Concerning the Paulianists who have flown for refuge to the Catholic Church, it has been decreed that they must by all means be rebaptized; and if any of them who in past time have been numbered among their clergy should be found blameless and without reproach, let them be rebaptized and ordained by the Bishop of the Catholic Church; but if the examination should discover them to be unfit, they ought to be deposed. Likewise in the case of their deaconesses, and generally in the case of those who have been enrolled among their clergy, let the same form be observed. And we mean by deaconesses such as have assumed the habit, but who, since they have no imposition of hands, are to be numbered only among the laity.
Paulianists were those who followed Paul of Samosata.1 Upon their entrance or return to orthodoxy, they were to be rebaptized. The reason for this stems from Paul's heterodox view of the Trinity. Any baptism performed purportedly according to the formula in Matt 28:19 would be invalid, since his doctrine of the godhead was invalid.
One may ask, "Why be baptized again? What is the point?" Baptism identifies the person as a full adherent to another. In this case the one to whom the heterodox believer had been identified was in essence a false god. Baptism was considered necessary to correct the outward sign of allegiance previously given.
The deaconesses mentioned were not new to Antioch or Paul in particular. According to the excursus for this canon:
1 Bishop of Antioch from A.D. 260 until being deposed in 268 for teaching a form of monarchianism with leanings toward adoptionism.
2 "Excursus on the Deaconess of the Early Church," The Seven Ecumenical Councils, Canon 19 (NPNF2 14:41).
Paulianists were those who followed Paul of Samosata.1 Upon their entrance or return to orthodoxy, they were to be rebaptized. The reason for this stems from Paul's heterodox view of the Trinity. Any baptism performed purportedly according to the formula in Matt 28:19 would be invalid, since his doctrine of the godhead was invalid.
One may ask, "Why be baptized again? What is the point?" Baptism identifies the person as a full adherent to another. In this case the one to whom the heterodox believer had been identified was in essence a false god. Baptism was considered necessary to correct the outward sign of allegiance previously given.
The deaconesses mentioned were not new to Antioch or Paul in particular. According to the excursus for this canon:
The principal work of the deaconess was to assist the female candidates for holy baptism. At that time the sacrament of baptism was always administered by immersion (except to those in extreme illness) and hence there was much that such an order of women could be useful in. Moreover they sometimes gave to the female catechumens preliminary instruction, but their work was wholly limited to women, and for a deaconess of the Early Church to teach a man or to nurse him in sickness would have been an impossibility.2
1 Bishop of Antioch from A.D. 260 until being deposed in 268 for teaching a form of monarchianism with leanings toward adoptionism.
2 "Excursus on the Deaconess of the Early Church," The Seven Ecumenical Councils, Canon 19 (NPNF2 14:41).
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