Gregory the Great

Seitenzahl:

106

Gewicht:

168 g

Erschienen bei:

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Kurzbeschreibung

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Correction of Monastic Abuses Separation of Monks and Clergy Exemption of Monasteries from Episcopal Control Case of Venantius Nunneries Sanctity of Marriage Endowments Election of Bishops Confirmation Use of the Pall Respect for Episcopal Rights Januarius of Cagliari Natalis of Salona Correction of Clerks Sanctuary- Privileges of Clergy Celibacy Administration of the Patrimony Charities. Before proceeding further to note in order the leading events of Gregory's episcopate, let us take a general view of the manner of his administration, especially with regard to discipline, selecting in illustration a few salient instances. He was no less diligent from the beginning of his reign in correcting abuses among the orthodox monks and clergy, in Italy and elsewhere, than in his attempts to suppress heresy. It is to be observed that at that time the distinction was marked between the monastic and clerical orders. The exercise of clerical functions was accounted inconsistent with the seclusion of monastic life. Gregory himself had indeed, though a monik, been ordained deacon by Pope Benedict in order to qualify him for his mission to Constantinople, and as a deacon he returned to his monastery. But monks, as such, were laymen. The whole theory of the monastic life as conceived by Gregory was that those devoted to it should be secluded from the world with all its affairs and temptations, should live altogether in the spiritual sphere, SEPARATION BETWEEN MONKS AND CLERGY. 53 engaged in reading, prayer, and heavenly contemplation; thus alone could the closest communication with Heaven be attained, and the way of salvation secured from risk; and with such a life holy orders were considered as inconsistent as purely secular occupations were, for they were u...

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Mehr von:  James Barmby, Cambridge Scholars Publishing