Siricius
The would be Pope
Siricius (334 – 26 November 399) was a bishop of Rome from December 384 to his death. In response to inquiries from Bishop Himerius of Tarragona, Siricius issued the Directa decretal, containing decrees of baptism, church discipline and other matters.
Decretals (Latin: litterae decretales) are letters that formulate decisions in what has beco e known as ecclesiastical law. In a wider sense, the Latin term decretalis signifies a decretum, or decision by someone in authority.
In a narrower sense, it denotes a decision on a matter of discipline. In a church or ecclesiastical body commanded by its creator to not exercise authority one over the other there can be no law making by one over the other.[1]
At the time these decretals were general laws but over time this new office of "pope" ordered the recipient of his letter to communicate the papal answer as an ecclesiastical authority over a district. It beca a duty then to act in conformity with that decree contrary to the decrees of Christ.
Siricius decrees are the oldest completely preserved decretals because truly christian bishops would never issue such decrees. He is sometimes said to have been the first bishop of Rome to call himself pope but there is little evidence of that term even used in the present sense the Catholic church enjoys today.
Siricius was a bishop from December 384 to his death in 399. Emperor Valentinian II's confirmation of his election stilled any further objections but this was clearly the history of the church of Constantine and elected by his new converts.
It has been presented in various sources as having been the first to bear the title Pontifex Maximus. He was elected as a Bishop of Rome and was the first to issue decretals and would later be called the Pope.
His first was the Directa decretal which claimed apostolic origin for clerical celibacy.[2]
These Decretals were a departure from the Doctrines of Jesus regarding exercising authority one over the other.[1]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Not exercise authority
- Matthew 20:25 "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you:..."
- Mark 10:42 "But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you:..."
- Luke 22:25 "And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye [shall] not [be] so:..."
- ↑ It complained that clerics (deacons, priests, and bishops) were still living with their wives and having children, thus contravening the Council of Elvira which was only attended by 19 bishops and a few elders. It has been claimed that it produced 36 Canons but only about 21 of them were considered authentic, the rest were added later. Canon 33, enjoining celibacy upon all clerics, married or not, and all who minister at the altars was clearly added later for the purposes of controlling the funds given to Churches.