Letter 31: so that ii, who M presbtjterio jilios genuernnl, removeri ab officio debeant.

Pope Innocent I to Bishops Maximus and Severus (in Bruttium). The norm of ecclesiastical canons ought to be unknown to no priest, for it is sufficiently unseemly for a bishop not to know these things, especially since they are known and held to be binding even by devout laypeople. Innocent writes that those who have begotten sons while in the presbyterate are to be removed from their office. He instructs Maximus and Severus on how to apply this rule in their province and what procedure is to be followed in cases involving clerical incontinence.

Vt ii, qui M presbtjterio jilios genuernnl, removeri ab officio debeant. Innocentius Maximo et Severo cpiscopis pev Bvitlios. Ecclcsiasiicoviim canoniim norma nulli essedebet " incognila sacevdoliim : quia nesciri luec a ponlifiee saiis est indecnrum, maxime cuin a laicis rcligiosis vivis ei sciatuv, et custodienda esse dncatuv. Nkiper quideui (Dist. 81 , c. C). Maximilianus (ilius nosier agens in rebus h cujusmodi querelam deiulerit, li- belli ejus series annexa dcclarat. Qui zdo (idei ac disiiplimc ductu* , nnn paiiluv Ecclesiam pollui ab indignis pvcsbylevis, quos in presbyterio lilios asse- vit pvocveasse. Qnod nmi liceve expnnercm, nisi iiossem vestr.im prudeniiam legis toiius liabere noii- li.im. Et ideo, fraires charissimi, libelli, qui subjec- tnscst, tenore pevspecto, eos qui lalia p.evpetvasse diciiniuv , jubebiiis in niedio collocari ; discu^siM|ue ohjeclionibus, quai ipsis presbyteris Impinguntiir, " In edit. Concil. 5. Hicc epistola in Dinnysiana eollcciione , unde in Hispana ct Isiib<riana IMu- scripta, locum oblinet, insCfibilurque Innocentii ii- tullis seu ilecrclum xxvm. 1 Ha niss. colt. Dion. et llailr. Alii voro cuni vul- galis, si convicti [iterint; ct mox tractitre, \irn tenture. Noii me ftigit qttod Alii Cod. ran. eccl. Afr. c. 4, t\ sancientcs, ut episcnpns, preslyter, el diaconns, vel qui sacramenta conthectant, pudicitice cnslodes ab vxoribns se nbsiincani, poslrehiae lectioni faverc \i- (lcanliir. At nCqUaquanl re< edcniluin dnxiiniis a inss. quos expoi ti suiiius sinccriores : masime cum liic de solis presbyieris sit sermo, ac uotnine sanctorwn non una cofporis ei sanguinis Chrisli sacr.unciila, sed qiuncumqiie ad presbyterofum mintsteriuui per- tinent, iiiiclligantiir. Quocirca verbum lentare, quo gcncralius est, co enam ad iil cnunliaiulum est aptius. 6 lu edit. Concil. 6. Collectioni Hispanrc et Isidori inseita esl secundum Dionysium Exiguum, qui cain sub liiulo wmv decretofiuti Innoceniii subjecii.