Carthage, Canons 1–15

Canon 1. That the statutes of the Council of Nicaea are to be carefully observed. Aurelius the bishop said: “Such are the statutes of the Council of Nicaea, which our fathers brought back with them at that time. Keeping this pattern, let the things that follow, adopted and confirmed by us, be held firm.” [a]

Canon 2. On preaching the Trinity. The whole council said: “By the favor of God, the church’s faith, which is handed down through us, should be confessed in this glorious assembly with one voice before anything else. Then the church order of each one is to be built up and strengthened by the agreement of all. So that the minds of our brothers and fellow bishops lately raised to office may be strengthened, those things should be set before them which we have surely received from our fathers: the unity of the Trinity, which we hold consecrated in our minds, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which has no difference. As we say, so we will instruct the people of God.” And all the bishops lately promoted said: “So we openly confess, so we hold, so we teach, following the faith of the gospel and your teaching.” [b]

Canon 3. On self-control. Aurelius the bishop said: “When the matter of self-control and chastity was considered at the last council, it concerned those three ranks which by their consecration are joined to chastity by a kind of bond: bishops, presbyters and deacons. So it seemed fitting that the holy rulers and priests of God, as well as the Levites, those who serve at the divine sacraments, should practice self-control entirely, so that with single hearts they might be able to ask what they seek from the Lord. In this way we too may keep what the apostles taught and what antiquity kept.” [c]

Canon 4. On the different ranks that should abstain from their wives. Faustinus, bishop of the church of Potentia in the province of Picenum and a legate of the Roman church, said: “It seems good that a bishop, a presbyter and a deacon, or whoever performs the sacraments, should be guardians of modesty and should abstain from their wives.” All the bishops said: “It is right that all who serve the altar should keep themselves chaste from all women.”

Canon 5. On greed. Aurelius the bishop said: “The craving of greed, which no one should doubt is the mother of all evils, is from now on to be forbidden, so that no one may take over another’s boundaries, or for gain pass beyond the boundaries fixed by the fathers. Nor will it be at all lawful for any of the clergy to take interest of any kind. As for those new proposals which are obscure and for the most part ambiguous, once we have examined them they will receive their settled form. But where the divine Scripture has already given its judgment most plainly, there is no need for a further sentence to be pronounced; what is already laid down is to be carried out. And what is blameworthy in laymen deserves still more severe censure in the clergy.” The whole synod said: “No one has gone against what is said in the Prophets and in the Gospels without punishment.” [e]

Canon 6. That the chrism is not to be made by presbyters. [g] Fortunatus the bishop said: “We remember that in former councils it was decreed that the chrism, the reconciliation of penitents, and also the consecration of virgins are not to be done by presbyters. But if anyone is found to have done this, what ought we to decree about him?” [h] Aurelius the bishop said: “Your worthiness has heard the proposal of our brother and fellow bishop Fortunatus. What answer will you give?” And all the bishops replied: “Neither the making of the chrism nor the consecration of virgins is to be done by presbyters, nor is a presbyter permitted to reconcile anyone at the public mass. This is the decision of us all.” [i]

Canon 7. On those who are reconciled when in danger of death. Aurelius the bishop said: “If anyone has fallen into danger of death while the bishop is away, and has asked to be reconciled to the divine altars, the presbyter ought to consult the bishop and so reconcile the sick man at his direction. We should strengthen this with sound counsel.” All the bishops said: “Whatever your holiness has taught us to be necessary, that is our decision.”

Canon 8. On those who bring accusations against an elder, and that no one guilty of crime may bring a charge against a bishop. Numidius, the bishop of Maxula, said: “Besides, there are very many people, not of good life, who think their elders or bishops should be a target for accusations. Ought such people to be readily admitted, or not?” Aurelius the bishop said: “Is it the will of your love that one who is entangled in various wicked deeds should have no voice to accuse them?” [j] All the bishops said: “If he is guilty of crime, his accusation is not to be received.”

Canon 9. On those who are justly cast out of the congregation of the church because of their deeds. Augustine the bishop, the legate of the province of Numidia, said: “Be pleased to enact that if any have perhaps been rightly cast out of the church for their crimes, and have been received into communion by some bishop or presbyter, such persons are to be considered guilty of a crime equal to that of those who run away from the judgment of their own bishop.” And all the bishops said: “This is the decision of us all.” [k]

Canon 10. On presbyters who are corrected by their own bishops. Alypius the bishop, a legate of the province of Numidia, said: “Nor should this be passed over. If perhaps some presbyter, when he is corrected by his bishop, is inflamed with conceit or pride and decides to offer sacrifices to God on his own, apart from the authority of his bishop, or believes it right to set up another altar, contrary to the church’s faith and discipline, he should not get off unpunished.” Valentine, of the primatial see of the province of Numidia, said: “The proposals made by our brother Alypius necessarily agree with the church’s discipline and faith. So enact what seems good to your love.” [l]

Canon 11. If any presbyter, puffed up against his bishop, makes a schism, let him be anathema. [m] All the bishops said: “If any presbyter has been corrected by his superior, he should ask the neighboring bishops to hear his case, so that through them he may be reconciled to his bishop. But if he has not done this, but, puffed up with pride (which God forbid!), has thought fit to separate himself from the communion of his bishop, and has offered the sacrifice to God on his own and made a schism with certain accomplices, let him be anathema, and let him lose his place. And if the complaint he brought against his bishop has not been found to be well founded, an inquiry should be held.” [n]

Canon 12. If any bishop falls under accusation outside the time of the synod, let his case be heard by twelve bishops. Felix the bishop said: “I propose, according to the statutes of the ancient councils, that if any bishop (which God forbid!) falls under any accusation, and the need is too pressing to wait for most of the bishops to be summoned, then, so that he may not remain under accusation, let his case be heard by twelve bishops. Let a presbyter be heard by six bishops together with his own bishop, and a deacon by three.”

Canon 13. That a bishop is not to be ordained except by many bishops, but if there is necessity he may be ordained by three. Bishop Aurelius said: “What does your holiness say on this matter?” All the bishops answered: “The decrees of the ancients must be observed by us: namely, that without the consent of the primate of the province, even many bishops gathered together should not lightly presume to ordain a bishop. But if there is necessity, three bishops may ordain him at the primate’s direction, wherever they happen to be. And if anyone, against what he has professed and signed, comes into any place, he thereby deprives himself of his honor.” [o]

Canon 14. That one of the bishops of Tripoli should come as legate, and that a presbyter may be heard there by five bishops. [p] It also seemed good that, because of the poverty of the province, one bishop should come from Tripoli as its delegation, and that there a presbyter may be heard by five bishops and a deacon by three, as noted above, with his own bishop presiding.

Canon 15. On the various ranks who serve the church: that if anyone becomes involved in a criminal case and refuses to be tried by the church’s court, he puts himself in danger; and that the sons of bishops are not to attend worldly shows. [q]

It also seemed good that if any bishop, presbyter or deacon who had a criminal charge brought against him, or who had a civil case, refused to be tried by the church’s tribunal and wished to be judged by the secular courts, he should lose his office, even if he won his suit. This is the law in a criminal case. In a civil case, if he wishes to keep his office, he shall lose what he went to court to recover.

This also seemed good: if an appeal was taken from some church judges to other church judges with a higher jurisdiction, this should in no way harm the reputation of those from whom the appeal was taken, unless it could be shown that they had given their sentence moved by hatred or some other bias of mind, or that they had been corrupted in some way. But if judges had been chosen by the consent of both parties, no appeal can be taken, even if they were fewer in number than the rule requires.

And it seemed good that the sons of bishops should neither take part in nor watch secular shows. For this has always been forbidden to all Christians; so let them stay away from them, so that they may not go where cursing and blasphemy are to be found. [r]