Whether a Bishop May Lawfully Forsake the Episcopal Cure, in Order to
Enter Religion?
Objection 1: It seems that a bishop cannot lawfully forsake his
episcopal cure in order to enter religion. For no one can lawfully
pass from a more perfect to a less perfect state; since this is "to
look back," which is condemned by the words of our Lord (Luke 9:62),
"No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for
the kingdom of God." Now the episcopal state is more perfect than the
religious, as shown above (Q. 184, A. 7). Therefore just as it is
unlawful to return to the world from the religious state, so is it
unlawful to pass from the episcopal to the religious state.
Obj. 2: Further, the order of grace is more congruous than the order
of nature. Now according to nature a thing is not moved in contrary
directions; thus if a stone be naturally moved downwards, it cannot
naturally return upwards from below. But according to the order of
grace it is lawful to pass from the religious to the episcopal state.
Therefore it is not lawful to pass contrariwise from the episcopal to
the religious state.
Obj. 3: Further, in the works of grace nothing should be inoperative.
Now when once a man is consecrated bishop he retains in perpetuity
the spiritual power of giving orders and doing like things that
pertain to the episcopal office: and this power would seemingly
remain inoperative in one who gives up the episcopal cure. Therefore
it would seem that a bishop may not forsake the episcopal cure and
enter religion.
_On the contrary,_ No man is compelled to do what is in itself
unlawful. Now those who seek to resign their episcopal cure are
compelled to resign (Extra, de Renunt. cap. Quidam). Therefore
apparently it is not unlawful to give up the episcopal cure.
_I answer that,_ The perfection of the episcopal state consists in
this that for love of God a man binds himself to work for the
salvation of his neighbor, wherefore he is bound to retain the
pastoral cure so long as he is able to procure the spiritual welfare
of the subjects entrusted to his care: a matter which he must not
neglect--neither for the sake of the quiet of divine contemplation,
since the Apostle, on account of the needs of his subjects, suffered
patiently to be delayed even from the contemplation of the life to
come, according to Phil. 1:22-25, "What I shall choose I know not,
but I am straitened between two, having a desire to be dissolved, and
to be with Christ, a thing by far better. But to abide still in the
flesh is needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I
shall abide"; nor for the sake of avoiding any hardships or of
acquiring any gain whatsoever, because as it is written (John 10:11),
"the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep."
At times, however, it happens in several ways that a bishop is
hindered from procuring the spiritual welfare of his subjects.
Sometimes on account of his own defect, either of conscience (for
instance if he be guilty of murder or simony), or of body (for
example if he be old or infirm), or of irregularity arising, for
instance, from bigamy. Sometimes he is hindered through some defect
in his subjects, whom he is unable to profit. Hence Gregory says
(Dial. ii, 3): "The wicked must be borne patiently, when there are
some good who can be succored, but when there is no profit at all for
the good, it is sometimes useless to labor for the wicked. Wherefore
the perfect when they find that they labor in vain are often minded
to go elsewhere in order to labor with fruit." Sometimes again this
hindrance arises on the part of others, as when scandal results from
a certain person being in authority: for the Apostle says (1 Cor.
8:13): "If meat scandalize my brother, I will never eat flesh":
provided, however, the scandal is not caused by the wickedness of
persons desirous of subverting the faith or the righteousness of the
Church; because the pastoral cure is not to be laid aside on account
of scandal of this kind, according to Matt. 15:14, "Let them alone,"
those namely who were scandalized at the truth of Christ's teaching,
"they are blind, and leaders of the blind."
Nevertheless just as a man takes upon himself the charge of authority
at the appointment of a higher superior, so too it behooves him to be
subject to the latter's authority in laying aside the accepted charge
for the reasons given above. Hence Innocent III says (Extra, de
Renunt., cap. Nisi cum pridem): "Though thou hast wings wherewith
thou art anxious to fly away into solitude, they are so tied by the
bonds of authority, that thou art not free to fly without our
permission." For the Pope alone can dispense from the perpetual vow,
by which a man binds himself to the care of his subjects, when he
took upon himself the episcopal office.
Reply Obj. 1: The perfection of religious and that of bishops are
regarded from different standpoints. For it belongs to the perfection
of a religious to occupy oneself in working out one's own salvation,
whereas it belongs to the perfection of a bishop to occupy oneself in
working for the salvation of others. Hence so long as a man can be
useful to the salvation of his neighbor, he would be going back, if
he wished to pass to the religious state, to busy himself only with
his own salvation, since he has bound himself to work not only for
his own but also for others' salvation. Wherefore Innocent III says
in the Decretal quoted above that "it is more easily allowable for a
monk to ascend to the episcopacy, than for a bishop to descend to the
monastic life. If, however, he be unable to procure the salvation of
others it is meet he should seek his own."
Reply Obj. 2: On account of no obstacle should a man forego the work
of his own salvation, which pertains to the religious state. But
there may be an obstacle to the procuring of another's salvation;
wherefore a monk may be raised to the episcopal state wherein he is
able also to work out his own salvation. And a bishop, if he be
hindered from procuring the salvation of others, may enter the
religious life, and may return to his bishopric should the obstacle
cease, for instance by the correction of his subjects, cessation of
the scandal, healing of his infirmity, removal of his ignorance by
sufficient instruction. Again, if he owed his promotion to simony of
which he was in ignorance, and resigning his episcopate entered the
religious life, he can be reappointed to another bishopric [*Cap.
Post translat., de Renunt.]. On the other hand, if a man be deposed
from the episcopal office for some sin, and confined in a monastery
that he may do penance, he cannot be reappointed to a bishopric.
Hence it is stated (VII, qu. i, can. Hoc nequaquam): "The holy synod
orders that any man who has been degraded from the episcopal dignity
to the monastic life and a place of repentance, should by no means
rise again to the episcopate."
Reply Obj. 3: Even in natural things power remains inactive on
account of a supervening obstacle, for instance the act of sight
ceases through an affliction of the eye. So neither is it
unreasonable if, through the occurrence of some obstacle from
without, the episcopal power remain without the exercise of its act.
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