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Apostle: if any one who is called a brother is a fornicator or a covetous man or an idolater, and so forth, with such a one do not even eat. Question. concerning presbyters who have eaten with heretics once or twice and have not partaken of communion or signed or concelebrated, whether one must receive such men to a common meal and psalmody, without the seal or with the seal. Answer. concerning such ones it must be said: if the priests who have eaten did so with heretical priests or laity, and those who are acknowledged heretics or, with those who are of right mind, but are in communion with heretics (for the judgment is greater upon the ordained), with a worthy repentance both groups must be received to have fellowship with them in salt and prayers and the seal. Question. concerning laymen who have signed in the heresy and are in communion, whether orthodox laymen ought to eat with such laymen. Answer. Indifference to evils is the cause; for they did not distinguish between the clean and the profane. Therefore it is necessary, if those who are orthodox are zealous, not to receive such men to a common meal, unless first they should be penanced for the evil signature, and then also abstain from heretical communion. But since, according to circumstance, fleeing dangers, some are stained by heretical communion, those who confess the misfortune and repent must be received to a common meal, and this not indifferently, but according to some circumstantial convention and one that brings from it profit to both, but not spiritual harm. Question. concerning those wishing to be baptized, if an orthodox or blameless priest cannot be found, whether one must be baptized by priests who have been in communion or are unproclaimed, especially if death is imminent. Answer. Such a rule was pronounced here by both confessor hierarchs and hegumens, that presbyters barred from the liturgy on account of heretical communion are permitted, if a "saved" priest cannot be found, both to baptize and to give of the holy things, which have been previously consecrated by a priest who is not suspended, and to give the monastic habit, and to say the prayer at a funeral, and to proclaim the Gospel at Orthros and to bless the water of Theophany, as has been said, according to circumstance, so that the people do not remain altogether unheard of the gospel and unenlightened. If, therefore, it is agreeable to you, let such a rule prevail in your regions as well. Question. concerning those who have separated and run to repentance, whether it is permitted for us to give penances to such men or to receive them. Answer. It has already been declared in the preceding that one must give them; and it is superfluous to circle back to the same thing twice. Question. If a bishop, having fallen into a crime, is deposed by a synod, then again after deposition ordains a presbyter, and that same presbyter, having come to a monastery, receives a penance for a time from his own hegumen, and after these things serves in the priesthood, whether one must receive such a priest, if he is blameless, we ask to be taught. Answer. Since the absurdity is manifest, you should not even have asked about such a crime; for Christ has said, a corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit. So that not only if penanced by his own hegumen but even by some saint, such a man is released from serving, he is not a priest, nor is the one who released him a saint, since in this way all canonical injunctions will be overturned and will be gone. Question. concerning presbyters ordained by orthodox bishops, but who have neither signed nor partaken of communion, but only ate with Gregory the metropolitan. Answer. The word concerning this was already given above. Therefore, whether the common meal took place with Gregory or with any of the heterodox, with a worthy repentance the one who shared the meal is released from the crime, not only to a common meal with those who have been careful, but also to the priesthood which they were deemed worthy of. But the measure of the

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ἀπόστολος· ἐάν τις ἀδελφὸς ὀνομαζόμενος πόρνος ἢ πλεονέκτης ἤ εἰδωλολάτρης καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, τῷ τοιούτῳ μηδὲ συνεσθίειν. Ἐρώτησις. περὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῶν βεβρωκότων μετὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ μὴ κοινωνησάντων ἢ ὑπογραψάντων ἢ συλλειτουργησάντων, εἰ χρὴ τοὺς τοιούτους δέχεσθαι εἰς συνεστίασιν καὶ ψαλμῳδίαν, χωρὶς σφαγῖδος ἢ μετὰ σφραγῖδος. Ἀπόκρισις. ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων ῥητέον· εἰ οἱ βεβρωκότες ἱερεῖς μετὰ ἱερέων αἱρετικῶν ἢ λαϊκῶν ἔφαγον καὶ ὁμολογουμένων ἤ, ὀρθοφρονούτων μέν, κοινωνούντων δὲ τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς (μεῖζον γὰρ τὸ κρίμα ἐπὶ τῶν ἱερωμένων), μετανοίᾳ δὲ ἀξιολόγῳ ἑκατέρους προσδεκτέον κοινωνῆσαι αὐτοῖς ἁλῶν τε καὶ προσευχῶν καὶ σφαγῖδος. Ἐρώτησις. περὶ τῶν ὑπογραψάντων κοσμικῶν ἐν τῇ αἱρέσει καὶ κοινωνούντων, εἰ χρὴ τοῖς τοιούτοις κοσμικοῖς ὀρθοδόξους κοσμικοὺς συνεσθίειν. Ἀπόκρισις. ἡ ἀδιαφορία τῶν κακῶν τὸ αἴτιον· ἀνὰ μέσον γὰρ καθαροῦ καὶ βεβήλου οὐ διέστελλον. χρὴ οὖν, εἴπερ ζηλωταί εἰσιν οἱ ὀρθοδοξοῦντες, μὴ προσίεσθαι τοὺς τοιούτους εἰς συνεστίασιν, εἰ μὴ πρότερον ὑπὲρ τῆς πονηρᾶς ὑπογραφῆς ἐπιτιμηθεῖεν, εἶτα καὶ ἀπόσχοιντο τῆς αἱρετικῆς κοινωνίας. ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατὰ περίστασιν, φεύγοντες τοὺς κινδύνους, χραίνονται τῇ αἱρετικῇ κοινωνίᾳ τινές, ὁμολογοῦντας τὴν περιπέτειαν καὶ μετανοοῦντας προσδεκτέον εἰς συνεστίασιν, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀδιαφόρως, ἀλλὰ κατά τινα σύμβασιν περιστατικὴν καὶ φέρουσαν ἐντεῦθεν κέρδος ἀμφοτέροις, ἀλλ' οὐ ζημίαν ψυχικήν. Ἐρώτησις. περὶ τῶν θελόντων βαπτισθῆναι, ἐὰν μὴ εὑρεθῇ ὀρθόδοξος ἱερεὺς ἢ ἄμεμπτος, εἰ χρὴ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν κοινωθέντων ἱερέων ἢ ἀκηρύκτων, μάλιστα ἐὰν θάνατος κατεπείγῃ. Ἀπόκρισις. τύπος τοιοῦτος ἐξεφωνήθη ἐνταῦθα παρά τε ὁμολογητῶν ἱεραρχῶν τε καὶ καθηγουμένων, τοὺς εἰργμένους πρεσβυτέρους τῆς λειτουργίας διὰ τὴν αἱρετικὴν κοινωνίαν συγχωρεῖσθαι, μὴ εὑρισκομένου σεσωσμένου ἱερέως, καὶ βαπτίζειν καὶ μεταδιδόναι τῶν ἁγιασμάτων, προτετελεσμένων ἐξ ἀκρατήτου ἱερέως, σχῆμά τε διδόναι μοναχοῦ, εὐχήν τε ποιεῖν ἐπὶ ἐκκομιδῆς, εὐαγγέλιόν τε ἐκφωνεῖν ἐπὶ ὄρθρου καὶ τὸ τῶν Θεοφανίων ὕδωρ εὐλογεῖν, ὡς εἴρηται, κατὰ περίστασιν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐναπομένειν τοὺς λαοὺς παντάπασιν ἀνηκόους τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ ἀφωτίστους. εἰ οὖν συναρέσκει ὑμῖν, κρατείτω ὁ τοιοῦτος τύπος καὶ ἐν τοῖς αὐτόθι. Ἐρώτησις. περὶ τῶν ἀποσχισάντων καὶ τῇ μετανοίᾳ προστρεχόντων, εἰ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπιτίμια διδόναι ἢ δέχεσθαι αὐτούς. Ἀπόκρισις. ἤδη ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω δεδήλωται ὅτι χρὴ διδόναι· καὶ παρέλκον δὶς τὸ αὐτὸ ἐπικυκλοῦν. Ἐρώτησις. ἐὰν ἐπίσκοπος, εἰς ἔγκλημα περιπεσών, ὑπὸ συνόδου καθαιρεθῇ, εἶτα πάλιν μετὰ καθαίρεσιν χειροτονήσῃ πρεσβύτερον, ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς πρεσβύτερος, ἐν μοναστηρίῳ παραγενόμενος, ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου ἡγουμένου δέξηται ἐπιτίμιον πρὸς χρόνον καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐνεργῇ ἐν τῇ ἱερωσύνῃ, εἰ χρὴ δέχεσθαι τὸν τοιοῦτον ἱερέα, εἰ ἀνέγκλητόν ἐστι, διδαχθῆναι δεόμεθα. Ἀπόκρισις. προφανοῦς οὔσης τῆς ἀτοπίας, οὐδὲ ἐπερωτῆσαι ὑμᾶς ἐχρῆν περὶ τοῦ τοιούτου ἐγκλήματος· εἴρηκε γὰρ ὁ Χριστός, οὐ δύναται σαπρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖν. ὥστε οὐχ ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου ἡγουμένου ἀλλὰ κἂν ὑπὸ ἁγίου τινὸς ἐπιτιμηθεὶς ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀπολέλυται τοῦ λειτουργεῖν, οὐχ ἱερεὺς οὐδὲ ὁ λύσας ἅγιος, ἐπεὶ οὕτω περιτραπήσεται πάντα κανονικὰ παραγγέλματα καὶ οἰχήσεται. Ἐρώτησις. περὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῶν ὑπὸ ὀρθοδόξων χειροτονηθέντων, μὴ ὑπογραψάντων δὲ μηδὲ κοινωνησάντων, συμφαγόντων δὲ μόνον μετὰ Γρηγορίου τοῦ μητροπολίτου. Ἀπόκρισις. ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω προαπεδόθη ὁ περὶ τούτου λόγος. εἴτε οὖν μετὰ Γρηγορίου εἴτε μεθ' οἱουδήποτε τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ἡ συνεστίασις γέγονε, μετανοίᾳ ἀξιολόγῳ ὁ συνεστιαθεὶς τοῦ ἐγκλήματος ἀπολέλυται, οὐ μόνον πρὸς συνεστίασιν τῶν πεφυλαγμένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἣν ἠξιώθησαν ἱερωσύνην. τὸ δὲ μέτρον τοῦ