Collegium pontificum session report - February MMDCCLXVII

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus pontifex ab officiis senatui populoque Novo Romano Quiritibus s. p. d.

QVOD BONVM FAVSTVM FELIX FORTVNATVM SIT POPVLO NOVO ROMANO QVIRITIBVS

It's a great honor and pleasure to report you, Quirites, the results of the second session of the collegium pontificum held in the consulship of Sta. Cornelia and C. Aemilius, between a.d. IV Id. Feb. (February 10), 08.00 h. AM and a.d. III Kal. Mar. (February 27), 11:00 h. AM (Rome time).

In this momentous session the collegium pontificum attended the fundamental priority duties of the collegium pontificum, and visited the most important and crucial questions, vital and essential before any future progress, regarding the sacra publica (official religious activities of the republic), its religious establishment and organization, and, as its primary constituent, the religious establishment and ritual organization of the priesthoods and priestly activities in Nova Roma. I'm happy that the collegium pontificum could have started the investigation and discussion of these fundamental issues, and I regard it as a big step towards the goal of laying down the bases of the restoration of the Roman religion for the modern world.

I officially express my thanks and gratitude to those members of the collegium pontificum who participated in the debates and contributed in depth to the discussions. Without the intense analyses and scrupulous dissection of so important theoretical questions no valuable contribution was possible.

Given the grave importance of the discussed issues, the theoretical complexity of the questions, the length and depth of the proposals to be analyzed, and the varying opinions of the pontifices, I have decided to close and adjourn the session without voting currently on the discussed items, since only one session has proven to be not enough to discuss and decide on the merits of the proposed ideas. I took into consideration the recommendation of T. Iulius Sabinus, acting pontifex maximus, who also preferred this solution. I fully support a wise and step-by-step approach and I am in agreement that such thorough proposals need more time to be discussed than the limited frames of a single session, and, at the current stage and very limited possibilities of Nova Roma, it has been a major success that the collegium pontificum could touch these primordial questions dating back to the founding of Nova Roma, and it is ever so pious and fortunate that we could do it at this festive time just a few days before the Birthday of Nova Roma, the Concordialia on Kal. Mar. (March 1).

THE ITEMS DISCUSSED

ITEM 2 - Propositum pontificibus de sacerdotibus creandis, inaugurandis, consecrandis et classificandis

(Decree proposal written and proposed by Cn. Cornelius Lentulus)

Text: Propositum pontificibus de sacerdotibus creandis, inaugurandis, consecrandis et classificandis

A draft about the foundational establishment of the sacra publica and priesthoods: the preparation, installation, inauguration and consecration of priests, ceremonial rules for appointment or deposition, defining the methods, procedures, the valid religious mechanisms based on researches of the Roman religion, clarifying the difference between an "acting priest" and a "full priest".

Current consensus: More preparatory discussions are needed. There was no consensus reached, the collegium needs more time and more preliminary debate before enacting such a thorough regulation. Some pontifices would prefer to avoid any precise and detailed regulation until greater consensus is achieved.

ITEM 3 - Propositum pontificibus de feriis et ludis publicis obliganter celebrandis

(Decree proposal written and proposed by Cn. Cornelius Lentulus)

Text: Propositum pontificibus de feriis et ludis publicis obliganter celebrandis

A draft about defining the sacra publica as manifested in public activities: what are the public festivals and games (among the many others) that shall be celebrated by magistrates (or in some cases, by priests) in Nova Roma, for the time being, each year.

Current consensus: The pontifices indicated they would accept this proposal in the form of "advice" rather than mandatory to the magistrates, and more time is needed to investigate the possibilities.

ITEM 5 - Appointment of L. Curtius Paullus

Discussion of the appropriate form of appointment, and possible appointment of L. Curtius Paullus to a religious position.

Item canceled: Applicant withdrew his application.

ITEM 6 - Propositum pontificibus de indice epistulario collegii pontificum

(Decree proposal written and proposed by Cn. Cornelius Lentulus)

A draft about a technical question, offering possibilities to the collegium pontificum about preferred settings of accessibility of the official mailing list of the collegium.

Current consensus: The pontifices prefer to keep the official mailing list of the collegium open for the time being.

CONCLUSION

I recommend that the collegium pontificum discusses in depth the possibile solutions and viable ideas included in the proposals presented during the session, determine a step-by-step procedure of their implementation in the interest of our res publica and the cultus deorum. I will promote a public discussion on the foundations of our religious organization and the sacra publica, in order to base our sacred foundations on the widest possible public consensus.

THE (MODIFIED) AGENDA

(The original agenda did not include Items 4-6. Agenda was expanded on a.d. VI Kal. Mar. ‡)

Item #1) A decree about assigning specific duties and tasks to each currently existing priests with deadlines (if needed) and job descriptions. This is not going to be an overwhelming and exhaustive list of heavy duties. This decree is intended to be a starting point to have a clear management system so that both our People and the Priestly Organization can see and know what to expect, from whom to expect it, and what each priest has to do. These duties will be modified and changed as we will have experience with the system.

Item #2) A decree about the obligatory inauguration and consecration of priests, and defining the difference between an "acting priest" and a "full priest", more proposals to choose from.

Item #3) A decree about defining what are the festivals and games that shall be obligatorily celebrated by magistrates (or in some cases, by priests) in Nova Roma, for the time being, each year.

Item #4) The appointment of V. Aemilia Regilla as camilla Carmentalis.

Item #5) Discussion of the appropriate form of appointment, and possible appointment of L. Curtius Paullus to a religious position.

Item #6) A decree on the open or closed status of the mailing list of the collegium pontificum, with more variants to choose from.

Item #7) Report on the Camillus Training Program which will start on the Ides of February.

Item #8) Implementing in a religiously valid way the senatus consulta ultima enforced upon the Collegium Pontificum by the senate: thus, a) co-opting the 5 senate pontifices so that they comply with religious law, b) removing C. Petronius Dexter as Pontifex, and appointing T. Iulius Sabinus as Pontifex Maximus.

Comment to #8) -- I shall emphasize here that this last point "# 8)" above does not reflect my personal intentions and I am not including it because I would have supported this violation committed in January (in fact, I publicly distanced myself from it, and I explained my views here and elsewhere that this action of the senate was a nefarious sacrilege and not the correct way of handling things), but once the Collegium has been put into this situation, we have to ensure Nova Roma can continue functioning in a religiously valid way, within the rules of Ius Sacrum and pietas. I regret that this item has to be put on the agenda the first time when I convene the Collegium.

QVOD BONVM FAVSTVM FELIX FORTVNATVM SIT POPVLO NOVO ROMANO QVIRITIBVS