Praeceptum Latinum Hodiernum

Papa Franciscus

Amici,

Today’s Latin Lesson is NOT in how to translate the words, but in recognizing how applicable to today’s situation is something written around AD 1150 (865 years ago). This is from Decretum Gratiani (the Doctrine of Gratian). Gratian (Franciscus Gratianus – oh, the irony of his first name!) was a canon lawyer from Bologna, Italy in the 12th century. He has been acclaimed as  Pater Juris Canonici or Father of Canon Law. The text below is another example of why we should read what the early and medieval Church Fathers and Doctors wrote, for there is nothing new under the sun and if we forget history, then we are doomed to repeat it.

Item ex gestis Bonifacii Martiris.

III. Pars.

Si Papa suae et fraternae salutis negligens reprehenditur inutilis et remissus in operibus suis, et insuper a bono taciturnus, quod magis officit sibi et omnibus, nichilominus innumerabiles populos catervatim secum ducit, primo mancipio gehennae cum ipso plagis multis in eternum vapulaturus. Huius culpas istic redarguere presumit mortalium nullus, quia cunctos ipse iudicaturus a nemine est iudicandus, nisi deprehendatur a fide deuius; pro cuius perpetuo statu uniuersitas fidelium tanto instantius orat, quanto suam salutem post Deum ex illius incolumitate animaduertunt propensius pendere.

Likewise out of the exploits of Bonifacius Martyr

Part III

If the Pope useless and slack in his works is blamed negligent of his and the brethren’s salvation, and in addition silent from the good (which to a greater extent impedes him and everyone), he nonetheless leads numberless people in herds with himself, beaten by himself with many blows in first purchase of Gehenna. None of mortals assumes to refute faults of this there, because he himself judging all will have been judged by no one, unless he is discovered straying from the faith; for whose perpetual stability so great the whole of the faithful insistently pray; by how much their salvation after God depends from him in safety they the more eagerly observe.