendat. [Gregory the Great, Homiliae in Evangelia 4, c. 4-5, CCSL 141, pp. 30-31] |
You, however, dearest brethren, who lead a secular life, cast the eyes of your minds upon your own situation when you hear about ours. Do everything towards one another for free. Do not ask for a reward for your works in this world, since you see that it vanishes so quickly. If you want your evil deeds to be hidden so that others cannot see them, take care as well that your good deeds do not become visible to provoke human praise. Do not do evil under any circumstances, do not to good for worldly rewards. See only him as witness for your acts whom you suffer as a judge. May he see your good deeds now hidden away, so that he may show them forth in public at the time of retribution. [Gregory the Great, Homiliae in Evangelia 4, c. 4-5] |
Sequitur: 7Ordinatus autem abbas cogitet semper, quale onus suscepit, et cui redditurus est rationem vilicationis suae; 8sciatque, sibi oportere prodesse magis, quam praeesse. Hactenus dicit, qualiter fiat abbas. Nunc ordinatum abbatem docet [illum], qualiter agat, et mittit frenum illi, cum dicit: Ordinatus autem abbas cogitet semper, quale onus suscepit, et cui redditurus est rationem vilicationis suae et rel. |
He says next: 7Once appointed, the abbot should always be mindful of what a burden he has undertaken, and to whom he will ‘render an account of his stewardship’13 and know that he should benefit the brothers rather than preside over them. Until here he has discussed how someone is made abbot. Now he instructs the person appointed abbot how to act, and he reins him in by saying: Once appointed, the abbot should always be mindful of what a burden he has undertaken, and to whom he will ‘render an account of his stewardship’ and so on. |
Per hoc autem, quod dicit ordinatus autem abbas cogitet, quale onus suscepit et reliq., attendendum est, quia non dicit solummodo cogitet, sed dicit semper, i. e. non per intervallum cogitet, sed semper. |
When he says Once appointed, the abbot should always be mindful of what a burden he has undertaken and so on, note that he does not just say should be mindful, but always, that is, he should not consider this now and again, but all the time. |
Sciendum est enim, quia non dicit ‘honor’, sed onus, i. e. pondus. Et bene pondus dixit illum suscepisse et non honorem, quia, qui hoc pondus suscipit, non ut honoretur, suscipere illud debet, sed ut laboret et aliis proficiat, sicut ipse subjungit sciatque sibi oportere prodesse magis quam praeesse. |
You must know that he does not say ‘honor’ but burden14, that is ‘load’. And he does well to say that this man has received a load, not an honor, because he who takes up this load should not do so in order to receive an honor but in order to toil and to benefit others, which is what Benedict says next: and (he should) know that he should benefit the brothers rather than preside over them. |
Attendendum est, quia non dicit praeesse, sed prodesse, quasi diceret: Cognoscat abbas, ideo hoc officium suscepisse, quia oportet [illud],1 ut aliis proficiat et non praesit. Mali e contrario non se sciunt prodesse, sed praeesse, i. e. ideo accipiunt officium pastorale, ut honorati et praelati videantur, non ut aliis possint prodesse, i. e. adjutorium praebere, sed ut magis ac magis divitias et honores sibi exposcunt2 assumi. |
Consider that he says benefit rather than preside,15 which means: The abbot should realize that he has assumed this office because he has to be useful for others, not preside over them. Evil people, on the other hand, do not conceive of themselves as benefitting, but of presiding, that is, they take up a pastoral office in order to show themselves off as honored persons in a superior position, not in order to benefit others, that is, give aid, but in order to demand more and more riches and honors for themselves. |
Praeesse, i. e. superesse. Vilicationis suae, i. e. ministerii sui; ‘vilicus’ enim derivatur a ‘villa’, unde quidam hoc [page 587] nomen per duo ‘ll’ pronuntiant ‘villicus’ dicentes, sed hoc euphonia judicat (iudicat?), quae pro longo usu utitur in regulam. Vilicus enim proprie, sicut Isidorus dicit, villae gubernator est, unde et a villa villicus nomen accepit. Interdum autem vilicus non gubernationem villae, sed dispensationem universae domus Tullio interpretante significat, quod est universarum possessionum et villarum dispensator. [Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae IX, c. 4.33] |
Preside, that is, be in a superior position. Of his stewardship: that is, of his office. For the word ‘vilicus’ (‘steward’) is derived from ‘villa’. This is why [page 587] some people spell the word with two ll –villicus –, but this is decided by euphony, which is adopted as a rule because of longtime usage (?). According to Isidore, the original meaning of ‘vilicus’ is ‘steward of a villa’ which is why ‘vil(l)icus’ also got its name from ‘villa’. Sometimes, however, vilicus does not refer to the steward of a villa, but of an entire household, according to the interpretation of Tullius which is ‘steward of all the belongings and farmholds. [Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae IX, c. 4.33]16 |
Sequitur: 9Oportet ergo eum esse doctum lege divina, ut sciat et sit, unde proferat nova et vetera. [cf. Mt 13:52]. - Bene dixit, esse abbatem doctum lege divina, quia debet cognitionem novi et veteris testamenti habere, quia, sicut dicit B. Gregorius papa, ars artium est gubernatio et doctrina animarum. [cf. Gregory the Great, Regula pastoralis I, c. 1, SC 381, p. 128]3 Nam quare dixerit, illum esse doctum lege divina, manifestat, cum subjunxit dicens ut sciat et sit, unde nova et vetera proferat, quasi diceret: ut cognoscat et sit tale vasculum, unde possit nova et vetera proferre. Nam cum sit dicit, vas eum fecit; hoc est dicere: sciat per doctrinam, sit per vitam. Ille enim scit nova et vetera proferre, qui cognoscit dicere poenam perpetuam et gaudium patriae coelestis. |
9Therefore it is fitting that he be learned in divine law, so that he knows how “to be a source of the old and the new.” [cf. Mt 13:52] He speaks aptly of the abbot being learned in divine law, because he has to have knowledge of both the Old and the New Testament; for, as the Holy Pope Gregory says, the art of leading and teaching souls is the art of all arts. [cf. Gregory the Great, Regula pastoralis I, c. 1] For he makes clear why he speaks of him being learned in divine law when he goes on: so that he knows and is ‘a source from which he might ‘retrieve the old and the new’, which is the same thing as ‘so that he may know and be a vessel from which he might retrieve old and new.’ For when he says is he makes him a vessel.17 This means: he should know through his learning and be through his life. For he is the man who can ‘retrieve old and new’, who knows how to discuss eternal pain18 and the joys of the heavenly realm. |
Quid enim per nova nisi gaudium, et quid per vetus nisi poena intelligitur ? Quia, sicut dicit B. Gregorius, ille in sancta ecclesia doctus praedicator est, qui et nova scit proferre de suavitate regni, et vetusta dicere de terrore supplicii, ut vel poenae terreant, quos praemia non invitant. Audiat de regno, quod amet, audiat de supplicio unusquisque, quod timeat, ut torpentem animum et terrae vehementer inhaerentem, si amor ad regnum non trahit, vel timor minet4 [Gregory the Great, Homilae in Evangelia 11, c. 5, CCSL 141, p. 78] |
What else does new mean but ‘joy’, and old but ‘pain’? As Saint Gregory says, for he is a learned preacher in the church, who knows how to retrieve the new from the sweetness of the kingdom and how to discuss the old from the horror of punishment, so that those who are not drawn by the rewards might at least be frightened of the punishment. May everyone hear about the kingdom what he should love and about the punishment what he should fear, so that a lazy and strongly earthbound soul might at least be threatened by fear, if it cannot be drawn towards the kingdom by love. [Gregory the Great, Homilae in Evangelia 11, c. 5] |
Bene dicit ut sciat et sit, quia scriptura dicit: tam doctrina quam vita clarere debet ecclesiasticus doctor. Nam doctrina sine vita arrogantem reddit; vita sine doctrina inutilem facit. Sacerdotis praedicatio operibus confirmanda est, ita ut quod docet verbo, instruat exemplo. Vera est enim illa doctrina, quam vivendi sequitur forma. [page 588] Nam nihil turpius est, quam si bonum, quod quisque sermone praedicat, explere operibus negligat; tunc enim praedicatio utiliter profertur, quando efficaciter adimpletur. Unusquisque doctor et bonae actionis et bonae praedicationis habere debet studium; nam alterum sine altero non facit perfectum, sed praecedit, justum bene agere, ut sequenter bene possit docere. Sicut in numismate metallum et figura et pondus inquiritur, ita in omni doctore ecclesiastico, quid sequatur, quid doceat, quomodo vivat. Per qualitatem igitur metalli doctrina, per figuram similitudo patrum, per pondus humilitas designatur. Qui vero ab his tribus discrepaverit, non metallum, sed terra erit. [Isidore of Seville, Sententia III, c. 36.1-3/5, CCSL 111, p. 276-277] |
He says aptly so that he knows and is, because Scripture19 says: A teacher in the church must be shining both in his learning and his life. For learning without the right life makes him arrogant, and the right life without learning makes him useless. The preachings of a priest ought to be confirmed by his deeds, so that he might instruct us by his example in what he teaches with his word. For a true instruction is such that the way of life is in accordance with it. [page 588] For there is nothing more shameful than if someone neglects to fulfill in his deeds what he preaches in his words. For preaching will only uttered in a useful way if it is fulfilled in an operative way. Every teacher must be intent on good actions and good preaching; for either of the two, on its own, does not make a man perfect, but a just man20 first has to do good in order that he can consequently teach the good. As with a coin, we ask about metal and coinage and weight, in the same way with every teacher in the Church we ask about what he follows,21 what he teaches, and how he lives. Thus the quality of the metal signifies his teaching, the coinage his similarity to (i. e. imitation of) the Fathers, the weight his humility.22 Whosoever falls short of these three, will not be metal but earth. [Isidore of Seville, Sententia III, c. 36.1-3/5] |
Sequitur: 9Castum, sobrium, misericordem, 10et semper superexaltet misericordiam judicio [Iac 2:13 ], ut idem ipse consequatur, istud enim, quod dicit castum - ipse castus appellatur, qui post perpetrationem sceleris se continet. Notandum est, quia si ante perpetravit illud vitium, abbas potest esse, eo quod sacrificium abbas ob hoc, quia abbas est, non offert. |
He says next: 9that he be chaste, sober, merciful, and should always put mercy above justice, [Iac 2:13] in order that the same may happen to him. When he says chaste, this is how someone is called who lives in continence after having committed a crime. Note that a person can be abbot even if he committed a crime once, because an abbot does not celebrate Mass just because he is abbot. |
Nam differentia est inter castitatem et continentiam, sicut dicit Cassianus in libris, qui de octo vitiis continetur,5 hoc modo: Nemo tamen ex hoc negare nos putet [omitted in ed. Mittermüller, inserted from SC 109: etiam in congregatione fratrum positos inveniri continentes: quod perfacile posse fieri confitemur. Aliud enim est continentem esse, id est ‘egkrate’, aliud castum, et ut ita dicam in affectum integritatis vel incorruptionis transire, quod dicitur ‘agnon’ quae virtus illis solis tribuitur maxime, qui virgines vel carne vel mente perdurant, ut uterque Johannes in novo testamento, in veteri quotque Helias, Hieremias, Danihel fuisse noscuntur. In quorum gradu hi quoque non inmerito reputabuntur, qui post experimenta corruptionis ad similem puritatis statum per laborem langum et industriam integritate mentis et corporis pervenerunt et aculeos carnis non tam inpugrnatione concupiscentiae turpis, quam naturae tantummodo motu sentient. Quem statum dicimus difficillime posse inter hominum turbas adprehendi. Utrum vero et impossiblie sit, unusquisque non nostra sentential expectet agnoscere, sed conscientiae suae rimetur examine. |
For there is a difference between chastity and abstinence,23 as Cassian says in his books on the eight vices, as follows: Yet no one should think form this that we are denying than there are also those who are abstinent in communities of the brothers. That this is the case we freely confess. For it is one thing to be abstinent – that is, egkrate – and another to be chaste and, to put it in this way, to pass over to a disposition of integrity and incorruption, which is called hagnon. This is a virtue that is bestowed in a very special manner only on those who remain virgins in both flesh and mind, as both Johns are known to have been in the New Testament, and also Elijah, Jeremiah, and Daniel in the Old. Not unjustifiably will they also be numbered among those who, after having experienced corruption, have attained to a similar degree of purity through lengthy toil and effort and by way of integrity of mind and body, and who do not feel the strings of the flesh in the form of an onslaught of base desire but only in the form of a movement of nature. We say that this state can be attained with great difficulty by the multitude. But whether it is impossible is for each individual to know; based not on our assertion but on a thorough examination of his own conscience. |
Ceterum continentes multos existere non dubitamus, qui inpugnationem carnis, quam vel raro vel cotidie sustinent, seu metu gehennae seu desiderio regni caelorum extingunt qtque conpescunt. Quos seniores sicut pronuntiant posse non penitus incentivis obrui vitiorum, ita securos et insauciatos semper exsitere non posse definiunt. Necesse est enim quemque in conloctatione positum quamvis frequenter adversarium vincat ac superet, et ipsum tamen] aliquando turbari. [Cassian, Institutiones VI, c. 4, SC 109, pp. 266-268] |
We, however, do not doubt that there are many who are abstinent and who extinguish and suppress the attacks of the flesh, which they endure either infrequently or every day, out of fear of hell and desire for the kingdom of heaven. These persons, the elders, declare, are able not to be completely overwhelmed by the impulses of vice, but they also assert that they cannot ever be safe and invulnerable. For it is inevitable that, if a person is engaged in battle, he himself will sometimes be shaken even though he often conquers and overcomes the enemy. [Cassian, Institutiones VI, c. 4, transl. Boniface Ramsey, New York/Mahwah 2000, pp. 154-155] |
Nunc videndum est, quare prius castum dicit S. Benedictus et non aliud? quia nullum vitium ita est Deo abominabile, quomodo immunditia corporalis, et ob hoc prius dixit, eo quod, si in aliqua immunditia corporis jacuerit, nullo modo abbas fieri debet, quia malum hoc valde Deo horribile est. |
Now we have to see why Saint Benedict says chaste first and not something else. This is because no vice is as abhorrent to God as bodily impurity, and therefore he says it first, because if someone is prone to any impurity of the body, he can by no means be made abbot, because this evil is deeply abhorrent to God. |
Sobrium; bene dicit sobrium, i. e. non gulosum, non vagulum; sed temperatus et modestus esse debet. |
Sober: He aptly says sober, that is, not a glutton, not a wandering spirit,24 but he has to be temperate and modest. |
Misericordem; bene dicit, misericordem debere esse abbatem, quia, sicut Dominus dicit: Beati misericordes, quoniam misericordiam consequuntur. [Mt 5:7] Notandum, quia misericordem oportet illum esse in cibo et potu et vestitu. Si autem in vitiis ventum fuerit et ibi [page 589] dubium fuerit, utrum poenam exerceat an misericordiam, tolerabilius est flectere ad misericordiam quam ad poenam. |
Merciful: he aptly says that the abbot has to be merciful, because, as the Lord says, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. [Mt 5:7] Note that he must be merciful with regard to food, drink and clothing.25 However, if someone has arrived in sin26 and there [page 589] is doubt whether the abbot should extend punishment or mercy, it is more acceptable that he tend towards mercy than towards punishment. |
Misericors enim, sicut Isidorus dicit, a compatiendo alienae miseriae vocabulum est sortitus, et hinc appellata misericordia, quod miserum cor faciat dolentis alienam miseriam. Non autem occurrit ubique haec etymologia; nam est in Domino misericordia sine ulla cordis miseria. [Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae X, c. 164] |
For, as Isidore says, the merciful one got his name from his feeling pain because of another person’s misery, and mercy is called thus (misericordia) because it gives a miserable heart (miserum cor) to the one who is in pain over someone else’s misery. However, this etymology does not always apply; for the Lord has mercy without any misery of the heart. [Isidore of Seville, Etymologiae X, c. 164] |