When in the name of God we had held in the Roman Church a synod gathered together of bishops, or of the rest of our fellow-priests and of the faithful of Christ, and treating of unlawful ordinations — concerning which more frequent report had reached us from those who came to and fro from those regions — and of other necessary ecclesiastical affairs, and having diligently dealt with them while re-reading the sacred canons, it was reported to us by many with tearful countenance that certain bishops of the cities of the Germanies and the Gauls frequently appoint chorepiscopi — who according to the canons of Neocaesarea, or according to the decrees of other Fathers, are the same as presbyters — or presbyters, who in the absence of the bishop set up altars and consecrate basilicas.
And it is indeed no wonder that men ignorant of ecclesiastical discipline have enjoined this, which is contrary to the canonical rule, men delegated and promoted straightway from secular military service into the priestly ministry. Therefore, that such license be no longer usurped by you, it has been fitting that it be decreed by common sentence, knowing that, just as for a chorepiscopus or a presbyter the consecration of an altar is unlawful, so also is its setting up. For in the divine letters, at the Lord's command, Moses alone set up the altar in the tabernacle of God, he alone anointed it, who was indeed the high priest of God, as it is written of him: Moses and Aaron among his priests.
And therefore that which only the chief priests were bidden to do — whose figure Moses and Aaron held — it has been wholly decreed that chorepiscopi or presbyters, who bear the figure of the sons of Aaron, may not presume to arrogate to themselves. For although with the bishops they have very much of the dispensation of the ministries in common, yet they should know that certain things are forbidden to them by the authority of the old law, and certain things also by the ecclesiastical rules of the new — such as the consecration of presbyters and deacons, or of virgins, just as the setting up of an altar and its blessing or anointing. For it is not lawful for them either to set up altars, nor to consecrate churches or altars, nor through the laying on of hands upon those to be baptized
or upon those converted from heresy, to deliver the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit; nor to prepare the chrism, nor with the chrism to sign the foreheads of the baptized. In the seventh examination it was reported to us that a certain most venerable Agapius, once bishop of the city of Cordoba, frequently appointed presbyters, who in the absence of the bishop set up altars and consecrated basilicas. Which indeed is no wonder, that a man ignorant of the ecclesiastical disciplines enjoined this, a man delegated straightway from secular military service into the priestly ministry. Therefore, that such license be no longer usurped by us, it has been fitting that it be decreed by common sentence: knowing that, just as for a presbyter the consecration of an altar is unlawful, so also is its setting up.
For in the divine letters, at the Lord's command, Moses alone set up the altar in the tabernacle of God, he alone anointed it: indeed because he was the high priest of God, as it is written: Moses and Aaron among his priests. And therefore that which only the chief priests were bidden to do — whose figure Moses and Aaron held — let not presbyters, who bear the figure of the sons of Aaron, presume to arrogate. For although with the bishops they have very much of the dispensation of the ministries in common, they should know that certain things are forbidden to them by the new and ecclesiastical rules — such as the consecration of presbyters and deacons, and of virgins; as the setting up of an altar, its blessing or anointing.
Indeed it is not lawful for them either to consecrate a church or altars, nor through the laying on of the hand to deliver the Paraclete Spirit to the faithful who have been baptized, or to those converted from heresy, nor to prepare the chrism, nor with the chrism to sign the forehead of the baptized; but neither even publicly in the Mass to reconcile any of the penitents, nor to send letters of communion to anyone. For that all these things are unlawful for presbyters, because they do not have the summit of the pontificate, and are owed to bishops alone, is enjoined by the authority of the canons: that by this both the distinction of grades and the eminence of the dignity of the supreme pontiff may be shown.
But neither is it lawful for presbyters, in the presence of a bishop, to enter the baptistery, nor, when the prelate is present, to reconcile an infant, nor even publicly in the Mass to reconcile any penitent, nor to send letters of communion to anyone. For all these things are unlawful for chorepiscopi, who are known to be after the example and form of the seventy disciples, or for presbyters, who bear the same figure: because, although they have consecration, they nevertheless do not have the summit of the pontificate. That all these things are owed to the supreme pontiffs alone is enjoined by the authority of the canons, that by this both the distinction of grades and the eminence of the dignity of the supreme pontiff may be shown.
But neither is it lawful for presbyters, in the presence of a bishop, to enter the baptistery, nor, when the prelate is present, to touch or sign an infant, nor to reconcile a penitent without the instruction of his bishop, nor, when he is present, except at his bidding, to confect the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, nor, when he is set before them, to teach the people, or to bless or to salute, nor indeed to exhort the congregation — to touch or sign, nor to reconcile penitents without the precept of his bishop, nor, when he is present, to confect the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, nor, when he is set before them, to teach the people, or to bless or to salute, nor indeed to exhort the congregation.