Clergy Freed from Public Duties

“Greetings, our most honored Anulinus. Many facts make it plain that when the religion in which the highest reverence for the most holy heavenly Power is kept has been despised, great dangers have come upon public affairs; but that when it is lawfully taken up and kept, it has brought the greatest good fortune to the Roman name and remarkable happiness to all human affairs, by the gift of the divine kindnesses. So it has seemed good, most honored Anulinus, that those men who, with due holiness and constant attendance on this law, give their services to the worship of the divine religion should receive the rewards of their own labors. [a] Therefore it is my will that those in the province entrusted to you, in the catholic church over which Caecilian presides, who give their service to this holy religion, and whom people commonly call clergy, be kept entirely free, once and for all, from all public duties. Then they will not be drawn away by any error or sacrilegious slip from the service owed to the Divinity, but may rather serve their own law without any hindrance. For it seems that when they offer the greatest worship to the Divinity, the greatest good comes to the commonwealth. Farewell, our most honored and dear Anulinus.” [b]