Back to Pseudo-Julian Documents

CPG
Actual Author or Source  Third Council of Braga
Source of Attribution to Julius I  Burchard of Worms
Text  Latin: Burchard’s Decretum 5.001; Gratian’s Decretum D.2 c.7
Other Translations
Source of Information Thompson,  Correspondence of Julius I, Thomspon xxxv-xxxvi, xli-xlii, 194

1. If every crime and sin is erased by the sacrifices, then what will be given to God for the expiation of the offenders, since he errs in the very offering of a sacrifice?
2. For we have heard that some who are detained by schismatic ambition dedicate milk for wine in the divine sacrifices contrary to the divine orders and the apostolic institutions.
3. And others extend a dipped Eucharist to the people for the completion of communion.
4. Some do not even offer pressed wine in the sacrament of the Lord’s chalice but present grapes and share them with the people.
5. But others reserve a linen cloth dipped in unfermented grape juice throughout the whole year and at the time of the sacrifice they wash part of it with water and offer it in that way.
6. How contrary this is to the teaching of the Gospels and Apostles and against the experience of the church will be proven without difficulty from the very fount of truth from which the very mysteries of the sacraments were appointed and proceed.
7. For when the Teacher of truth commended the true sacrifice of our salvation to his disciples, we know that he did not give them milk but only the bread and the chalice under this sacrament.
8. For it is read in the Gospel truth, “Jesus took the bread and the chalice, and blessing it he gave it to his disciples.”
9. Therefore by sacrificing milk he stops the sacrament from being offered, for the clear and evident example of the Gospel truth illuminates the fact that it is impermissible to offer anything other than bread and wine.
10. But they have accepted the idea of giving a dipped Eucharist to the people for the completion of communion without witness to this being mentioned by the Gospel, where he entrusted his body and blood to the Apostles, for the entrusting of the bread and the entrusting of the chalice are each recorded separately.
11. For we do not read that Christ provided them dipped bread, with only the exception of that disciple whom the dipped morsel showed to be a traitor. This did not signify the institution of this sacrament.
12. For what the people share concerning the grape, that is, concerning the seeds of the grape, is very much mixed, but if necessary, let grapes be squeezed into the chalice and water mixed in. For the Lord’s chalice should be offered with mixed water and wine according to the canonical precept because we see that the people are understood by the water, but in the wine the blood of Christ is shown.
13. Therefore when wine and water are mixed in the chalice, the people are united with Christ and the mass of believers are connected and joined to him in whom they believe.
14. This connecting and joining of water and wine are thus mixed in the Lord’s chalice so that that mixture cannot be separated.
15. For if someone would offer only wine, the blood of wine begins to be without us, but if there would be only water, the masses begin to be without Christ.
16. Therefore when only grapes are offered, in which only the effect of wine is demonstrated, the sacrament of our salvation which is signified through water is neglected.
17. For neither just water nor just wine can be the Lord’s chalice but let both of them be mixed.
18. And for that reason, since already from this many manifold opinions have arisen, from now on every such error and presumption should cease, so that the inordinate binding of perverse men does not hamstring the state of the truth.
19. And for that reason from now on nothing is allowed to be offered in the divine sacrifices except for what is according to the opinion of the ancient councils, only bread, and a mixed chalice of wine and water.
20. From now on if someone does it in a way other than has been commanded he will cease sacrificing until he is punished by legitimate satisfaction of penance and returns to the level of office which he lost.

Translated by AMJ

Last updated: 8-31-2012

Back to Pseudo-Julian Documents

No Responses yet