This may be referring to the "canons" of the so-called First Synod of
Patrick, which purports to be decrees to the clergy by bishops
Patricius, Auxlius, and Iserninus. It can be found in The Irish
Penitentials. Ed. Ludwig Bieler, with an appendix by David Binchy.
Dublin: The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1963, and perhaps
also John T. McNeill and Helena M. Gamer, Medieval Handbooks of
Penance. New York: Columbia University Press, 1938.
I don't have either text on hand and so can't compare it to the
regulations at the end of the Liber Angeli in the Book of Armagh.
These are primarily concerned with Armagh's pre-eminence in the Irish
church, but the last declares that if Armagh can't solve something,
the matter is to be referred to Rome. It can be found in Bieler
(edit, intro, trans, commentary). The Patrician Texts in the Book of
Armagh. Scriptores Latini Hiberniae. Dublin: The Dublin Instititute
for Advanced Studies, 1979, pp. 188-191 (facing pages in Latin and
English):
"Further, any exceptional difficulty which may arise, (the law on
which) is unknown to all the judges of the Irish people, is by law to
be referred to the see of the archbishop of the Irish, that is (the
see) of Patrick, for examination by its bishop; if, however, such a
suit in the said litigation cannot easily be decided there by wise
men, we decree that it is to be sent to the apostolic see, that is,
to the see of Peter the apostle, who has authority over the city of
Rome. These are (the men) who have made this decree, that is,
Auxilius, Patrick, Secundinus, Benignus; after the death of the holy
Patrick his disciples have frequently copied his books."
Maeve
>Celtic and Old English Saints 6 December
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> * Ss. Auxilius, Isserninus, and Secundius,
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>5th century. Fellow workers under Saint Patrick in the evangelization
>of Ireland. The decree signed by the four, reminding the Irish clergy
>that appeals from the judgement of Armagh may be made to Rome, is still
>extant (Benedictines).
>---
>Question to all the learned members: WHERE can a person read a copy of
>this decree?
>Fr Ambrose
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