CHAPTER THREE

The Alexandrian tradition: Origen^[1]

1. Introduction

Let us continue with the presentation and the commentary on some patristic texts about priestly formation. I will refer now to the so-called “Alexandrian tradition”.

Alexandria – as we have already pointed out – appears to nurture two tendencies that are complementary to the Antiochene tradition, i.e. allegory in exegesis and the valorization of the divinity of the Word in Christology. In general, Alexandria is quite remote from the so-called Asian “materialism”, with which we dealt in Chapter Two: this seems to be fairly evident also in the ecclesiological domain and, particularly so, in the conception of the ordained ministry.^[2]

In order to outline the Alexandrian orientations on the topic of priestly formation, I will just confine myself to one, yet highly representative, example: I am referring to Origen, namely to his Homilies on Leviticus, that he delivered at Caesarea Palaestina between 239 and 242. A few years have elapsed since the severe crisis which – because of the priestly ordination conferred on him around 231 by the bishops of Caesarea and Jerusalem without the knowledge of the bishop of Alexandria – opposed Origen and his ordinary Demetrius. The crisis remained unresolved and led to the transfer of Origen to Caesarea.

Ambrose (d.397), bishop of Milan, is the heir to the Alexandrian tradition in the West – mainly in the exegetical domain -.^[3] But we have already dealt with Ambrose and Augustine, his “disciple”, in Chapter One. At any rate, to conclude the discourse, I will refer you to the report by father Janssens, already mentioned, on the verecundia (or on the «right conduct») of the clerics in the ambrosian treatise De officiis [ministrorum].^[4]

2. Origen (+ 254)^[5]

First of all, we must recognize that Origen, perfectly in line with the Alexandrian tradition, is more interested in contemplating the Church in her spiritual aspect, as the mystical Body of Christ, than in her visible aspect.

Thus, Origen pays more attention to the so-called “hierarchy of holiness”, in relation to an endless journey to perfection proposed to every Christian, than to the “visible hierarchy”.

As a consequence, the Alexandrian refers more often to the common priesthood of the faithful and to its characteristics, than to the hierarchical priesthood.^[6]

At any rate, following the discourse by Origen on both subjects, it will not be difficult to draw some indications on the journey of formation of priests.

2.1. The priesthood of the faithful and the conditions for exercising such priesthood

A long series of Origen’s texts aims to explain the conditions required to exercise the common priesthood.

In his ninth Homily on Leviticus, referring to Aaron’s prohibition, after the death of his two sons, from entering the Sancta sanctorum «at all times» (Leviticus 16,2) – he warns: «This shows that if anyone were to enter the sanctuary at any time without being properly prepared and wearing priestly attire, without bringing the prescribed offerings and making himself favourable to God, he would die [...]. This discourse concerns us all: it requires us, in fact, to know how to accede to God’s altar. Oh, do you not know that the priesthood has been conferred upon you too, that is, upon the entire Church of God and believing people? Listen to how Peter speaks to the faithful: “chosen race’, he says, “royal, priestly, holy nation, people whom God has ransomed’. “You therefore possess the priesthood because you are “a priestly race’ and must thus offer to God the sacrifice of praise, the sacrifice of orations, the sacrifice of mercy, the sacrifice of purity, the sacrifice of justice, the sacrifice of holiness. But to offer it with dignity, you need garments that are pure and different from the common clothes of other men, and you need the divine fire - not one alien to God, but that one which God had given to men – of which the Son of God says: "I came to send fire on the earth".^[7]

Again in his fourth Homily, drawing inspiration from the Levitical legislation according to which the fire for the holocaust should ever be burning on the altar (Leviticus 6,8-13), Origen thus addresses his faithful: “«Listen: there must always be a fire on the altar. And you, if you want to be a priest of God – as is written: “You will all be priests of God”, you are told: “Chosen race, royal priesthood, people whom God has ransomed” -; if you want to exercise the priesthood of your soul, never let the fire be extinguished from your altar”. ^[8]

As you can see, the Alexandrian hints at the inner conditions that make the faithful more or less worthy to exercise his priesthood. The same Homily goes on to say: “This means what the Lord commands in the gospels, “let your loins be girded and your lamps burning”. So, may the fire of faith and the lamp of science be always burning for you».^[9]

Actually, on one hand the “girded loins”^[10] and the “priestly vestments”, i.e. the purity and honesty of life, on the other the “ever burning lamp”, that is the faith and the knowledge of Scriptures, take shape as the indispensable conditions for the exercise of the common priesthood.

And they are even more so, manifestly, for the exercise of the ministerial priesthood: rather, we could say that in Origen’s thinking they are the “milestones” of the priestly formation. But we will go back to this discourse in our conclusions.

2.2. Priesthood of the faithful and reception of the Word

Origen, rather than on “girded loins”, focuses more attention on the “burning lamp”, i.e. on the welcoming and study of the Word of God.

«Jericus crumbles under the trumpets of the priests”, the Alexandrian begins in his 7th Homily on Joshua; and a little later he remarks: You have Joshua [= Jesus] in yourself as a guide, thanks to your faith. If you are a priest, build “metal trumpets” (tubae ductiles) for yourself; or rather, since you are a priest – in fact you are “royal race”, and you are said to be “holy priesthood” -, build “metal trumpets” for yourself from the Holy Scriptures, hence draw (duc) the true meanings, hence your speeches; for this very reason actually they are called tubae ductiles. Sing in them, that is sing with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, sing with the symbols of prophets, with the mysteries of the law, with the doctrine of the apostles”.^[11]

According to the third Homily on Genesis, the “chosen race that God has ransomed” must welcome in their ears the right circumcision of the Word of God: « “You, people of God”, Origen says, “people chosen entitled to narrate the virtues of the Lord”, welcome the proper circumcision of the Word of God in your ears and on your lips and in your heart and on the prepuce of your flesh and, in general, in all your limbs».^[12]

«You, people of God», adds Origen in another context, «you are called to listen to the Word of God, and not as plebs, but as rex. You are actually said: "Royal and priestly race, people that God has chosen for Himself"».^[13]

The reception of Scriptures is critical in order to fully participate in the «priestly race». By interpreting Ezechiel 17 in an allegorical manner, Origen shows to his faithful two options, opposed to each other: the alliance with Nabucodonosor – marked by malediction and exile -, characteristic of those who reject the Word; or the alliance with God, whose distinctive trait is precisely the reception of Scriptures. This alliance is followed by the benediction and the promise: thus “all of us who have welcomed the Word of God, are regium semen», states Origen in his twelfth Homily on Ezechiel. «In fact we are called “chosen race and royal priesthood, holy nation, people that God has ransomed"».^[14]

2.3. Priesthood of the faithful and «hierarchy of the holiness»

These conditions - right behavior, but above all the welcoming and study of the Word – establish a genuine «hierarchy of holiness»^[15] in the common priesthood of Christians.

For example, Origen clearly thinks more of a «hierarchy of spiritual merits », than a «visible hierarchy», when, in the fourth Homely on the Numbers he concludes the explanation of the censorship and liturgical offices of the Leviticus (Number 4), saying: «Since this is the way God dispenses his mysteries and rules the service of sacred objects, we must demonstrate ourselves worthy of priesthood ranks [...]. We are, in fact, "the Holy nation, regal priesthood, chosen people", because responding to the received grace with merits in our life, we are considered worthy of the holy mystery ».^[16]

In the following Homily, the fifth on Numbers, venturing in an audacious interpretation of the text (Numbers 4,7-9), he allegorically reads the various elements that constitute the «tent of the gathering». Some allusions are still made to the «hierarchy of holiness» when the homilist declares «this tent includes », that is, the Church of the Living God, «some people with higher merits and superiority in grace ». In any case, the entire group of the faithful constitutes the «rest», that is, a people of saints carried in the angels’ hands to avoid faltering on the stone, and thus being able to enter the promised land. Notwithstanding severe levitical precautions, each one of them is entitled to contemplate without sacrilege some aspects of the mystery of God, because they are all together called “royal priesthood and race, holy nation, a people bought by God».^[17]

Still in the Homely on Numbers one reads the famous Origenian interpretation of the well of Beer, “ God said to Moses: “Gather the people and I will give them water”. Then Israel sang this song: “The well flows: sing! The Well that princes have dug, Kings of people drilled with the spectre and with their batons» (Numbers 21,16-18). Origen sees in this well Jesus Christ himself, the source of the Word, and mentions princes and kings of people to represent the different degrees of depth in reading and interpreting the Scriptures. If a distinction must be made between princes and king, Origen suggests in seeing princes as prophets and kings as apostles. «As for the possibility of calling the apostles kings », the Alexandrian teacher explains, «it can easily come from what is said of all believers: "You are the royal race, supreme priesthood, holy nation».^[18]

In any case, it is confirmed that for Origen true hierarchy is the one based on the various levels of welcoming the Sacred Scripture …, while it remain implicit- at least in the last quoted Homely - that reference to the word of God is indispensable for the exercise of “royal priesthood common to all believers”.

2.4. «Ministerial hierarchy”

In his homely Origen explicitly refers to bishops, presbyters and deacons. According to him, this “visible hierarchy” must represent to the eyes of the faithful the “invisible hierarchy” of holiness. In other words, in Origen’s doctrine ministerial ordination and holiness must go hand and hand.

«Priests», he writes in Homely on Leviticus 6, «must mirror themselves in the precepts of Divine Law, and draw from it the degree of their merit: if they are wearing pontifical vestment [..] and are up to their vocation in knowledge, acts, doctrine; thus they have achieved priesthood not only by name but also by effective merits. Otherwise they must consider themselves of a lower rank, even if they received by name a higher rank».^[19]

Clearly, a very high esteem of ordained priesthood makes Origen very demanding, almost drastic, towards sacred ministers. He therefore warns everyone who rushes towards “those dignities, coming from God, and presidencies and Church ministers».^[20] In the second Homely on Numbers he painfully asks: «Do you believe that those who have the title of priests, who glory themselves of belonging to priesthood, follow their order, and do all that befits their order? Likewise, do you believe that deacons follow the order of their minister? And why do we often hear people complaining and saying: “ Look at this bishop, this priest, deacon…”? Doesn’t this mean that the priest or minister of God do not abide to the duties of their order? ». ^[21]

In his homely he openly reproaches the most outstanding flaws of the priests of our time. It is for us a clear and effective “negative” portrait on dangers to avoid in the presbyter formation.

According to Origen, one of the priest’s weaknesses is love for money and temporal gains; we would say exaggerated craving for bourgeoisie value. He complains priests are absorbed by lay worries, and focused on everyday life “thinking of world affaires, temporal gains and good food».^[22] And adds, in another context: «Among us ecclesiastics, there are those who would do anything to satisfy their stomach, to be honored and benefit from the Church offering. They are the ones who only speak of their stomachs, and derive from it all their words…...».^[23]

Origen scolds priests also for their arrogance and haughtiness. “Sometimes”, Homely on book of Judges , «there are among us – called to set example of humbleness, and placed at the altar of the Lord as mirrors to those who see us- some men that emit the vice of arrogance. Thus a repugnant smell of pride is emitted from the altar of the Lord».^[24] And he adds elsewhere: «Many priests have forgotten to be humble! As if they were ordained in order to avoid being humble. [...] You were appointed as a leader: don’t pride yourself , but be among them as one of them. You must be humble, you must be humiliated; you must avoid pride, core to all evils ».^[25]

According to Origen other priest’s sins are contempt– or at least less consideration- of humble and poor people, and in the relationships with believers, “imbalances” between an excessive severity and equally excessive indulgence.

3. Provisional conclusions

If we gather Origen’s indications to common priesthood and its hierarchy, we can sum up the following presbyteral formation journey.

The «ticket» to access this journey is the «perpetually lit lamp», that is, listening to the Word. Another indispensable condition is «girded loins» and «priestly vestment», meaning purity and honest living: thus, ordained ministers must especially avoid acceptance of middle-class values, pride, low consideration of poor people, excessive strictness and laxity. Priesthood demands complete obedience to the Lord and his Word, detachment from earthly matters, and full brotherliness with people. At the peak of this ascent to perfection- that is, the completion of priestly formation journey, Origen places martyrdom, since «hierarchy of holiness» and « ministerial hierarchy» must coincide .

In his ninth Homily on Leviticus – he alludes to «the fire for the holocaust», that is, to faith and knowledge of the Scriptures which must never be extinguished on the altar of the person who exercises the priesthood” – The Alexandrian teacher adds: «But each one of us has within him» not only the fire; he «also has the holocaust and from his holocaust lights the altar so that it may burn for ever. If I renounce all my possessions, take up my cross and follow Christ, I offer my holocaust on the altar of God: and if I give up my body to be burned with love and charity, achieve the glory of martyrdom, I offer my holocaust on the altar of God ».^[26]

This expresses Origen’s nostalgia for baptism in blood. In the seventh Homely on Judges- that perhaps dates back to the years of Philip the Arab (244-254), when the possibility of a bloody witness seemed blurred - he said. “If God were to grant me to be washed in my blood so as to receive the second Baptism after accepting the death of Christ, I would depart this world with assurance [...]. But those who deserve such things are blessed».^[27]

I conclude with an overview on Origen’s priesthood formation journey.

The impression, like the one in many fields, is that Origen’s position is very demanding, but not radical.

Notwithstanding strong connections between “ministerial hierarchy” and “perfection hierarchy”, his considerations on priesthood (similarly to other Alexandrian scholars: consider Clement of Alexandria),^[28] never present the priest as an angel. but rather position him in a very concrete daily ascending journey, struggling with sin and evil.

For example, progressive detachment from the world which is a requirement of priesthood formation, isn’t seen as a frenzy search for a place which is separated from the world, because Origen writes in the twelfth Homily on Leviticus, “there is no need to look for a sanctuary in a specific place, but in acts, in life and in customs. If they abide to God, and his commandment, regardless whether you are home or in squares; I say “square”? I mean regardless if you even are at the theater: as long as you are obedient to the Word of the Lord you are doubtlessly in the sanctuary».^[29]

Substantially the Alexandrian tradition enriches with concreteness - perhaps in an unexpected way – the image of the shepherd outlined by Ignace of Antioch and John Crysostom.

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^[1]Initial references: see above, note 39.

^[2] These are obviously accentuations, not unilateral and exclusive teachings, as is proven for example by the fact that Origen, master of allegory and of the spiritual interpretation of the Bible, is a scholar that meticulously sticks to the letter of the holy text. To further explore these issues, you can refer to E. DAL COVOLO (ed.), Storia della teologia..., pp. 181-203 («Esegesi biblica e teologia tra Alessandria e Antiochia») and p. 520, note 11. Furthermore, see H. CROUZEL, The School of Alexandria and its vicissitudes, in ISTITUTO PATRISTICO AUGUSTINIANUM (ed.), History of Theology, 1. Patristic Age, Casale Monferrato 1993, pp. 179-223; J.J. FERNáNDEZ SANGRADOR, Los origenes de la comunidad cristiana de Alejandría (= Plenitudo Temporis, 1), Salamanca 1994.

^[3]Cfr. M. SIMONETTI, Lettera e/o allegoria. Un contributo alla storia dell'esegesi patristica (= Studia Ephemeridis «Augustinianum», 23), Rome 1985, pp. 271-280.

^[4]See above, notes 12-13 and context.

^[5]For an introduction to Origen, after the volume by H. CROUZEL, Origen (= Ancient Christian culture) (french edition, Paris 1985), Rome 1986, see M. MARITANO, in G. BOSIO - E. DAL COVOLO - M. MARITANO, Introduzione ai Padri della Chiesa. Secoli II e III (= Strumenti della Corona Patrum, 2), Torino 1995³, pp. 290-395 (with references). About the priestly ordination of Origen see M. SZRAM, The issue of the priestly ordination of Origen [in Polish], «Vox Patrum» 10 (1990), pp. 659-670.

^[6]Apart from the works by J. Lécuyer and A. Vilela (mentioned below, note 76), on the priesthood of ORIGEN see mainly – after H.U. von BALTHASAR, Parole et mystère chez Origène, Paris 1957, pp. 86-94 (see the italian translation of this work in ID., Origene: il mondo, Cristo e la Chiesa [= Teologia. Fonti, 2], Milano 1972, pp. 60-65), to which Vilela often refers - Th. SCHÄFER, Das Priester-Bild im Leben und Werk des Origenes, Frankfurt 1977 and the outlines by H. CROUZEL, Origene, pp. 299-301, and by L. PADOVESE, I sacerdoti dei primi secoli..., pp. 52-66. See at last A. QUACQUARELLI, I fondamenti della teologia comunitaria in Origene: il sacerdozio dei fedeli, in S. FELICI (ed.), Sacerdozio battesimale e formazione teologica nella catechesi e nella testimonianza di vita dei Padri (= Biblioteca di Scienze Religiose, 99), Roma 1992, pp. 51-59; Th. HERMANS, Origène. Théologie sacrificielle du sacerdoce des chrétiens (= Théologie historique, 102), Paris 1996.

^[7]ORIGEN, Homily on Leviticus 9,1, ed. M. BORRET, SC 287, Paris 1981, pp. 72-74.

^[8]Ibidem 4,6, ed. M. BORRET, SC 286, Paris 1981, p. 180.

^[9]Ibidem.

^[10] In order to understand Origen’s interpretation of the «girded loins”, it is useful to quote a passage of the first treatise On Easter found at Tura in 1941, where the Alexandrian explain the meaning of the “girded loins” for the pascal dinner (Exodus 12,11), “We are ordered”, Origen remarks, “to be pure from bodily encounters, this is the meaning of the loin girdle. [The bible] teaches us to fasten a bind around the seminal place, and commands us to restrain sexual impulses when we take part in the flesh of Christ” (cfr. O. GUÉRAUD-P. NAUTIN, Origène. Sur la Pâque. Traité inédit publié d'après un papyrus de Toura [= Christianisme antique, 2], Paris 1979, p. 74. The translation is by G. SGHERRI, Origen. On Easter. Tura papyrus [= Christian lectures of the first millennium, 6], Milano 1989, p. 107, to which I will refer you also for the commentary. See at last E. DAL COVOLO, Origene: sulla Pasqua, «Ricerche Teologiche» 2 (1991), pp. 207-221).

^[11]ORIGEN, Homily on Joshua 7,2, ed. A. JAUBERT, SC 71, Paris 1960, p. 200.

^[12]ID., Homily on Genesis 3,5, ed. L. DOUTRELEAU, SC 7 bis, Paris 1976, p. 130. This passage evokes, under certain respects, Origen’s doctrine of the spiritual senses, about which see K. RAHNER, The «spiritual senses» according to Origen, in ID., Theology of the experience of the Spirit (= Nuovi Saggi, 6), Rome1978, pp. 133-163. More in general on Origen’s exegesis see T. HEITHER, Origenes als Exeget. Ein Forschungsüberblick, in G. SCHÖLLGEN - C. SCHOLTEN (curr.),Stimuli. Esegese und ihre Hermeneutik in Antike und Christentum. Festschrift für Ernst Dassmann, Münster Westfalen 1996, pp. 141-153.

^[13]ORIGEN, Homily on Judges 6,3, edd. P. MESSIÉ-L. NEYRAND-M. BORRET, SC 389, Paris 1993, p. 158. On the other hand, according to Origen, anyone who owns the science of divine law is a priest, «et, ut breviter explicem, qui legem et secundum spiritum et secundum litteram novit»: ID., Homily on Leviticus 6,3, ed. M. BORRET, SC 286, p. 280.

^[14]ID., Omelia su Ezechiele 12,3, ed. M. BORRET, SC 352, Paris 1989, p. 386.

^[15]J. LÉCUYER, Sacerdoce des fidèles et sacerdoce ministériel chez Origène, «Vetera Christianorum» 7 (1970), p. 259; A. VILELA, La condition collégiale des prêtres au III siècle (= Théologie historique, 14), Paris 1971, pp. 79-83.

^[16]ORIGEN, Homely on Numbers 4,3, ed. W.A. BAEHRENS, GCS 30, Leipzig 1921, p. 24; see. A. MÉHAT, SC 29, Paris 1951, p. 108: «Origène songe plus à la hiérarchie des mérites qu'à la hiérarchie visible».

^[17]ORIGEN, Homely on Numbers 5,3, ed. W.A. BAEHRENS, GCS 30, pp. 28s.

^[18]Ibidem 12,2, p. 99.

^[19]ID., Homely on Leviticus 6,6, ed. M. BORRET, SC 286, pp. 290-292.

^[20]ID., Homely on Isaiah 6,1, ed. W.A. BAEHRENS, GCS 33, Leipzig 1925, p. 269.

^[21]ID., Homely on Numbers 2,1, ed. W.A. BAEHRENS, GCS 30, p. 10.

^[22]ID., Homely on Ezekiel 3,7, ed. M. BORRET, SC 352, Paris 1989, p. 140.

^[23]ID., Homely on Isaiah 7,3, ed. W.A. BAEHRENS, GCS 33, p. 283.

^[24]ID., Homely on the book of Judges 2,2, ed. W.A. BAEHRENS, GCS 30, p. 481.

^[25]ID., Homely on Ezekiel 9,2, ed. M. BORRET, SC 352, pp. 304-306.

^[26]ID., Homely on Leviticus 9,9, ed. M. BORRET, SC 287, p. 116.

^[27]ID., Homely on Judges 7,2, edd. P. MESSIÉ-L. NEYRAND-M. BORRET, SC 389, pp. 180-182. On Origen’s martyrology now see E. DAL COVOLO, Appunti di escatologia origeniana con particolare riferimento alla morte e al martirio, «Salesianum» 51 (1989), pp. 769-784; ID., Morte e martirio in Origene, «Filosofia e Teologia» 4 (1990), pp. 287-294; ID., Note sulla dottrina origeniana della morte, in R.J. DALY (cur.), Origeniana Quinta (= Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium, 105), Leuven 1992, pp. 430-437; T. BAUMEISTER, La teologia del martirio nella Chiesa antica (= Traditio Christiana, 7), Torino 1995, pp. 138-151 (vedi anche la bibliografia, pp. XXIX-XXXIX). See also annotation 2, pp. 180-181, of the mentioned edition P. MESSIÉ-L. NEYRAND-M. BORRET, SC 389.

^[28]«I think, Church ranks on earth, bishops, presbiterians, deacons, , are a consequence of Anglican hierachy and economy that , as scriptures say, are waiting for the the footprints of the apostles who lived in perfect justice according to the Gospel»: CLEMENT AL., Stromati 6,13,107,2, edd. O. STÄHLIN-L. FRÜCHTEL-U. TREU, GCS 52⁴, Berlin 1985, p. 485.

^[29]ORIGEN Homely on Leviticus 12,4, ed. M. BORRET, SC 287, p. 182.