Trivia: Bishop Paphnutius and the ancient tradition of the Church?

Question

In the early fourth century, a bishop named Paphnutius referred to what as "the ancient tradition of the Church"?

A) The idea that Scripture alone is the sole authority for Christians.

B) The prohibition of clergy marrying after ordination.

C) The idea that Mary gave birth to only the human part of Jesus.

chekeir: Thank you for the link. I do find it baffling that the document uses Historia Ecclesiastica as a source for the ancientness of post-ordination celibacy (see note 4), while at the same time stating that the story of Paphnutius is a myth, seeing as how the story is found in Historia Ecclesiastica.
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/26011.htm

Answer 1

B

The famous story of Bishop Paphnutius of Egypt, first recounted by the Greek historian Socrates in the mid-fifth century, relates how at the Council a proposal to impose obligatory clerical continence on all the Churches was opposed by the bishop and then rejected. But this story has been proved to be a myth, without any historical foundation. Socrates’ statement (HE, V, 22) that continence was a voluntary matter in the East, and the bishops were held to no law prohibiting them to continue having children, is likewise unreliable.

Cheers :-)

Answer 2

Interesting question.



B


Paphnutius of Thebes, also known as Paphnutius the Confessor, was bishop of a city in the Upper Thebaid in the early fourth century, and one of the most interesting members of the First Council of Nicaea in 325. He was a disciple of Saint Anthony the Great.

Paphnutius had been persecuted for his Christian beliefs, and had suffered mutilation of the left knee and the loss of his right eye for the Faith under the Emperor Maximinus, and was subsequently condemned to the mines. At the First Council of Nicaea, he was greatly honoured by Constantine the Great.

He took a prominent, perhaps a decisive, part in the debate at the First Ecumenical Council on the subject of the clerical celibacy. It seems that most of the bishops present were disposed to follow the precedent of the Council of Elvira prohibiting conjugal relations to those bishops, priests, deacons, and sub-deacons, who were married before ordination. Paphnutius earnestly entreated his fellow-bishops not to impose this obligation on the orders of the clergy concerned. He proposed, in accordance "with the ancient tradition of the Church", that only those who were celibates at the time of ordination should continue to observe continence, but, on the other hand, that "none should be separated from her, to whom, while yet unordained, he had been united". The great veneration in which he was held, and the well known fact that he had himself observed the strictest chastity all his life, gave weight to his proposal, which was unanimously adopted. The council left it to the discretion of the married clergy to continue or discontinue their marital relations. In addition, Paphnutius was a zealous defender of Orthodoxy in the face of the Arian heresy.

Answer 3

D) None of the above.

Paphnutius argued at Nicea that, according to the ancient tradition of the church, only those who were celebate at ordination should continue to observe continence, but that those who were married before ordination, should continue to have marital relations with their wives. His argument was against those who wished to impose celibacy even on those married before they were ordained.

Celibacy for priests has never been an issue of doctrine or a matter of validity of the sacrament of orders. Please remember, Meg, that plenty of Eastern Rite Catholic priests as well as many many Orthodox priests (which the Catholic Church would completely recognize as validly ordained) are married before they are ordained to the priesthood. Bishops (in the East) however are normally chosen from among those who have taken the monastic vows (one of which is chastity). In our Latin tradition, celibacy for the presbyterate (preisthood) has always and only been a matter of discipline, not doctrine, meaning it is something that could be changed in the future if the Pope so decided (Not very likely given the fact that parishes today can hardly support a priest let alone his family too).

Peace and Goodness,

Gospodi pomilui.

Answer 4

B.

http://frterry.org/History/Chapter_5/Chap.5%20Handout_69.htm

Answer 5

I say "B"