Canons 1–7

The bishops from various provinces, assembled by the grace of God in Constantinople at the summons of the most religious emperor Theodosius, have decreed as follows: [a]

Canon 1.

The faith of the three hundred and eighteen fathers who assembled at Nicaea in Bithynia is not to be set aside, but is to remain firm. And every heresy is to be anathematized: in particular that of the Eunomians or Anomoeans, that of the Arians or Eudoxians, that of the Semi-Arians or Pneumatomachi, that of the Sabellians, that of the Marcellians, that of the Photinians, and that of the Apollinarians. [b]

Canon 2. Bishops are not to go beyond their own dioceses to churches lying outside their bounds, nor bring confusion on the churches. But the bishop of Alexandria, according to the canons, is alone to administer the affairs of Egypt. The bishops of the East are to manage the East alone, while the privileges of the church in Antioch which are mentioned in the canons of Nicaea are preserved. The bishops of the diocese of Asia are to administer the affairs of Asia only, the bishops of Pontus only the matters of Pontus, and the bishops of Thrace only the affairs of Thrace. Bishops are not to go beyond their dioceses to ordain or to perform any other church ministry unless they are invited. And if the canon just stated about dioceses is kept, it is plain that the synod of each province will administer the affairs of that particular province, as was decreed at Nicaea. But the churches of God among the pagan nations must be governed according to the custom that has prevailed since the times of the fathers. [e]

Canon 3. The bishop of Constantinople, however, is to have the privilege of honor after the bishop of Rome, because Constantinople is New Rome. [h]

Canon 4. Concerning Maximus the Cynic and the disorder that has taken place in Constantinople on his account, it is decreed that Maximus never was, and is not now, a bishop; and that those who have been ordained by him hold no rank of any kind among the clergy, since everything that has been done concerning him or by him is declared invalid. [i]

Canon 5. With regard to the tome of the Western bishops, we receive those in Antioch also who confess the unity of the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. [j]

Canon 6. Many people, wishing to confuse and overturn the order of the church, quarrelsomely and slanderously invent charges against the orthodox bishops who govern the churches. They intend nothing else than to stain the reputation of the priests and to stir up disturbances among the peaceful lay people. For this reason it seemed right to the holy synod of bishops assembled together in Constantinople not to admit accusers without examination: neither to allow just anyone at all to bring accusations against the rulers of the church, nor, on the other hand, to shut everyone out. If, then, anyone brings a private complaint against the bishop, that is, one concerning his own affairs, for example that he has been defrauded or otherwise unjustly treated by him, then in such accusations no inquiry is to be made either into the person or into the religion of the accuser. For it is absolutely necessary that the bishop’s conscience be free, and that whoever says he has been wronged should meet with just judgment, whatever his religion may be. [l]

But if the charge brought against the bishop is some offense in church matters, then the persons of the accusers must be examined carefully, so that, in the first place, heretics are not allowed to bring accusations about church matters against orthodox bishops. And by heretics we mean both those who were cast out before and those whom we ourselves have since anathematized, and also those who profess to hold the true faith but have separated from our canonical bishops and set up rival assemblies in opposition to them. Moreover, if there are any, whether of the clergy or of the lay people, who have been condemned for faults and cast out of the church, or excommunicated, these too may not bring an accusation against the bishop until they have first cleared away the charge against themselves. In the same way, persons who are already under accusation are not to be permitted to bring charges against a bishop or any other cleric until they have proved their own innocence of the accusation brought against them.

But if any who are neither heretics, nor excommunicated, nor condemned, nor already under accusation for alleged faults, declare that they have some church charge against the bishop, the holy synod directs them first to lay their charges before all the bishops of the province, and to prove before them whatever accusations they have brought against the bishop. And if the bishops of the province are unable to settle the charges brought against the bishop rightly, then the parties must go to a larger synod of the bishops of that diocese, called together for this purpose. And they are not to present their allegations until they have promised in writing to submit to an equal penalty themselves, if in the course of the examination they are proved to have slandered the accused bishop. And if anyone, despising what has been decreed about these things, presumes to trouble the ears of the emperor, or the courts of secular judges, or, to the dishonor of all the bishops of his province, troubles an ecumenical synod, such a person is by no means to be admitted as an accuser, since he has treated the canons with contempt and brought reproach on the order of the church.

Canon 7. Those who turn from heresy to orthodoxy, and to the company of those who are being saved, we receive according to the following method and custom. Arians, Macedonians, Sabbatians, Novatians who call themselves Cathari or Aristeri, Quartodecimans or Tetradites, and Apollinarians we receive when they give a written renunciation of their errors and anathematize every heresy that does not agree with the holy, catholic and apostolic church of God. After that they are first sealed or anointed with the holy oil on the forehead, the eyes, the nostrils, the mouth and the ears; and as we seal them we say, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” [p]

But Eunomians, who are baptized with only one immersion, and Montanists, who are called Phrygians here, and Sabellians, who teach that the Father and the Son are the same and do various other mischievous things, and the followers of all the other heresies (for there are many such here, especially among those who come from the country of the Galatians): all of these, when they wish to turn to orthodoxy, we receive as pagans. On the first day we make them Christians; on the second, catechumens; on the third, we exorcise them by breathing three times in their faces and into their ears. And so we instruct them, and require them to spend some time in the church and to hear the Scriptures; and then we baptize them.