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CHURCH CANONS 2
THE 20 CANONS OF THE HOLY AND ECUMENICAL FIRST COUNCIL
CANON I
If anyone has been operated upon by surgeons for a disease, or has been excised
by barbarians, let him remain in the clergy. But if anyone has excised himself
when well, he must be dismissed even if he is examined after being in the clergy.
And henceforth no such person must be promoted to holy orders. But as is self-evident,
though such is the case as regards those who affect the matter and dare to excise
themselves, if any persons have been eunuchized by barbarians or their lords,
but are otherwise found to be worthy, the Canon admits such persons to the clergy.
CANON II
Inasmuch as many things, whether of necessity or
otherwise urgently demanded by men, have been done
contrary to the ecclesiastical Canon, so that men who
have but recently come to the faith from a heathen life,
and have been catechized for only a short time, have been
conducted directly to the spiritual bath. and as soon as
baptized have been given an episcopate or a presbytery,
it has seemed well henceforth to have no such thing
occur. For the catechumen needs more time and a longer
trial after baptism. The Apostolic letter, too, is plain
which says, "not a novice, lest being lifted up with
pride he fall into the Devil’s snare" (I Tim.
3:6). If, on the other hand, in the course of time any
psychical (i.e., animal) sin be found against the person,
and it is exposed by two or three witnesses, let such a
person be dismissed from the clergy. As for anyone acting
contrary hereto, as having the hardihood to do things
opposed to the great council, he himself shall be in
danger of losing his standing in the clergy.
CANON III
The great Council has forbidden generally any Bishop or
Presbyter or Deacon, and anyone else at all among those
in the clergy, the privilege of having a subintroducta.
Unless she is either a mother, or a sister, or an aunt or
a person above suspicion.
CANON IV
It is most fitting that a Bishop should be installed by
all those in his province. But if such a thing is
difficult either because of the urgency of circumstances,
or because of the distance to be traveled, at least three
should meet together somewhere and by their votes
combined with those of the ones absent and joining in the
election by letter they should carry out the ordination
thereafter. But as for the ratification of the
proceedings, let it be entrusted in each province to the
Metropolitan.
CANON V
As regards those who have been denied communion, whether
they be members of the clergy or belong to a lay order,
by the bishops in each particular province, let the
opinion prevail which expressed in the Canon prescribing
that those rejected by some are not to be received by
others. But let an investigation be made as to whether or
not they have been unchurched on account of
small-mindedness or quarrelsomeness or any other such
disgustfulness of the Bishop. In order, therefore, that a
proper investigation may be made, it has seemed well that
synods be held every year twice a year in each province
and in a common discussion held by all the Bishops of the
province assembled together for this purpose let such
questions be thrashed out. And thus those who have
admittedly clashed with the Bishop would seem to be
reasonably excluded from communion until such time as by
common consent of the bishops it may seem better to let a
more philanthropic vote be given in their behalf. As for
these synods, let one of them be held before Lent, in
order that, with the elimination of all small-mindedness,
the gift may be offered to God in all its purity; and let
the second one be held sometime in autumn.
CANON VI
Let the ancient customs prevail which were in vogue in
Egypt and Libya and Pentapolis, to allow the bishop of
Alexandria to have authority over all these parts, since
this is also the treatment usually accorded to the bishop
of Rome. Likewise with reference to Antioch, and in other
provinces, let the seniority be preserved to the
Churches. In general it is obvious that in the case in
which anyone has been made a bishop without the
Metropolitan’s approval. the great Council has
prescribed that such a person must not be a Bishop. If,
however, to the common vote of all, though reasonable and
in accordance with an ecclesiastical Canon, two or three
men object on account of a private quarrel, let the vote
of the majority prevail.
CANON VII
Inasmuch as a custom has prevailed, and an ancient
tradition, for the Bishop in Aelia to be honored, let him
have the sequence of honor, with the Metropolitan having
his own dignity preserved.
CANON VIII
As concerning those who call themselves Puritans and who
are claiming to be adherents of the catholic and
apostolic Church, it has seemed right to the holy and
great Council, when they have had hands laid upon these,
to let them remain in the clergy. Above all, that it is
fitting for them to confess to this in writing, to wit,
that they will agree to and will adhere to the dogmas of
the catholic and apostolic Church. That is, that they
will hold communion with persons married a second time,
and with those who in time of persecution have lapsed
from the faith; regarding whom a length of time has been
fixed, and a due season has been set, for their penance.
So that they may adhere to the dogmas of the catholic
Church in everything. Wherever they are the only ones
found to have been ordained, whether in villages or in
cities, they shall remain in the same habit (or order).
But wherever there is a Bishop of the catholic Church,
and some of them are joining it, it is obvious that, as
the Bishop of the Church will keep the dignity of bishop,
the one called a bishop among the so-called Puritans
shall have the honor of a Presbyter, unless it should
seem better to the Bishop that he should share in the
honor of the name. But if this does not please him, he
shall devise a position either of a chorepiscopus or of a
presbyter, with the object of having him seem to be
wholly in the clergy, lest there should be two bishops in
the same city.
CANON IX
If some persons have been promoted to Presbyters without
due examination, or when given a hearing confessed their
sins to them, and after they confessed the men, acting
contrary to the Canon, laid hand upon such persons, the
Canon will not admit them. For the catholic Church
insists upon irreproachability.
CANON X
As many persons as have been guilty of serious lapses and
have been ordained in ignorance thereof, or even after
the ordinators have become aware thereof, will not be
admitted under the ecclesiastical Canon. For when they
have become known, they shall be deposed.
CANON XI
As concerns those persons who have transgressed without
any need, or without being deprived of goods, or without
being in any peril or in any such strait as obtained
during the tyranny of Licinius, it has seem fit to the
Council notwithstanding that they did not deserve
philanthropic (or humane) treatment, to be kind to them.
As many, therefore, as genuinely repent and are
remorseful shall pass three years among audients as
believers, and for seven years they shall do penance as
succumbents. In addition, for two years they shall
commune without oblation in prayers with the laity.
CANON XII
As for those persons who were summoned by the grace, and
after displaying a preliminary enthusiasm and taking off
their belts, they returned, like dogs to their vomit, in
such a fashion that some of them even wasted money in an
effort to re-establish themselves in the army by means of
beneficia (a Latin word meaning much the same as the
English word gift), let them be succumbents for ten years
after devoting three years to "listening" (as
audients). But in addition to all these requirements it
is requisite to examine into the will (or inclinations)
and the kind of repentance. For as regards all those who
with fear, and tears, and patience, and the doing of good
to others have displayed proofs of their conversion by
actual performance and not by mere pretense after they
have fulfilled the time fixed for their
"listening" period, they shall participate in
prayers unrestrictedly, with the further concession of a
right to the Bishop to devise some more philanthropic (or
humane) treatment regarding them. But as for those who
acted unconcernedly, and who thought the pretense of
going to church a sufficient proof of their conversion,
let them fulfill the time to the utmost limit
CANON XIII
As concerns those who are making their exit, the old and
canonical law shall be kept even now, so that, if anyone
is exiting, let him not be deprived of the final and most
necessary equipment (or viaticum). If, however, after all
hope has fed, and he has been given communion, he again
comes to be looked upon as being among the living, let
him; stay with those who participate in prayer only. In
general, moreover, as concerning anyone at all that is on
the point of making his exit, if he asks to partake of
the Eucharist, let the Bishop impart to him the oblation
with a trial.
CANON XIV
As concerning catechumens and lapsers, it has seemed
proper to the holy great Council to let them off with
only three years’ listening and to allow them
thereafter to pray together with catechumens.
CANON XV
Because of much disturbance and the mutinies which took
place, it has seemed best to do away altogether with the
custom which obtained contrary to the Apostolic Canon in
some places, so as not to allow either a Bishop or a
Presbyter or a Deacon to go from one city to another. If,
after the holy and great Council’s definition,
anyone should attempt to do such a thing, or has actually
undertaken to do such a thing, let the resulting affair
be invalidated by all means, and let him be reinstated in
the church in which the Bishop or Presbyter in question
was ordained.
CANON XVI
Any Presbyters or Deacons, or other persons covered by
the Canon, who take the risk, without having the fear of
God before their eyes, or keeping aware of the
ecclesiastical Canon, of departing from their own church,
they must not be admitted at all in another church, but
they must be stringently forced to return to their own
parish, or, in case they insist, it is proper for them to
be excluded from communion. If, on the other hand, anyone
should surreptitiously snatch away one belonging to
another and ordain him in his own church, without the
consent of his Bishop, from whom the one covered by the
Canon departed. let the ordination be invalid.
CANON XVII
Because of the fact that many persons covered by the
Canon, out of greed and in pursuit of shameful profits
(willfully) forgot the divine passage of Holy Writ saying
"who hath not lent out his money at interest"
(Ps. 15:5), and in lending demanded a percentage
commission or profit, the holy and great Council has
deemed it just and right that in case anyone is found
after the adoption of this definition receiving interest
for the use of money, or otherwise exploiting the master,
or demanding commission, or through any other subterfuge
contriving to exact shameful profits, he shall be deposed
from the clergy and shall be an alien to the Canon.
CANON XVIII
It has come to the notice of the holy and great Council
that in some regions and cities Deacons are giving the
Eucharist to Presbyters, which is something that neither
the Canon nor custom has allowed those who have not the
authority to offer, to give the body of Christ to those
offering it. It has also further been learned that
already some Deacons touch the Eucharist even before the
Bishops. Let all these things, therefore, be done away
with, and let Deacons conform to their own standards,
well knowing that they are servants of the Bishop, and
that they are inferior to Presbyters. Let them take the
Eucharist in due order after the Presbyters, with either
the Bishop or the Presbyters administering it to them.
But neither let it be permissible for Deacons to sit
among Preshyters for to do so is contrary to the Canon,
and is contrary to due order: if, in disregard of these
definitions, anyone refuses to obey, let him be dismissed
from his deaconate.
CANON XIX
As concerns Paulianists who afterwards took refuge in the
catholic Church, it is made a definition that they be
re-baptized without fail. If any of them in the past have
been covered in the clergy under examination as to
whether they appear to be blameless and irreproachable,
after being re-baptized let them be ordained by a Bishop
of the catholic Church. But if the investigation finds
them. unfitted, let them be deposed. Likewise as
concerning deaconesses, and all those who are embraced by
the Canon in any way and are being examined, the same
form shall be observed. We have referred to the
deaconesses who have been examined under cover of the
habit, since they have neither any claim to appointment
to any order, so that they are to be examined without
fail among the laymen.
CANON XX
Since there are some persons who kneel in church on Sunday and on the days of
Pentecost, with a view to preserving uniformity in all parishes, it has seemed
best to the holy Council for prayers to be offered to God while standing.
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