Untitled - Saints' Books

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1 08 Material for Sermons. [PART i.
sius says, it is a gem found by few on this earth. 1 But
if this gem is suitable for seculars, it is absolutely neces
sary for ecclesiastics. Among the virtues that St. Paul
prescribes to Timothy, he recommended chastity in a
special manner: Keep thyself chaste? Origen says that
chastity is the first virtue with which a priest that goes
to the altar should be adorned. 3
Clement of Alexandria
has written that only they that lead a chaste life are
4
and can be called priests. Hence, then, as purity con
stitutes priests, so, on the other hand, incontinence robs
them, as it were, of their dignity, says St. Isidore.
Hence the holy Church has always endeavored by so
many Councils, laws, and admonitions to guard with
jealousy the chastity of her priests. Innocent III. made
the following ordinance: one is to be allowed to be
ordained priest unless he is a virgin or his chastity has
been proved. He also commanded that the incon
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tinent priest should be excluded all ecclesias
7
tical dignities." St.
Gregory ordained: that has
fallen into a carnal sin after ordination should be de
prived so far of his office, that he be not permitted to
perform any function at the altar." Besides, he or
dained, 9 that if a priest committed a sin against purity,
he should do penance for ten years. For the first three
1
"Gemma pretiosissima, a paucis inventa." De Virginit.
2 "
Teipsum castum custodi." i Tim. v. 22.
3 "Ante omnia Sacerdos, qui divinis assistit altaribus, castitate debit
accingi." In Levit. horn. 4.
4 "Soli
qui puram agunt vitam, sunt Dei Sacerdotes." Strom. 1. 4.
Si pudicitia Sacerdotes creat, libido Sacerdotibus dignitatem abrogat."f>ist.
1. 3, ep. 75-
Nemo ad sacrum Ordinem permittatur accedere, nisi aut virgo aut
probatae castitatis existat." Cap. A Mtdtis. DC cct. et
qua
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7
Ab omnium graduum dignitate."
I. ord.
"Qui, post acceptum sacrum Ordinem, lapsus in peccatum carnis
fuerit, sacro Ordine ita careat, ut ad altaris ministerium ulterius non
accedat." Cap. Pervenit. dist. 50.
9
Cap.presbyter, dht. 82.