Pope Siricius, in a letter of 385 to Himerius, bishop of Tarragona (north-east Hispania), condemns a practice that has sprung up of baptism being carried out on many Christian feast days, including those of apostles and martyrs. Written in Latin in Rome.
Evidence ID
E06875
Type of Evidence
Documentary texts - Letters
Canonical and legal texts
Pope Siricius I, Letter 1, to Himerius of Tarragona ('Directa ad decessorem', JK 255/JH 605)
Summary of part of the letter:
Siricius has heard that a widespread practice has grown up of carrying out baptism on many feasts of the Christian year, 'including feasts of apostles and martyrs' (apostolorum seu martyrum festiuitatibus). This is to cease, and, except in cases of emergency, baptism must only occur at Easter and Pentecost.
Text: Zechiel-Eckes 2013, 88.
Summary: Frances Trzeciak.
Liturgical Activities
Other liturgical acts and ceremonies
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Source
This letter by Pope Siricius (384-395) responds to one sent by Himerius, bishop of Tarragona, containing enquiries on various pastoral and disciplinary issues (it had been addressed to Siricius' predecessor Damasus, but had arrived after Damasus' death). The reply by Siricius issues authoritative rulings on these issues. It is the earliest surviving example of such papal responses, which later came to be known as decretals. As such, it gained a canonical place in later canon law collections. It is preserved in 'almost all the systematic collections of the early and high middle ages' (Zechiel-Eckes 2013, 24), including very early collections such as the Collectio Quesnelliana and the Collectio Dionysiana, both dating from the early 6th century (Kéry 1999, 9, 27). The letter is dated 10 February 385.Bibliography
Edition:Zechiel-Eckes, K., Die este Dekretale. Der Brief Papst Siricius' an Bischof Himerius von Tarragona vom Jahr 385 (JK 255) (Hannover, 2013), 82-116, with German translation and commentary.
Patrologia Latina 56, 554-562.
Record Created By
Frances Trzeciak and David Lambert
Date of Entry
25/09/2022
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00060 | Martyrs, unnamed or name lost | Certain | S00084 | Apostles, unnamed or name lost | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Frances Trzeciak and David Lambert, Cult of Saints, E06875 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E06875