The Council’s Ruling on Melitius

After an investigation had been made into the conduct of Melitius in Egypt, the synod sentenced him to live in Lycus and to keep only the name of bishop, and it forbade him to ordain anyone, either in a city or in a village. Those he had already ordained were allowed by this law to remain in communion and in the ministry, but they were to rank below the clergy of each church and parish. When a post fell vacant through a death, they were allowed to succeed to it, if the people judged them worthy by their vote; but in that case they were to be ordained by the bishop of the church of Alexandria, for they were forbidden to exercise any power or influence in elections. [a]

This ruling seemed just to the synod, because Melitius and his followers had shown great rashness and recklessness in conferring ordination. So the ruling also took away all standing from the ordinations that differed from those of Peter. Peter, while he was leading the church of Alexandria, fled because of the persecution then raging, but afterward suffered martyrdom.