On practice of bishops consecration in Roman Gaul in the last third of the 5th century (according to the letters of Sidonius Apollinaris)

We examine letters texts of Sidonius Apollinaris, Bishop of Augustonemetum (modern Clermont) in Roman Gaul, affecting the issues of elections and consecration of bishops in Gallic cities. We consider the problem of determining the circle of persons participating in the election and consecration of bishops in the Christian Church of the last third of the 5th century, persons who may be elected as proteges to the bishop’s departments, and the process of ordination. In the literature there are various points of view on the problem. Some researchers believe that the elections were democratic, almost national, while others say that the voice of the people (laiks) did not have a decisive significance: the right to make a final decision belonged to the episcopate. Most authors do not give exhaustive arguments based directly on historical practice in favor of their point of view, and if they give them, they are fragmentary, therefore, the indicated problems seem relevant at the present time. A study of the materials presented by Sidonius shows that the choice of a provincial bishop is made by the metropolitan together with other bishops of the province, and the metropolitan performs the consecration individually. Participation of people is mostly purely formal. The election of the metropolitan is carried out only by the bishops of his province, although if they are insufficient, the consent of the metropolitans of neighboring provinces is required, moreover, it can be distant. The issue of the possibility of a national election of the metropolitan remains open, but the likelihood of such an election seems very small. The consecration of the metropolitan can also be performed by one bishop: the rule of conciliarity is not strictly enforced.

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