[What Character the Widows Ought to Be Of, and How They Ought to Be Supported by the Bishop.]
III. But the true widows are those which have had only one husband, having a good report among the generality for good works; widows indeed, sober, chaste, faithful, pious, who have brought up their children well, and have entertained strangers unblameably, which are to be supported as devoted to God. Besides, do thou, O bishop, be mindful of the needy, both reaching out thy helping hand and making provision for them as the steward of God, distributing seasonably the oblations to every one of them, to the widows, the orphans, the friendless, and those tried with affliction.
[3] Αἱ δὲ ἀληθιναὶ χῆραί εἰσιν αἱ μόνανδροι ὑπάρξασαι, μαρτυρούμεναι ὑπὸ πολλῶν ἐν ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς, χῆραι τῷ ὄντι, σώφρονες, ἁγναί, πισταί, εὐσεβεῖς, τεκνοτροφήσασαι καλῶς καὶ ξενοδοχήσασαι ἀμέμπτως, ὧν καὶ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι χρὴ ὡς Θεῷ ἀνακειμένων. Ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τῶν πενήτων, ὦ ἐπίσκοπε, μνημόνευε καὶ αὐτοῖς χεῖρα ὀρέγων ἐπικουρίας καὶ πρόνοιαν αὐτῶν ποιούμενος, ὡς Θεοῦ οἰκονόμος εὐκαίρως ἑκάστῳ διανέμων τὰ πρόσφορα, χήραις καὶ ὀρφανοῖς καὶ ἀπεριστάτοις καὶ τοῖς ἐν θλίψει ἐξεταζομένοις.