Canons of the Council of Valence (complete)
Latin text: Lauchert (1896) (Latin text: Lauchert (1896), OCR of the archive.org scan).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Preamble (letter to the bishops of Gaul)
0Lauchert, 181
Dilectissimis fratribus per Gallias et quinque provincias constitutis episcopis Foegadius, Eumerius, Florentius, Artemius, Aemilianus, Britto, Iustus, Evodius, Rhodanius, Eortius, Chrestus, Concordius, Constantius, Paulus, Antherius, Felix, Neoterius, Nicetius, Urbanus, Simplicius et Vincentius episcopi in domino salutem. Transactis Valentiae omnibus et in dei nomine in statu meliori compositis, quae fuerant coepta causa dissidii, quorumdam fuit fratrum utilis et religiosa suggestio, retractandum etiam de his quae nec recipere possumus ob ecclesiae sanctitatem, nec tamen usurpatae consuetudinis causa damnare. Ita enim per omnes ecclesias eiusmodi vitiorum germen inolevit, ut ad plena remedia difficilis recursus; certe non sine verecundia eorum quos causa contigit. Quocirca, fratres, librato diu moderatoque consilio ea cautelae ratio servata est, quae et scandala submoveret et sanctitatem ecclesiae custodiret.
To the dearly beloved brothers, the bishops established throughout the Gauls and the Five Provinces, the bishops Phoebadius, Eumerius, Florentius, Artemius, Aemilianus, Britto, Iustus, Evodius, Rhodanius, Eortius, Chrestus, Concordius, Constantius, Paulus, Antherius, Felix, Neoterius, Nicetius, Urbanus, Simplicius, and Vincentius send greeting in the Lord. When everything at Valence had been dealt with, and in God's name the matters that had been begun as a cause of dissension had been settled in a better state, some of the brothers made a useful and devout suggestion that we should also reconsider those things which we can neither accept, because of the holiness of the church, nor yet condemn, because of the custom that has been usurped. For the seed of such faults has grown up in all the churches to such an extent that a return to full remedies is difficult, and certainly not without shame for those whom the matter concerns. Therefore, brothers, after long and moderate deliberation, a principle of caution has been kept that would both remove scandals and guard the holiness of the church.
Notes and citation
Summary: The synodal letter of the council of Valence (374) to the bishops of Gaul introduces its rulings on long-tolerated abuses.
- The council met at Valence in 374. “Foegadius” in the text is Phoebadius of Agen. The “Five Provinces” are the provinces of southern Gaul.
- No public-domain English translation exists; the translation was re-read against the Latin.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; line-break hyphen in the OCR; page number of the printed edition; stray letter in the OCR): Arte- mius → Artemius; Britto, iustus → Britto, Iustus; Coneordius → Concordius; omnibus set in dei → omnibus et in dei; re- ligiosa → religiosa; reci- pere → recipere; lta enim → Ita enim; ecclesias i eiusmodi → ecclesias eiusmodi; difficilis 810 recursus → difficilis recursus; eausa contigit → causa contigit; sub- moveret → submoveret.
Cite (SBL): Conc. Valent. pref. (Lauchert, 181; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-valence-374/0/#p-0). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Lauchert's Latin (1896), OCR slips corrected by logged corrections; re-read against the Latin (no public-domain English).
Chapter 1
1Lauchert, 218
Sedit igitur, neminem post hanc synodum, qua eiusmodi illicitis vel sero succurritur, de digamis aut internuptarum maritis ordinari clericum posse; nec requirendum, utrumne initiati sacramentis divinis, anne gentiles, hac se infelicis sortis necessitate macularint, cum divini praecepti casta sit forma. Sed quia fratrum nostrorum vel imperitiam vel simplicitatem vel etiam praesumptionem damnare non possumus, nec per omnes ecclesias quae sunt iam pridem male gesta corrigere, placuit etiam de eorum statu, qui prius ordinati sunt, nihil revolvi, si nulla extrinsecus causa procedat, qua indigni ministerio comprobantur.
It has been settled, therefore, that after this synod, by which help is brought, though late, against such unlawful practices, no one from among the twice-married, or the husbands of women who had been married to others, can be ordained a cleric; and it is not to be asked whether they stained themselves with this necessity of an unhappy lot as initiates in the divine sacraments or as pagans, since the form of the divine command is chaste. But since we cannot condemn the inexperience or simplicity or even the presumption of our brothers, nor correct in all the churches what was wrongly done long ago, it has pleased that nothing be reopened concerning the status of those who were ordained earlier, if no other cause arises from outside by which they are shown to be unworthy of the ministry.
1 Tim 3:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 3:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · Titus 1:6 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Henceforth no man married twice, or married to a woman previously married, may be ordained, whether the marriages were before or after baptism; those already ordained are left undisturbed.
- “The twice-married” (digami): men who had married a second time; “the husbands of women who had been married to others” (internuptarum maritis): men whose wives had had a previous husband. The “divine command” is the rule that a cleric be “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; line number from the printed edition; line-break hyphen and line number in the OCR): suecurritur → succurritur; nee requirendum → nec requirendum; praecepti 30 casta → praecepti casta; pro- 35 cedat → procedat.
Topics: Remarriage, Marriage, Church office, Divorce and remarriage
Cite (SBL): Conc. Valent. 1 (Lauchert, 218; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-valence-374/0/#p-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Lauchert's Latin (1896), OCR slips corrected by logged corrections; re-read against the Latin (no public-domain English).
Chapter 2
2Lauchert, 218
De puellis vero quae se deo voverunt, si ad terrenas nuptias sponte transierint, id custodiendum esse decrevimus, ut poenitentia his nec statim detur, et cum data fuerit, nisi plene satisfecerint deo, in quantum ratio poposcerit earumdem communio differatur.
Concerning girls who have vowed themselves to God, if they have passed of their own accord to earthly marriage, we have decreed that this is to be observed: penance is not to be given them at once; and when it has been given, unless they have fully made satisfaction to God, their communion is to be deferred as long as reason requires.
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgins vowed to God who marry are not to be admitted to penance at once, and their communion is deferred until they have made full satisfaction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; line-break hyphen and line number in the OCR): deerevimus → decrevimus; po- 30 poscerit → poposcerit.
Topics: Marriage
Cite (SBL): Conc. Valent. 2 (Lauchert, 218; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-valence-374/0/#p-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Lauchert's Latin (1896), OCR slips corrected by logged corrections; re-read against the Latin (no public-domain English).
Chapter 3
3Lauchert, 218–219
Circa eorum vero personas, qui se post unum et sacrum lavacrum vel profanis sacrificis daemonum vel incesta lavatione polluerint, eam censurae formam duximus esse servandam, ut his iuxta synodum Nicaenam satisfactionis quidem aditus non negetur, ne infelicibus lacrymis vel solatii ianua desperatione claudatur; acturi vero poenitentiam usque in diem mortis, non sine spe tamen remissionis, quam ab eo plene sperare debebunt, qui eius largitatem et solus obtinet, et tam dives misericordia est, ut nemo desperet; deus enim mortem non fecit nec laetatur in perditione vivorum.
Concerning the persons of those who, after the one and sacred washing, have polluted themselves either with the profane sacrifices of demons or with an unholy washing, we have judged that this form of censure is to be kept: that, in accordance with the synod of Nicaea, access to satisfaction is not denied them, lest the door of comfort be shut by despair on their unhappy tears; but they are to do penance until the day of death, yet not without hope of forgiveness, which they ought to hope for fully from him who alone possesses its bounty, and who is so rich in mercy that no one should despair; for God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
Eph 2:4 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Baptized Christians who sacrifice to idols or accept rebaptism may do penance until death, with hope of God's forgiveness.
- “The one and sacred washing”: baptism; “an unholy washing”: probably rebaptism by heretics or schismatics. The reference to Nicaea is probably to its canons on the lapsed and the dying (canons 11–13).
- “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living” is Wis 1:13; “rich in mercy” echoes Eph 2:4.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; running head and page number of the printed edition): Cirea eorum → Circa eorum; lavaerum → lavacrum; duximus Synodus Nemausensis. 183 esse → duximus esse; nee laetatur → nec laetatur.
Extrabiblical texts: Wis 1:13 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation); Conc. Nic. 13 (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325); allusion)
Topics: Baptism
Cite (SBL): Conc. Valent. 3 (Lauchert, 218–219; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-valence-374/0/#p-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Lauchert's Latin (1896), OCR slips corrected by logged corrections; re-read against the Latin (no public-domain English).
Chapter 4
4Lauchert, 219–220
Nec illud, fratres, scribere alienum ab ecclesiae utilitate censuimus, ut sciretis, quicumque se sub ordinatione vel diaconatus vel presbyterii vel episcopatus mortali crimine dixerint esse pollutos, a supradictis ordinationibus submovendos, reos scilicet vel veri confessione vel mendacio falsitatis. Neque enim absolvi in his potest, si in se ipsos dixerint, quod dictum in alios puniretur, cum omnis qui sibi fuerit mortis causa, maior homicida fuerit. Divina vos pietas in aeternum custodiat, fratres dilectissimi.
Nor have we thought it foreign to the church's benefit to write this, brothers, so that you may know that whoever, at the time of ordination as deacon, presbyter, or bishop, have said that they are polluted by a mortal crime are to be removed from the aforesaid ordinations, being guilty either by a true confession or by a lying falsehood. For one cannot be absolved in these cases if he says against himself what would be punished if said against others, since everyone who has been the cause of his own death is a greater murderer. May the divine goodness keep you forever, dearly beloved brothers.
Notes and citation
Summary: Candidates who declare themselves guilty of a mortal sin at their ordination, truly or falsely, are to be excluded from orders.
- The canon is aimed at candidates who falsely accused themselves of grave sins to escape ordination.
- In the source text this passage was followed by the heading and first four canons of the council of Nîmes (394), a different council; that text has been removed here by a logged correction, and its translation has been given to the coordinator separately.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): Nee illud → Nec illud; quod dietum in alios → quod dictum in alios.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Conc. Valent. 4 (Lauchert, 219–220; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-valence-374/0/#p-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from Lauchert's Latin (1896), OCR slips corrected by logged corrections; re-read against the Latin (no public-domain English).