Church Canons

1
Church Canons

• Ecclesiastical Judgments

2
Source of Church Authority

• Matt 18
• Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind
• on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever
• you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
• And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the
  church. But if he refuses even to hear the
  church, let him be to you like a heathen and a
  tax collector.
• Punishment of Ananias, with Sapphira (Acts 5)
• deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction
  of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the
  day of the Lord Jesus. (1Cor 5)
• Purpose Those who are sinning rebuke in the
  presence of all, that the rest also may fear.
  (1Tim 5)

3
Degrees and Types of Punishments

• Depends of type of sin, and its reoccurrence,
  and ecclesiastical rank
• Only one punishment per sin
• If a deacon or priest re-marries after widowhood
• Deposition from ecclesiastical rank
• Not excommunicated
• except heresy multiple punishments
• Deposition from ecclesiastical rank
• Separation from congregation (Excommunication)
• Anathemaied
• Arius, Nestorius, Macdonius
• If a monk, also stripping from monasticism

4
Degrees and Types of Punishments

• Excommunication (???) separation from the
  believers
• Anathema (???) banished, exiled, accursed
• "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
  any other gospel unto you than that which we have
  preached unto you, let him be accursed."
  (Galatians 18-9)
• Depose (???) falling/removal from rank
• Stripping (???) from rank
• We may hear of someone who is ma7room ?????
  (banished)
• Which judgment?
• Banished from what? Communion? Entering the
  church?
• For how long?...

5
Suspension of Ecclesiastical Services

• A priest may be suspended from performing one or
  more or all ecclesiastical services, depending on
  the situation
• If there is suspicions of his faithfulness in
  keeping the canons
• e.g. allows marriage for divorcee, he may be
  suspended from performing marriages
• May be a precautionary step until a full
  investigation is performed
• May be decreed by the bishop before/until a
  council/trial is held
• May be a continual suspension (depose)

6
No Judgment Without Trail

• If a bishop deposes a priest without
  investigation or trail, he himself may be subject
  to trial.
• Thus, a bishop must not hasten to judge
• To give the defendant a chance to explain and
  defend himself
• Witnesses must be questioned and investigated
• False witness arose against Christ Himself
• False witness are to be punished
• Thou shall therefore cast him out of the
  congregation as a murderer of his brother.
  (Didascalia Apostolorum Book II)
• Defendant may appeal from one ecclesiastical rank
  unto another until reaching the Holy Synod

7
Characteristics of the Bishop

• A bishop then must be blamelesstemperate,
  sober-mindednot violentgentle, not
  quarrelsome(1Tim 3)
• But concerning bishops, we have heard from our
  Lord, that a pastor who is to be ordained a
  bishop for the churches in every parish, must be
  unblameable, unreprovable, free from all kinds o
  wickedness common among men (Didascalia
  Apostolorum Book II)
• Be not therefore ready and hasty to cut off, nor
  do thou easily have recourse to the saw, with its
  many teeth but first use a lancet to lay open
  the wound, that the inward cause whence the pain
  is derived being drawn out, may keep the body
  free from pain. (Didascalia Apostolorum Book II)

8
Reasons for Deposition of Clergy

• If ordained by Simonism (bribe) (Acts 8)
• He and who ordained him are deposed
• If ordained twice to same rank
• If violent and strikes someone
• If he curses his bishop
• For if the divine oracle says"He that curses
  his father or his mother, let him die" how much
  more should the word exhort you to honor your
  spiritual parents, and to love them as your
  benefactors and ambassadors with God, who have
  regenerated you by water, and endued you with the
  fullness of the Holy Spirit, who have fed you
  with the Word as with milk, who have nourished
  you with doctrine (Didascalia Apostolorum Book
  II)
• If he lends with interest

9
Reasons for Deposition of Clergy

• If he takes on a worldly position (works)
• If he participates in the liturgy and does not
  partake of Communion
• If he refuses a repentant
• In the first place, therefore, condemn the
  guilty person with authority afterwards try to
  bring him home with mercy and compassion, and
  readiness to receive him, promising him salvation
  if he will change his course of life, and become
  a penitent and when he does repent, and has
  submitted to his chastisement, receive him
  remembering that our Lord has said, "There is joy
  in heaven over one sinner that repents."
  (Didascalia Apostolorum Book II)
• If he disregards his flock
• If separates from his bishop (secede from Church)

10
Church khoros (Divisions)

• In the early church, the nave had divisions
  (khoros) separating the congregation, based on
  the judgments they were under
• Believers
• Repentants
• Prostrators (kneelers)
• Catechumens/ Listeners
• Weepers
• Depending on the sin and sinner, the judgment may
  be for several years, and he would advance from
  one khoros to another until he is returned back
  to the believers

11
Khoros of the Weepers

• Were not allowed inside the church!
• Holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever.
  (Ps 93)
• They stood outside weeping, and entreating those
  who are entering to pray for them.
• Usually wear sackcloth
• When they complete this period of their judgment,
  they were allowed in the church.

12
Khoros of the Catechumens/ Listeners

• At the back of the church
• Sinners who completed the weeping judgment,
• Catechumens (those who are learning the faith)
• They listen to the readings and the sermon, then
  they exit the church
• stand with trembling, let us attend
• This is the time when they were exiting, and the
  deacon is directing the believers to attend to
  the prayers
• The deacons response included No catechumen or
  unbeliever is to be standing here

13
Khoros of the Prostrators (Kneelers)

• Closer to the believers khoros
• Not allowed to attend the liturgy nor offer gifts
• They attend the readings while kneeling
• Also, before they exit, they would kneel and the
  priest would pray on them.

14
Khoros of the Repentants

• Last period of the judgment
• They attend the liturgy but they do not partake
  of Communion.
• The church accepts their offerings

15
Khoros of the Believers

• AKA Khoros of the Saints
• The Holies are for the Holy
• Closest to the Altar
• Eligible for Communion
• Eligible for offering gifts (Korban)
• Church does not accept the offerings of
• Sinners
• You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the
  price of a dog to the house of the LORD your God
  for any vowed offering, for both of these are an
  abomination to the LORD your God. (Deut 2318)
• Those who collect money in unacceptable ways
• Hoarding from widows or orphans, stealing,
  lottery

16
These Judgments are not Applicable Today

• They used to last for seven, or ten or even
  twenty years
• People can not endure such judgments these days
• Catholic Church suspended these canon in the
  early years
• The Eastern Orthodox Churches suspended them in
  the eleventh century
• The churches are not built with these divisions
  anymore.