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A
canon from the Council of Poitiers in 1079 banning clergy from bearing arms
became part of the normative law of the church by the late twelfth century.
Council of Poitiers 1079
1 Comp. 3.1.2 (X 3.1.2):
Clerici
arma portantes et usurarii excommunicentur (Clerics
who bear arms or who are usurers may be excommunicated).
Lawrence G. Duggan, Armsbearing and the Clergy in the
History and Canon Law of Western Christianity (Boydell & Brewer, 2013) |
Bernardus Parmensis (ca.
1250),
Glossa ordinaria to X 3.1.2 s.v. Clerici arma: "Clerici arma portare
non debent, xxiii. questione ultima, Clerici et c. Quicumque (C.23 q.8 c.5
and c.6) sine iusta causa. Iustam causam intellige si per loca
periculosa transitum faciunt tunc possunt portare arma ad terrorem latronum,
licet percutere non debeant (Clerics
ought not to bear arms . . . without a just reason. You
may understand just reason if they travel through dangerous territories then
they may bear arms to strike fear into robbers, although they ought not to
strike)"
Hostiensis (ca. 1270)
Commentary to X 3.1.2 s.v. Clerici arma: "Quod intelligas ad
impugnandum; nam ex causa arma defensionis possunt portare . . .
sed et laicis hoc interdictum est, ut Cod. 11.47(46) . . .
necessitate tamen iminente sufficit . . . (Which
you should understand to mean "attacking." For clerics can bear arms
for reason of defense . . . even lay persons are forbidden to
bear arms as in the Codex . . . <but> reason of great necessity
<they can> . . . )
Emanuel Gonzalez Tellez (ca. 1625),
Commentaria to X 3.1.2, vol. 3, p.6: "et ipsa naturalis ratio
permittat ut a periculis nos defendamus, l.
Itaque 4. ff. de iustitia et iure (Dig. 1.1.3),
unde ius hoc, ut arma armis repellere liceat, a natura comparatum dicitur,
l.1 § Vim vi 27 ff. de vi et vi armat
(Dig.43.16[15].1.27) . . .
Nec obstat
dubitandi ratio supra expensa nam a praesenti generali prohibitione
necessitatis casus
excipiendi sunt ut contra vim tum sibi tum patriae illatam armis sese
clerici defendere possint
. . . Eadem ratione si civitas ab hostibus oppugnatur,
clerici arma defensionis causa sumere possunt."
(Natural reason permits
that we defend ourselves from danger . . . consequently the law
that it is permitted to repel armed force with armed force is said to be
conferred by nature . . . Notwithstanding the reason for
doubting this above, in spite of the general prohibition, cases of
necessity must be excepted and clerics may defend themselves and their home
land . . . By the same reason if a city is beseiged by
enemies clerics can take up arms based on the principle of defense.") |