Wealth and Poverty For Clergy and Monks

Wealth and Poverty For Clergy and Monks Dr. Ann Orlando 11 April 2013

Outline • Ecclesial Offices in Late Antiquity • Office of Bishop, Deacon, Presbyter • Monks in Late Antiquity • Bishops Ambrose and Augustine and their clergy

General Comments • Many centuries to ‘solidify’ ecclesial offices other than bishop • Significant change in ecclesial offices after Constantine • Dramatically increased social standing • Limited historical data

Bishop Before Constantine • From Greek word for ‘overseer, shepherd’ • Bishop of Rome as primary (see 1 Clement) • Selected by community and ordained by three other local bishops • From earliest Christian time bishop was leader of local Christian community (see Paul’s letters, Ignatius of Antioch) • Liturgy and Sacraments • Teaching • Administration • Bishop understood as the successor of apostles (Irenaeus) • Bishop led the persecuted community and governed forgiveness of sins (especially apostasy)

Bishop After Constantine • All of above • Increased political importance, especially in large capital cities such as Rome, Milan, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch • Rule of only one bishop in one city (Augustine earliest exception in Hippo) • Increasingly bishop takes on civil judicial roles as well as ecclesial responsibilities • Steep increase in Christians, wealth and social standing leads to need for additional assistance for bishop

Deacons Before Constantine • From Greek word for ‘servant’ • Found in Acts of Apostles (Steven) and almost all early Christian writers • Selected and ordained by bishop • Usually a dedicated ecclesial office • Responsible for administration of church property • Responsible for ‘corporal’ works of mercy in diocese • Deacons often became the bishop after death of bishop

Deacons After Constantine • Same responsibilities • Increased wealth in diocese increases need for multiple deacons • Office of archdeacon becomes common in larger diocese • Oversees (diaconusepiscopi) other clergy, disciplinary • Examines candidates for presbyters • Overall administration of diocesan property • Usually second-most important ecclesial office • Office starts to diminish by 9th C (Carolingian reforms) and in the West vanishes by 12th C

Presbyters Before Constantine • Greek word for “elder” • In late 1st and early 2nd C seems to have been a council of (lay?) advisors to bishop (see Ignatius letters) • By late 2nd C presbyters assume important teaching role (and perhaps liturgical) on behalf of bishop • Tertullian (maybe) • Clement, Origen definitely • Usually associated with a particular diocese (controversy over Origen) • Some signs of friction between deacons and presbyters in 3rd C over episcopal succession • In Rome Calixtus and Hippolytus

Presbyters After Constantine • Take on increased liturgical and sacramental roles • Become the ‘higher order’ clergy over deacons • Presbyters ordained deacons prior to priestly ordination

Eastern Monasticism: 3rd and Early 4th C • Desert Monks (from Greek for solitary), primarily in Egypt: anchorites withdrawn from society • Most famous: Anthony (251-356), • Athanasius (Bishop of Alexandria, opposed Arius) wrote a very influential life of Anthony, example: Augustine Confessions Book VIII • Communal monasticism: coenobitic • Many attracted to this way of life, come together in groups • Rule of St. Pachomius (286 – 346) • Pachomius’ sister, Mary, establishes an Egyptian monastery for women • Third type, usually viewed with deep suspicion: mendicants

Early 5th C Western Monastic Developments: John Cassian (360-435) • Born in France, spent time as an anchorite in Egypt • Brought Pachomius’ Rule back with him • Made it available in West in his Divine Institutes and Conferences • Wrote against Augustine in the Pelagiancontroversy • Considered a semi-Pelagian • Revered as a saint in the East, but not the West

What’s a Rule • Prescribes the way of life for the community • Includes what prayers are said when • Defines balance between work, study, prayer • Community organization (abbot, monks, novices) and how leaders are selected • Process for acceptance into community • How new communities are created • Relation between community and diocese

Evangelical Counsels • Embraced by monastics from the beginning of monasticism • Explicitly becomes part of Rules • Not binding on all, but for those who are called to a consecrated life leading to perfection (completeness) • Matthew 19:21 source of these counsels. Three types of riches identified by Church Fathers: • Riches which make life easy and pleasant, • Riches of the flesh which appeal to the appetites, • Riches associated with honors and positions of authority • Evangelical Counsels opposed to these riches: • Poverty • Chastity • Obedience • For an analysis of Aquinas on the Counsels by Jacque Servais, see Communio 2004, available at http://communio-icr.com/articles/PDF/servais31-3.pdf

Precept of Obedience • The internal disposition oriented to hearing the Word of God • Only hearing the Word of God, can consecrated person live out other two counsels • Word of God for a consecrated person living in community is mediated by those chosen to exercise authority in community • See http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/documents/rc_con_ccscrlife_doc_20080511_autorita-obbedienza_en.html

LexContinentiae • In 1st – 4th C Bishops, deacons and presbyters were allowed to be married prior to ordination • Key question was remarriage • Hippolytus accuses Callistus of laxity because he allowed deacons to remarry • With influence of monasticism, in 4th C becomes uncommon, and eventually forbidden for bishops and priests to assume office if married • Deacons cannot remarry • For more details on this, see http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/documents/rc_con_cclergy_doc_01011993_chisto_en.html

Rule of Poverty • Following in the footsteps of Jesus in a deeply authentic way required poverty • New Testament blessedness, ‘happiness’ of poor • Hermetic life implied living in voluntary poverty • Most monastic rules explicitly required that monks forego personal property • See http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19930721en.html

Issue in 4th Century • To what extent should ecclesial clergy, especially bishops and presbyters, live the evangelical counsels • Some great 4th C Fathers were married: Gregory of Nyssa and (perhaps) Gregory Naziansus • But increasingly, the expectation was that bishops and presbyters would abide by the evangelical counsels • Jerome especially encouraged this • Ambrose and Augustine • Both lived the evangelical counsels • Both encouraged their clergy to do the same

Ambrose, “On the Duties of the Clergy” • Modeled on Cicero’s De Officiisor the duties of Roman officials, emphasizing how Roman officials should exercise virtues in the performance of their responsibilities • Divided into 3 Books • In Book I discusses ‘ordinary’ laws applicable to everyone and the evangelical counsels, applicable to clergy (see I.xi) • Book II describes the happiness of the clergy • Book III specific actions and responsibilities of the clergy

Augustine, Sermons 355 and 356 • Background: Augustine had required his clergy to live in a monastic community in Hippo, and thus to follow the evangelical counsels • Delivered by Augustine in late 425 to address a specific scandal among his clergy • Specific problem was a priest in Hippo, Januarius (a widower), who supposedly had given all his money to the poor before becoming a priest in Hippo, in fact he had kept much money aside for his daughter and had been managing that money while a priest • Note how Augustine relaxes the call to complete poverty • See R.C, Kondro in CONCEPT, Vol. XXXIV (2011)

Assignments • Assignments • Read Ambrose of Milan On the Duties of the Clergy, Book II NPNF Series 2 Vol. 10 available at http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3401.htm • Brown, Through the Eye of a Needle, Chapter 8 • Write short paper: Br. Michele • Read Augustine, Sermons 355 and 356 found in Works of Augustine, Sermons 341-400 (III/10), translated Edmund Hill, New York: New City Press, 1965. • Brown, Through the Eye of a Needle, Chapter 28 • Compendium of Catholic Social Doctrine, 538-540 • Write Short Paper: Todd

Wealth and Poverty For Clergy and Monks