Ordo Romanus IX = Procedure of ordinations at Rome
Pope Constantine I
708-715
The date and composition of this document has been investigated by Dr. Kösters in a very able chapter of his "Studien zu Mabillons röm Ord. (Münster, 1905)". His conclusions are, that the substance of the Ordo was drawn up in the time of Pope Constantine I (708-15), and underwent some revision under Pope Stephen III (752-7). A point of great interest is the mention of diaconissœ and presbiterissœ.
| Source: MIGNE PL 88, 851ff. | |
| Ordo, qualiter in Romana ecclesia sacri ordines fiunt. |
The liturgical rite through which, in the Church of the city Rome, sacred ordinations take place |
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... Pontifex stat in sede sua, singillatim imponens manus capitibus eorum et benedicit eos. Accedens autem archidiaconus tollit orarios, de confessione, qui de hesterna die repositi sunt ibi; imponit super eos: et pontifex induit eos planetis, et stant induti. Diaconilia indumenta tollunt qui diacones esse debent de medio eorum, et complentur benedictiones eorum, qui presbyteri ordinantur; |
A. " . . . The Pope stands at his throne, laying hands on the heads of each of them [the candidates for the diaconate] and blesses [= ordains] them. The archdeacon approaches bringing the diaconal stoles from the confessional where they had been put on the previous day. He puts these on them [the deacons] and the Pope vests them with the [diaconal] dalmatic so that they stand [fully] vested. |
| Expletis omnibus, missa rite completa, stant regiones paratae ad singulos titulos pertinentes cum candelabris et thuribulis, ut proprium suscipiant sacerdotem. Pontifex autem donat eis sacerdotalia indumenta, et ministeria missae, aurum vel argentum, vinum, frumentum et oleum. Egredientes autem de basilica S. Petri praecedent unumquemque vel triginta candelabra cum thuribulis. Ipse sedet super equum album: praecedens et subsequens populus canit [D?]ei laudem. |
B. "At the end, when the Mass has been properly finished, the [faithful from] various regions belonging to the title churches stand ready with candles and thuribles to receive their own priest. The Pope on his part gives them priestly vestments and equipment for Mass, gold or silver, wine, bread and oil. When the priests leave the basilica of St. Peter's, each is preceded by some 30 candles with thuribles. The priest himself however sits on a grey horse, while the people walking ahead or following on sings God's glory." |
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| Similiter etiam feminae diaconissae et presbyterissae, quae eodem die benedicuntur. |
C. "Similarly the[ir] women: deaconesses or presbyterae, who are blessed [= ordained] on the same day." |
| Plateae autem civitatis, unde transituri sunt, coronantur lauro et palliis, et cum tanta gloria ad statutos titulos deducunt proprios sacerdotes: et ipse facit eis illo die convivium. |
D. "The squares of the city through which they [= the priests] will be passing are decorated with laurel and banners. And with such festivity [the people] lead their own priests to the appropriate title churches. And he [= the priest] provides them on that day with a festive banquet." |
Comment
It is clear that as part of the blessing [= ordination] of deacons and/or priests, there was a parallel rite of blessing [= ordaining] their wives as deaconess and/or presbytera.
Wives of priests and deacons were supposed to observe celibacy. But this text says more. It states that deaconesses (and female priests) were ordained 'in the same manner'. The ordination rite for women deacons used in Rome at the time is known to us from the so-called Hadrianum Sacramentary of 786 AD. The old ordination prayer for women deacons ran parallel to that of the male deacon. So women deacons (and 'female priests') received some kind of ordination. It established them in a kind of ecclesiastical order - with attached duties and privileges, different from religious nuns. Many more details here.


