Geoffrey Dunn: The Presbyteral Paradigm in the Letters of Innocent I

n the letters of Innocent I (402-417), sacerdos and sacerdotium refer mostly to bishops, for whom the word episcopus was equally applicable. They were distinguished from the clericus and those belonging to the clericatus or clerum, who were all others engaged in official ministry. Yet, on occasion, especially as he applied the directives of his predecessor, Siricius (384-399) with regard to clerical marriage in affirming the presbyterate on the paradigm of the Levitical priesthood, Innocent could refer to some lower clergy as sacerdoti, or at least include them within that term. It would seem, as continues to be the tradition in the Latin church, that presbyters could be counted as sacerdoti by Innocent, although deacons, described as Levitae, were not. This paper explores this phenomenon in Innocent’s letters and notes particularly that the concern over clerical marriage saw the application of the Levitical model of priesthood to the presbyterate in the Roman church, with a concomitant focus on their sacrificial ministry, in contrast with the understanding of priesthood found in the New Testament, especially Hebrews. When Innocent referred to other aspects of their ministry the word presbyteros was the standard one used.