Canons 47–64

Canon 47. No woman may sleep in a monastery of men, and no man in a monastery of women. For the faithful ought to be without offense and give no cause for scandal, and to order their lives decently, honorably and in a way pleasing to God. But if anyone does this, whether he is a cleric or a layman, let him be cut off. [a]

Canon 48. The wife of a man who is advanced to the dignity of bishop is to be separated from her husband by their mutual consent. After his ordination and consecration as bishop, she is to enter a monastery situated at a distance from the bishop’s residence, and there let her be provided for by the bishop. And if she is found worthy, she may be advanced to the dignity of a deaconess. [b]

Canon 49. Renewing the holy canon as well, we decree that monasteries once consecrated with the bishop’s consent are always to remain monasteries. The things that belong to them are to be kept for the monastery, and they can no longer become secular dwellings or be handed over by anyone to people of the world. If anything of this kind has already been done, we declare it null; and those who attempt to do so from now on are to be subjected to the penalties of the canons. [c]

Canon 50. From now on no one at all, whether cleric or layman, is to play at dice. If anyone is found doing so after this, if he is a cleric he is to be deposed; if a layman, let him be cut off. [d]

Canon 51. This holy and ecumenical synod entirely forbids those who are called “players” and their “shows,” as well as the staging of hunts and the dances of the theater. If anyone despises this canon and gives himself to any of these forbidden things, if he is a cleric he is to be deposed; if a layman, let him be cut off. [e]

Canon 52. On all the days of the holy fast of Lent, except on the Sabbath, the Lord’s day and the holy day of the Annunciation, the Liturgy of the Presanctified is to be said. [f]

Canon 53. Spiritual kinship is greater than kinship by the flesh. And it has come to our knowledge that in some places certain persons who become sponsors to children in holy, saving baptism afterward marry the children’s mothers, when they are widows. We decree that from now on nothing of this kind is to be done. If any are seen doing this after the present canon, they must first give up this unlawful marriage, and then be subjected to the penalties for fornicators. [h]

Canon 54. The divine Scriptures plainly teach us this: “You shall not approach anyone near of kin to you to uncover their nakedness.” Basil, the God-bearing, listed in his canons some of the marriages that are forbidden and passed over most of them in silence, and in both ways he did us good service. For by avoiding a number of shameful names, so as not to soil his speech with such words, he included the impurities under general terms, and in this way showed us in general which marriages are forbidden. But by that silence, and because it is hard to understand which marriages are forbidden, the matter has become confused. So it seemed good to us to set it out a little more clearly. We decree that from now on the following fall under the canon of seven years, provided they openly separate from the unlawful union: a man who marries the daughter of his father; a father or a son who marries a mother and her daughter; a father and a son who marry two girls who are sisters; a mother and a daughter who marry two brothers; or two brothers who marry two sisters. [i]

Canon 55. We understand that in the city of the Romans they fast on the Saturdays during the holy fast of Lent, contrary to the church’s traditional practice. It seemed good to the holy synod that in the church of the Romans also the canon must stand unshaken which says: “If any cleric is found fasting on a Sunday or a Saturday, except on one occasion only, he is to be deposed; and if he is a layman, he is to be cut off.” [l]

Canon 56. We have likewise learned that in the regions of Armenia and in other places some people eat eggs and cheese on the Saturdays and Sundays of holy Lent. It seems good, therefore, that the whole church of God throughout the world should follow one rule and keep the fast perfectly. Just as they abstain from everything that is killed, so they should abstain from eggs and cheese as well, which are the fruit and produce of the animals we abstain from. If any do not keep this law, if they are clerics, let them be deposed; if laymen, let them be cut off. [m]

Canon 57. It is not right to offer honey and milk on the altar. [n]

Canon 58. No one in the order of laymen may give himself the divine mysteries if a bishop, presbyter or deacon is present. Whoever dares to do such a thing, acting against what has been laid down, is to be cut off for one week, and from then on let him learn not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. [o]

Canon 59. Baptism is by no means to be given in a chapel inside a house. Those who are about to be counted worthy of the spotless illumination are to go to a catholic church and receive this gift there. If anyone is convicted of not keeping what we have laid down, if he is a cleric, let him be deposed; if a layman, let him be cut off. [p]

Canon 60. The Apostle declares that whoever clings to the Lord is one spirit with him. It is clear, then, that whoever is on close terms with the Lord’s enemy becomes one with him through that bond. Therefore, as for those who pretend to be possessed by a demon, and in the depravity of their ways put on a show of its form and appearance, it seems good that they should by all means be punished. They are to be subjected to the same afflictions and hardships to which those who are truly possessed by demons are rightly subjected, in order to free them from the working of the devil. [q]

Canon 61. Those who give themselves up to soothsayers, or to those called hekatontarchs, or to any such people, in order to learn from them whatever they want revealed to them, are all, according to the decrees lately made by the fathers about them, to be subjected to the canon of six years. The same penalty applies to those who lead around she-bears or animals of that kind to amuse and harm simple people; and to those who tell fortunes and fates and genealogies, and a great many words of that kind out of the nonsense of deceit and fraud. It applies also to those called cloud-chasers, enchanters, amulet-makers and soothsayers. [s]

As for those who persist in these things and do not turn away and flee from such harmful pagan practices, we declare that they are to be thrust out of the church, as the sacred canons also say. “For what fellowship has light with darkness?” as the Apostle says. “Or what agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? Or what share has a believer with an unbeliever? And what harmony has Christ with Belial?” [v]

Canon 62. The so-called Calends, and what are called the Bota and the Brumalia, and the public festival held on the 1st of March, we want abolished from the life of the faithful. So also the public dances of women, which can do much harm and mischief. Moreover, we drive out of the life of Christians the dances, of men or of women, held in the names of those the Greeks falsely call gods, and performed in an ancient fashion foreign to Christian life. We decree that from now on no man is to dress as a woman, and no woman in clothing suited to men. Nor is anyone to put on comic, satyric or tragic masks. Nor may men call on the name of the hateful Bacchus when they tread out the wine in the presses, or when they pour wine into jars to raise a laugh, practicing out of ignorance and vanity the things that come from the deceit of madness. Therefore, those who from now on attempt any of the things written here, now that they know of them, if they are clerics, we order them to be deposed; if laymen, to be cut off. [w]

Canon 63. We forbid the public reading in church of histories of the martyrs that have been falsely put together by the enemies of the truth to dishonor Christ’s martyrs and to lead those who hear them into unbelief. We order that such books be given to the flames. And we anathematize those who accept them or give them credit as true. [y]

Canon 64. It is not fitting for a layman to dispute or teach in public, and so claim for himself the authority to teach. He should yield to the order appointed by the Lord, open his ears to those who have received the grace to teach, and be taught divine things by them. For in the one church God has made “different members,” according to the word of the Apostle. Gregory the Theologian, interpreting this passage wisely, commends the order kept among them. He says: “This order, brothers, we revere; this we guard. Let this one be the ear, that one the tongue, the hand or any other member. Let this one teach, but let that one learn.” And a little further on: “Learning with a teachable spirit, and overflowing with cheerfulness, and serving eagerly, we will not all be the tongue, which is the more active member; we will not all be apostles, not all prophets, nor will we all interpret.” And again: “Why do you make yourself a shepherd when you are a sheep? Why become the head when you are a foot? Why do you try to be a commander when you are enrolled among the soldiers?” And elsewhere: “Wisdom commands, Do not be quick with words; do not compare yourself with the rich when you are poor; do not seek to be wiser than the wise.” If anyone is found weakening this canon, he is to be cut off for forty days. [z]