With some leftover birthday money I bought a book by an obscure and somewhat unknown Church Father. We know that after the Spaniards reconquered Cordoba in 1236 AD they produced some theological and spiritual giants. While under Islamic occupation, their growth was stunted but we need to remember that they played a somewhat important role before that. We all remember Hosius of Cordoba, one of the heroes of Nicaea. In later centuries we have Isidore of Seville.
The book that I read is called De Ecclesiasticis Officiis. It’s basically a breakdown and explanation of all the important offices, sacraments, liturgical practices and beliefs of the 7th century Church in Spain. It’s almost as if its a mini-catechism but no quite.
I want to go over some stuff that I read in the book. In terms of celibate clergy, this book is all in favour of it. However, it doesn’t rule out married clergy. It simply says that celibate clergy are highly preferred. Based on my studies, this was the the case throughout the Latin Church except in Milan where they were the norm. At least up until the reforms of Pope Gregory VII.
Isidore has the traditional Catholic view on baptism in which it’s never to be repeated. This is important for him because in his lifetime there were a lot of people who were coming over from Arianism. The Church fathers always emphasized that Arian baptisms were valid. He also firmly accepts baptismal regeneration and uses John 3:5 as all church fathers do.
He has a quote on the Eucharist which I think really sums up the belief of the Church from day one.
Christ our Lord and teacher first instituted the sacrifice, which is offered by Christians to God, when he entrusted his body and blood to the apostles before was handed over, as it is read in the Gospel: “Jesus took a loaf of bread” and the cup “and after blessing gave it to them”.
It’s such a simple quote, yet at the same time so rich. Isidore is also one of the early witnesses to show that the Latin and Greek churches were diverting on the procession of the Holy Spirit which would erupt in the Photian episode in the 9th century. Isidore says:
The Father is to be confessed as unbegotten, the Son as begotten. The Holy Spirit, however is not begotten or unbegotten but proceeds from the Father and the Son.
An interesting fact is that Isidore of Seville died in 636 AD. This was the early stages of the Islamic invasions. About 80 years later, Islamic armies would invade Spain and occupy it for hundreds of years. Isidore is a testimony to pre-Islamic Catholicism in Spain. St. Isidore of Seville ora pro nobis.
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