Letters of Innocent I 1.1–2.3

Innocent to his most beloved brother Anysius. Since our God, Christ, has deigned to call to himself, though swiftly, the man of holy memory, Bishop Anastasius, reckoning his merits so many and so great that they already surpassed the fellowship of human life and of this world, through the purity of his life and the abundance of the teaching by which he ruled the people of God with the full strictness of the church’s authority; and since, lest his church remain for any time without the helm of a governor, he at once in his mercy, with the consent of the holy priests and of all the clergy and people, in the peace which God gave to his church when he returned to heaven, [allowed] me to be ordained in his place, it was right, dearest brother, that you should recognize this, and that I should quickly announce my first fruits to none but an excellent man who always labours faithfully in God. To you also my predecessors, the bishops before me, men so many and so great, that is, Damasus and Siricius of holy memory and the man mentioned above, deferred so far as to hand over to your holiness, which is full of justice, everything that was done in those parts to be examined. It is fitting that you recognize that my littleness also holds this judgment and has the same will. For it was not right either that I should attempt to go against the judgment of men so great and good, into whose place I am known to have succeeded, or that anything should seem to be taken away from your merit, on which illustrious men are seen to have conferred so great a favour of this authority. I therefore declare that I recognize this too as reserved to my littleness: that with equal judgment and in the same form I grant both to good men and to your charity what you deserve.

Innocent to Victricius, bishop of Rouen, greeting. Although, dearest brother, by the merit and honour of the priesthood in which you are so strong, all the rules of the church for living and teaching are known to you, and there is nothing in the sacred readings that seems to have been gathered by you too little, yet because you have earnestly asked for the norm and authority of the Roman Church, I have fully complied with your wish and have sent, attached to my letter, the arranged rules of life and of approved conduct, through which the peoples of the churches of your region may notice by what things and rules the life of Christians ought to be held in its profession, and what discipline is kept in the churches of the city of Rome. It will be the task of your love to make this book of rules known diligently, as a teacher and counsellor, through the neighbouring peoples and to our fellow priests who preside over their own churches in those regions, so that they may both know our rules and be able by diligent teaching to shape the conduct of those who flock to the faith. For either they will recognize their own practice from this reading, which agrees with it, or, if anything is still lacking, they will easily be able to supply it by good imitation.

The beginning of the apostolate and the episcopate is from Peter.

Let us begin, then, with the help of the holy apostle Peter, through whom both the apostolate and the episcopate in Christ took their beginning. Since many cases have often arisen which in some were not cases but crimes, let every priest henceforth take care to have concern of this kind in his own church, as the apostle Paul preaches, that the church to be presented to God is one “not having spot or wrinkle,” lest our conscience be defiled and violated by the breath of some diseased sheep. On account of those, then, who through ignorance or sloth do not keep the church’s discipline and presume many things that ought not to be presumed, you have rightly asked that in those parts the same form be kept as the Roman Church holds. Not that any new precepts are being imposed; rather, we desire that those things which have been neglected through the sloth of some be observed by all, things which have nevertheless been established by apostolic tradition and that of the fathers. For it is written to the Thessalonians, with Paul admonishing: “Stand, and hold our traditions, which I have handed on to you, whether by word or by letter.” This above all ought to stir your mind the more strongly: that, free from every stain of this world, you may be found secure before the sight of God. “For of him to whom much is entrusted, more is required,” with interest of punishment. Since, then, we are compelled to give account not for ourselves only but for the people of Christ, we ought to instruct the people in a discipline that makes them godly. For there have arisen some who, not holding the statutes of the elders, would violate the chastity of the church by their presumption, following the favour of the people and not fearing the judgment of God. Lest, then, we be thought by our silence to give them our consent, as the Lord says, “You saw a thief and ran with him,” these are the things which, in view of the divine judgment, every catholic bishop must henceforth keep.

First, that no one dare to ordain without the knowledge of the metropolitan bishop; for that judgment is sound which is confirmed by the opinions of many. Nor is one bishop to presume to ordain, lest the favour bestowed seem stolen. For this was also established and defined in the synod of Nicaea.

Likewise, if anyone after the forgiveness of sins has worn the belt of secular military service, he ought not to be admitted to the clergy at all.

If any cases or disputes arise among clerics, of the higher order as well as the lower, the quarrel is to be ended, according to the synod of Nicaea, by an assembly of the bishops of the same province; nor is anyone permitted (without prejudice, however, to the Roman Church, to which reverence ought to be kept in all cases) to abandon the priests who by divine will govern the church of God in that province and fly to other provinces. If anyone should presume to do so, let him be both removed from the office of the clergy and judged by all guilty of injuries. If greater cases are brought forward, let them be referred, after the bishops’ judgment, to the apostolic see, as the synod decreed and blessed custom requires.