Whether All Ecclesiastical Prelates Are in the State of Perfection?
Objection 1: It would seem that all ecclesiastical prelates are
in a state of perfection. For Jerome commenting on Titus 1:5,
"Ordain . . . in every city," etc. says: "Formerly priest was the
same as bishop," and afterwards he adds: "Just as priests know that
by the custom of the Church they are subject to the one who is placed
over them, so too, bishops should recognize that, by custom rather
than by the very ordinance of our Lord, they are above the priests,
and are together the rightful governors of the Church." Now bishops
are in the state of perfection. Therefore those priests also are who
have the cure of souls.
Obj. 2: Further, just as bishops together with their consecration
receive the cure of souls, so also do parish priests and archdeacons,
of whom a gloss on Acts 6:3, "Brethren, look ye out . . . seven men
of good reputation," says: "The apostles decided here to appoint
throughout the Church seven deacons, who were to be of a higher
degree, and as it were the supports of that which is nearest to the
altar." Therefore it would seem that these also are in the state of
perfection.
Obj. 3: Further, just as bishops are bound to "lay down their life
for their sheep," so too are parish priests and archdeacons. But this
belongs to the perfection of charity, as stated above (A. 2, ad 3).
Therefore it would seem that parish priests and archdeacons also are
in the state of perfection.
_On the contrary,_ Dionysius says (Eccl. Hier. v): "The order of
pontiffs is consummative and perfecting, that of the priests is
illuminative and light-giving, that of the ministers is cleansing and
discretive." Hence it is evident that perfection is ascribed to
bishops only.
_I answer that,_ In priests and deacons having cure of souls two
things may be considered, namely their order and their cure. Their
order is directed to some act in the Divine offices. Wherefore it has
been stated above (Q. 183, A. 3, ad 3) that the distinction of orders
is comprised under the distinction of offices. Hence by receiving a
certain order a man receives the power of exercising certain sacred
acts, but he is not bound on this account to things pertaining to
perfection, except in so far as in the Western Church the receiving
of a sacred order includes the taking of a vow of continence, which
is one of the things pertaining to perfection, as we shall state
further on (Q. 186, A. 4). Therefore it is clear that from the fact
that a man receives a sacred order a man is not placed simply in the
state of perfection, although inward perfection is required in order
that one exercise such acts worthily.
In like manner, neither are they placed in the state of perfection on
the part of the cure which they take upon themselves. For they are
not bound by this very fact under the obligation of a perpetual vow
to retain the cure of souls; but they can surrender it--either by
entering religion, even without their bishop's permission (cf.
Decret. xix, qu. 2, can. Duae sunt)--or again an archdeacon may with
his bishop's permission resign his arch-deaconry or parish, and
accept a simple prebend without cure, which would be nowise lawful,
if he were in the state of perfection; for "no man putting his hand
to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke
9:62). On the other hand bishops, since they are in the state of
perfection, cannot abandon the episcopal cure, save by the authority
of the Sovereign Pontiff (to whom alone it belongs also to dispense
from perpetual vows), and this for certain causes, as we shall state
further on (Q. 185, A. 4). Wherefore it is manifest that not all
prelates are in the state of perfection, but only bishops.
Reply Obj. 1: We may speak of priest and bishop in two ways. First,
with regard to the name: and thus formerly bishops and priests were
not distinct. For bishops are so called "because they watch over
others," as Augustine observes (De Civ. Dei xix, 19); while the
priests according to the Greek are "elders." [*Referring to the Greek
_episkopos_ and _presbyteros_ from which the English 'bishop' and
'priest' are derived.] Hence the Apostle employs the term "priests"
in reference to both, when he says (1 Tim. 5:17): "Let the priests
that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honor"; and again he uses
the term "bishops" in the same way, wherefore addressing the priests
of the Church of Ephesus he says (Acts 20:28): "Take heed to
yourselves" and "to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath
placed you bishops, to rule the church of God."
But as regards the thing signified by these terms, there was always a
difference between them, even at the time of the apostles. This is
clear on the authority of Dionysius (Eccl. Hier. v), and of a gloss
on Luke 10:1, "After these things the Lord appointed," etc. which
says: "Just as the apostles were made bishops, so the seventy-two
disciples were made priests of the second order." Subsequently,
however, in order to avoid schism, it became necessary to distinguish
even the terms, by calling the higher ones bishops and the lower ones
priests. But to assert that priests nowise differ from bishops is
reckoned by Augustine among heretical doctrines (De Heres. liii),
where he says that the Arians maintained that "no distinction existed
between a priest and a bishop."
Reply Obj. 2: Bishops have the chief cure of the sheep of their
diocese, while parish priests and archdeacons exercise an inferior
ministry under the bishops. Hence a gloss on 1 Cor. 12:28, "to one,
helps, to another, governments [*Vulg.: 'God hath set some in the
church . . . helps, governments,' etc.]," says: "Helps, namely
assistants to those who are in authority," as Titus was to the
Apostle, or as archdeacons to the bishop; "governments, namely
persons of lesser authority, such as priests who have to instruct the
people": and Dionysius says (Eccl. Hier. v) that "just as we see the
whole hierarchy culminating in Jesus, so each office culminates in
its respective godlike hierarch or bishop." Also it is said (XVI, qu.
i, can. Cunctis): "Priests and deacons must all take care not to do
anything without their bishop's permission." Wherefore it is evident
that they stand in relation to their bishop as wardens or mayors to
the king; and for this reason, just as in earthly governments the
king alone receives a solemn blessing, while others are appointed by
simple commission, so too in the Church the episcopal cure is
conferred with the solemnity of consecration, while the archdeacon or
parish priest receives his cure by simple appointment; although they
are consecrated by receiving orders before having a cure.
Reply Obj. 3: As parish priests and archdeacons have not the chief
cure, but a certain ministry as committed to them by the bishop, so
the pastoral office does not belong to them in chief, nor are they
bound to lay down their life for the sheep, except in so far as they
have a share in their cure. Hence we should say that they have an
office pertaining to perfection rather than that they attain the
state of perfection.
_______________________