Church Canons

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Church Canons

• Canons on Marriage

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Agenda

• Marriage and Clerical Orders
• Marriages Issues
• Wedding Receptions
• Digamy
• Polygamy
• Concubines

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Marriage and Clerical Orders

• Constitution of the Holy ApostlesCanons 17, 18,
  19
• 17. He who has been twice married after his
  baptism, or has had a concubine, cannot be made a
  bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, or indeed any
  one of the sacerdotal catalogue.
• 18. He who has taken a widow, or a divorced
  woman, or an harlot, or a servant, or one
  belonging to the theatre, cannot be either a
  bishop, priest, or deacon, or indeed any one of
  the sacerdotal catalogue.
• 19. He who has married two sisters, or his
  brothers or sisters daughter, cannot be a
  clergyman.

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Marriage and Clerical Orders

• Constitution of the Holy ApostlesBook 617
• We have already said, that a bishop, a
  presbyter, and a deacon, when they are
  constituted, must be but once married, whether
  their wives be alive or whether they be dead and
  that it is not lawful for them, if they are
  unmarried when they are ordained, to be married
  afterwards or if they be then married, to marry
  a second time, but to be content with that wife
  which they had when they came to ordination. We
  also appoint that the ministers, and singers, and
  readers, and porters, shall be only once married.
  

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Marriage and Clerical Orders

• Constitution of the Holy ApostlesBook 617
• But if they entered into the clergy before they
  were married, we permit them to marry, if they
  have an inclination thereto, lest they sin and
  incur punishment. But we do not permit any one
  of the clergy to take to wife either a courtesan,
  or a servant, or a widow, or one that is
  divorced, as also the law says.
• Let the deaconess be a pure virgin or, at the
  least, a widow who has been but once married,
  faithful, and well esteemed.

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Marriage and Clerical Orders

• A reader or singer can marry again if hes a
  widower, but can not serve in the altar.
• Any service to the altar must be monogamous.
• If he is a laymen, and married twice, he cant be
  ordained Psaltos (singer).

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Marriage and Clerical Orders

• Neocæsarea canon 8
• If a wife of a laymen has committed adultery and
  been clearly convicted, her husband cannot enter
  the ministry.
• If a wife commits adultery after a clergys
  ordination, he must put her away. But if he
  retains her, he cant have any part in the
  service.

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Marriage and Clerical Orders

• Canons of St. Basil 27 -
• As for the priest that is engaged, through
  ignorance, in an unlawful marriage, I have
  decreed, that he retain the honor of the chair
  but forbear all sacred operations, and not give
  the blessing either in private, or public, nor
  distribute the Body of Christ to another, nor
  perform any liturgy but let him bewail himself
  to the Lord, and to men, that his sin of
  ignorance may be pardoned.
• Basically hes still ordained, but cant
  function!

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Marriage Issues Adultry

• Canons of St. Basil 77-79 -
• He that divorces his wife, and marries another,
  is an adulterer and according to the canons of
  the Fathers, he shall be a mourner one year, a
  hearer two years, a prostrater three years, a
  co-stander one year, if they repent with tears.
• So shall he who successively marries two sisters.
• So shall he who madly loves his mother-in-law,or
  sister.

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Marriage Issues Incest

• Neocæsarea (315 AD) Canon 2
• If a woman shall have married two brothers, let
  her be cast out i.e. of communion until her
  death. Nevertheless, at the hour of death she
  may, as an act of mercy, be received to penance,
  provided she declare that she will break the
  marriage, should she recover. But if the woman
  in such a marriage, or the man, die, penance for
  the survivor shall be very difficult
• We have no way to know if she has truly repented

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Marriage Issues Incest

• St Basil Canon 23 incest wife and mother, or
  mother daughter 15 yrs penance 6 years
  weeping, 4 years hearer, 5 years standing.
• St Basil Canon 75-76
• He that commits incest with a half-sister, shall
  be a mourner three years, a hearer three years, a
  co-stander two years.
• And so shall he be who takes in marriage his
  sons wife.

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Marriage Issues Deaconess

• St Basil Canon 24 - A widow put into the
  catalogue of widows, that is, a deaconess being
  sixty years old, and marrying, is not to be
  admitted to communion of the Good Thing, till she
  cease from her uncleanness but to a widower that
  marries no penance is appointed, but that of
  digamy.
• St Basil Canon 44 - The deaconess that has
  committed lewdness with a pagan is not to be
  received to communion, but shall be admitted to
  the oblation, in the seventh yearthat is, if she
  lives in chastity.

13
Wedding Receptions

• Synod of Laodicea (343-381 A.D.)
• Canon 53
• Christians, when they attend weddings, must not
  join in wanton dances, but modestly dine or
  breakfast, as is becoming to Christians.
•  Canon 54
• Members of the priesthood and of the clergy
  must not witness the plays at weddings or
  banquets but, before the players enter, they
  must rise and depart.

14
Digamous Marriages

• Digamy Remarriage after the death or divorce of
  one's first husband or wife.
• Didascalia Apostolorum chapter 14, iii, 2
• But let not young widows be appointed to the
  widows order yet let them be taken care of and
  helped, lest by reason of their being in want
  they be minded to marry a second time, and some
  harmful matter ensue. For this you know, that
  she who marries one husband may lawfully marry
  also a second but she who goes beyond this is a
  harlot.

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Digamous Marriages

• Ancyra Canon 19
• If any persons who profess virginity shall
  disregard their profession, let them fulfill the
  term of digamists. And, moreover, we prohibit
  women who are virgins from living with men as
  sisters.
• Council of Laodicea Canon 1
• It is right, according to the ecclesiastical
  Canon, that the Communion should by indulgence be
  given to those who have freely and lawfully
  joined in second marriages, not having previously
  made a secret marriage after a short space,
  which is to be spent by them in prayer and
  fasting.
• A digamist not secretly married, after devoting
  himself for a short time to praying shall be held
  blameless afterwards.

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Digamous Marriages

• Neocæsarea canon 7-
• A presbyter shall not be a guest at the nuptials
  of persons contracting a second marriage for,
  since the digamist is worthy of penance, what
  kind of a presbyter shall he be, who, by being
  present at the feast, sanctioned the marriage?
• A presbyter shall not attend the wedding feast
  (reception) of a second marriage. It is an
  absolution, not a celebration.

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Polygamy

• St. Basil (Greek order) Canon 80
• The Fathers say nothing of polygamy as being
  beastly, and a thing un-agreeable to human
  nature. To us it appears a greater sin than
  fornication Let therefore such as are guilty
  of it be liable to the canons after they have
  been mourners one year let them be prostrators
  three yearsand then be received.
•  St. Athanasius Canon 8
• Is it not shameful when it is heard that one of
  the eagles that are gathered about the Savior is
  married to two wives? For the eagle that is
  without understanding hath but one mate how then
  can he that hath understanding dwell with two
  wives? Is not such an one a lover of the
  pleasures of the world?

18
Concubines

• Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus Part II, 16
• If a man have a wife or a woman a husband, let
  them be taught the man to be contented with his
  wife and the woman to be contented with her
  husband. A man who is unmarried let him be
  taught not to commit fornication but either to
  marry lawfully or to abide steadfast.
• If a mans concubine be a slave, let her hear on
  condition that she have reared her children, and
  if she consorts with him alone. But if not, let
  her be rejected. If a man have a concubine, let
  him desist and marry legally and if he will not,
  let him be rejected. And if a baptized woman
  cannot consort with a slave, either let her
  desist or let her be rejected

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Concubines

• Pope Gabriel ibn Turaik Canon 21
• It has reached my feebleness that certain people
  have rejected the Laws of God and have separated
  themselves from their wives, and have taken unto
  them women and concubines. He who acts thus and
  continues to do so, shall have no part with the
  people of God until he repent and desist from his
  error and detest his deed. He who persists in
  his passion and his opinion, both he and the
  woman who is with him, and he who has joined her
  to him are under the sentence of excommunication,
  and they shall not receive absolution or
  permission. Every priest who learns of their
  condition and does not report their case to their
  bishop that he may pass judgment upon them, is a
  participant and an associate with them in their
  guilt and if the bishop neglects this after he
  has been informed about them, he also is a
  participant with them.