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

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

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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

6. 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

7. Deacons After Constantine
Same responsibilities
Increased wealth in diocese increases need for multiple deacons
Office of archdeacon becomes common in larger diocese
Oversees (diaconus episcopi) 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

8. 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

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

10. Eastern Monasticism: 3rd and Early 4th C
Desert Monks (from Greek for solitary), primarily in Egypt: anchorites withdrawn from society
Most famous: Anthony ( ),
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

11. 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 Pelagian controversy
Considered a semi-Pelagian
Revered as a saint in the East, but not the West

12. 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

13. 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 icr.com/articles/PDF/servais31-3.pdf

14. 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 tions/ccscrlife/documents/rc_con_ccscrlife_d oc_ _autorita-obbedienza_en.html

15. Lex Continentiae
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 ns/cclergy/documents/rc_con_cclergy_doc_ _chisto_en.html

16. 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 _ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud en.ht ml

17. 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

18. Ambrose, “On the Duties of the Clergy”
Modeled on Cicero’s De Officiis or 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

19. 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)

20. Assignments Assignments
Read Ambrose of Milan On the Duties of the Clergy, Book II NPNF Series 2 Vol. 10 available at
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 (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,
Write Short Paper: Todd