The letter complements VIII.2 to Cassian and applies the same medical-necessity distinction to Thomas. Source id VIII.3; Brooks page 395; source-facing English extracted by body markers from the Archive OCR text; original Syriac source-text backfill remains pending.
It is good and profitable that your wisdom is kindly disposed toward people distressed by vexation. But those of us entrusted with the government of rational souls cannot safely walk against the laws of the Spirit or use indulgence to do violence to what those laws approve. If we do this, we unknowingly give those under us too much freedom to sin, and we weaken our ability to correct others who neglect church discipline.
Concerning the devout Thomas: if his genitals were removed by physicians because of illness, whether by knife or by drugs, then under the canons he has freedom to minister and may stand before God's altar with open face. But if he presumptuously mutilated himself, we cannot permit ministry. I am naturally inclined to benevolence, but I was bought with the blood of Christ and must restrain my will according to his laws.
I wrote the same to the saintly Cassian, bishop of your resplendent metropolis, because I think I heard from him that Thomas was mutilated because of illness and under the skill of physicians.
The fact that your wisdom has been pleased to show a kind disposition ^ towards those who are dis- tressed by any vexation is good and of great profit. But for those who like my meanness are entrusted p- 444. with the government of rational souls it is not a safe thing to walk contrary to the laws of the Spirit, and by granting indulgence do violence to what those approve. By doing such things we shall without our own knowledge be ofivinor those that are under a superior liberty to sin, so that we shall henceforth be unable to cut off others also who neglect church discipline, by reason of the fact that we ourselves have already undermined this. Therefore with regard to the devout Thomas, if on account of some infirmity - Or, with an easy emendation, "The fact that your wisdom is benevolently disposed." his genital members have been removed by the skill of physicians, whether cut by the knife or burnt by drugs, he has under the canons liberty to minister, and there is no difficulty as to his performing priestly functions, and standing before God's altar "with open face"^ as the Apostle says. But, if he presumptuously mutilated himself, we will not put force upon the determination of the canons concerning him, and give occasion for blame against us to those who are eagerly and malignantly observing what we do. It may in fact happen that we cannot do all that we wish, unless it be by setting at naught the offence caused to many, and wounding "the weak conscience" of our brethren, as it is written." If it were not so know well that I too inasmuch as I am clad in bodily weakness I am "bought with a price," ^ with the blood I mean of the great God and our Saviour Christ, I coerce my will according to His laws and check the unrestrained impulse. These things I have written to the saintly Cassian also the bishop of your resplendent metro- polis: * for I think I heard from his love of God that it was rather on account of an infirmity and under the skill of physicians that the aforesaid man was mutilated
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It is good and profitable that your wisdom is kindly disposed toward people distressed by vexation. But those of us entrusted with the government of rational souls cannot safely walk against the laws of the Spirit or use indulgence to do violence to what those laws approve. If we do this, we unknowingly give those under us too much freedom to sin, and we weaken our ability to correct others who neglect church discipline.
Concerning the devout Thomas: if his genitals were removed by physicians because of illness, whether by knife or by drugs, then under the canons he has freedom to minister and may stand before God's altar with open face. But if he presumptuously mutilated himself, we cannot permit ministry. I am naturally inclined to benevolence, but I was bought with the blood of Christ and must restrain my will according to his laws.
I wrote the same to the saintly Cassian, bishop of your resplendent metropolis, because I think I heard from him that Thomas was mutilated because of illness and under the skill of physicians.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
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