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but to those who abstain from their communion, whether to a presbyter, or to a deacon, or to a layman, or to a woman, for the orthodox priest to impart the holy gifts. Answer. Therefore, let him impart, to the ordained, by way of oikonomia, with a penance on account of their being led astray by heretics in other matters, but to the laity without a penance; concerning the reader who for two years has abstained from heretical communion, it is right for him to partake of the holy gifts, even if in other matters he is led astray. These things are said by way of oikonomia on account of the weakness of men, so that in seeking to make them entirely pure from heretical confusion we may not inadvertently paralyze them in essential matters. Question. If one must sing psalms with those who do not commune with heretics, but are indifferent in other matters, or receive offerings from them, either candles or oil. Answer. If they are ordained and do not make offerings to the heterodox, what is brought by them should be accepted with some penance, but if they are laity, it should be approached without penance; for there must be a distinction on account of the dignity of the priesthood. Question. If it is permitted for us to make a prayer for those who ask, or to bless oil or light candles or to anoint from holy things. Answer. If they are heterodox, in no way, even if they approach with faith; for there is no communion of light with darkness. Question. If a monk or a nun should come to us for divine communion, what sort of confession must be required, since matters concerning them are unknown. Answer. Everyone who comes to commune, if matters concerning him are unknown, must be asked if he venerates the holy icon of Christ and of the saints, if he does not commune with heretics, and concerning whatever other heterodox opinion he may be suspected of. And when he has confessed according to all these things and the confession is preserved, being prohibitive of every heresy, then the holy gifts must be imparted and he must be communed. Question. If it is permitted for a nun to anoint. Answer. In the complete absence of an ordained man or a monk, let her anoint on account of pressing need. Question. If one must enter a church held by a heretic while passing by. Answer. If a church is once and for all held by a heretic, one must not enter for the sake of prayer, unless for some other circumstantial reason. Question. An abbot who comes to us unknown, if one should, before examination, call him holy and ask a prayer from him. Answer. When it is a time of heresy, before examination one must neither say "4bless, holy ones"5 nor ask a prayer from him; but the common greeting must not be forbidden, according to the legislation of Saint Basil. Question. Concerning a well, if it should be defiled, if the orthodox priest must make a prayer. Answer. The prayer must be made there, where the orthodox community is, but one must not go to those who commune with heretics; for in what things they are defiled in soul through their bread, they will also be defiled in body. Question. Concerning baptism, if there is no church held by an orthodox, if someone should ask us where one must seal, catechize and baptize, and of what sort are the parents and the sponsors. Answer. If one must not enter, as has been said before, into a church held by a heretic, how much more so to do the things that have been said; but because of the lack, it is necessary in a very clean place of a house, upon which, through a consecrated altar, that is, a table, let the one who is about to perform the sacred rite of illumination baptize. And those sponsors should be accepted who do not commune with heretics, and parents who likewise have been on their guard. Question. There are churches having two or even three apses, and one of them is unconsecrated; must one serve the liturgy there or not? Answer. If such a church is under the aforementioned heretic, even if one apse is not consecrated, one must not serve the liturgy there; but if it is held by an orthodox, let him perform the liturgy in the apse which is not consecrated. Question. If someone is able to hold his church so that the liturgy is not served in it by a heretic, for how much time

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ἀπεχομένοις δὲ τῆς κοινωνίας αὐτῶν, ἄν τε πρεσβυτέρῳ, ἄν τε διακόνῳ, ἄν τε λαϊκῷ, ἄν τε γυναικὶ μεταδιδόναι τῶν ἁγιασμάτων τὸν ὀρθόδοξον ἱερέα. Ἀπόκρισις. τὸ μὲν οὖν μεταδιδόναι μεταδιδότω, τοῖς μὲν ἱερωμένοις οἰκονομικῶς μετὰ ἐπιτιμίου διὰ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς ἀπαγωγὴν ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις, τοῖς δὲ λαϊκοῖς ἄνευ ἐπιτιμίου· περὶ δὲ τοῦ διετίαν ἔχοντος ἀναγνώστου ἐν τῇ ἀποχῇ τῆς αἱρετικῆς κοινωνίας, δίκαιον μετέχειν αὐτὸν τῶν ἁγιασμάτων, κἂν ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις συναπάγηται. οἰκονομικῶς δὲ ταῦτα εἴρηται διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὡς ἂν μὴ πάντῃ ζητοῦντες αὐτοὺς καθαροὺς ποιεῖν τῆς αἱρετικῆς συμφύρσεως λάθωμεν εἰς αὐτὰ τὰ καίρια παραλύοντες αὐτούς. Ἐρώτησις. εἰ δεῖ συμψάλλειν τοῖς μὴ κοινωνοῦσι τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς, ἀδιαφοροῦσι δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἢ δέχεσθαι προσφορὰς παρ' αὐτῶν ἢ κηροὺς ἢ ἔλαιον. Ἀπόκρισις. εἰ μὲν ἱερωμένοι εἶεν καὶ οὐ τοῖς ἑτεροδόξοις προσφέρουσι, προσδεκτέον τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν προσενηνεγμένα μετ' ἐπιτιμίου τινός, εἰ δὲ λαϊκοί, ἄνευ ἐπιτιμίου προσιτέον· δεῖ γὰρ διαφορότητα εἶναι διὰ τὸ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀξίωμα. Ἐρώτησις. εἰ ἔξεστι ποιεῖν τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν ἡμῖν εὐχὴν ἢ εὐλογεῖν ἔλαιον ἢ κηροὺς ἀνάπτειν ἢ ἀπομυρίζειν ἅγια. Ἀπόκρισις. ἐὰν ἑτερόδοξοί εἰσιν, οὐδαμῶς, κἂν πίστει προσέρχωνται· οὐδεμία γὰρ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος. Ἐρώτησις. ἐὰν μονάζων ἢ μονάζουσα ἥκοι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τῇ θείᾳ κοινωνίᾳ, ποταπὴν ὁμολογίαν ἀπαιτητέον διὰ τὸ ἀδιάγνωστα εἶναι τὰ κατ' αὐτούς. Ἀπόκρισις. πάντα τὸν ἐρχόμενον κοινωνῆσαι, εἰ ἀγνοεῖται τὰ κατ' αὐτόν, ἐρωτητέον εἰ προσκυνεῖ τὴν σεπτὴν εἰκόνα Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν ἁγίων, εἰ μὴ κοινωνεῖ τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς καὶ εἰς ὅ τι ἂν ἄλλο ὑποπτεύηται φρόνημα ἑτερόδοξον. καὶ ὅταν κατὰ πάντα ὁμολογήσῃ καὶ ἡ ὁμολογία σῴζοιτο ἐπὶ πάσης αἱρέσεως ἀπαγορευτική, τότε μεταδοτέον καὶ συγκοινωνητέον αὐτῷ τῶν ἁγιασμάτων. Ἐρώτησις. εἰ ἔξεστι μοναστρίᾳ ἀπομυρίζειν. Ἀπόκρισις. ἐξ ἀπορίας πάσης ἱερωμένου ἢ μονάζοντος ἀπομυριζέτω διὰ τὴν κατεπείγουσαν ἀνάγκην. Ἐρώτησις. εἰς ἐκκλησίαν κατὰ πάροδον ὑπὸ αἱρετικοῦ κρατουμένην εἰ δεῖ εἰσιέναι. Ἀπόκρισις. ἅπαξ εἰ ὑπὸ αἱρετικοῦ κρατουμένη ἐκκλησία ἐστίν, οὐ δεῖ εἰσιέναι προσευχῆς χάριν, εἰ μή τι κατὰ ἄλλην περιστατικὴν πρόφασιν. Ἐρώτησις. ἀββᾶν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀγνώριστον, εἰ χρὴ πρὸ ἀνακρίσεως ἁγιολεκτεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ αἰτεῖσθαι πρὸς αὐτοῦ εὐχήν. Ἀπόκρισις. ἐπὰν ὁ καιρὸς αἱρέσεώς ἐστι, πρὸ ἀνακρίσεως οὐ δεῖ οὔτε "4εὐλογεῖτε ἅγιοι"5 λέγειν οὔτε εὐχὴν αἰτεῖν παρ' αὐτοῦ· τὸν δὲ κοινὸν ἀσπασμὸν οὐκ ἀπαγορευτέον κατὰ τὴν νομοθεσίαν τοῦ Ἁγίου Βασιλείου. Ἐρώτησις. περὶ φρέατος, ἐὰν μιανθῇ, εἰ δεῖ ποιῆσαι εὐχὴν τὸν ὀρθόδοξον ἱερέα. Ἀπόκρισις. ἐκεῖ δεῖ ποιεῖν τὴν εὐχήν, οὗ ἐστιν ἡ ὀρθόδοξος κοινωνία, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς κοινωνοῦντας τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς οὐκ ἰτέον· ἐν οἷς γὰρ μιαίνονται κατὰ ψυχὴν διὰ τοῦ ἄρτου αὐτῶν, μιανθήσονται καὶ κατὰ σῶμα. Ἐρώτησις. περὶ βαπτίσματος, εἰ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκκλησία κρατουμένη ὑπὸ ὀρθοδόξου, ἐὰν αἰτήσηται ἡμᾶς τις ποῦ χρὴ σφραγίζειν, κατηχεῖν καὶ βαπτίζειν, ποταποὶ δὲ οἱ γονεῖς καὶ οἱ ἀνάδοχοι. Ἀπόκρισις. οὐκ εἰσιέναι, καθὰ προείρηται, εἰς ἐκκλησίαν κρατουμένην ὑπὸ αἱρετικοῦ εἰ δεῖ, πόσῳ γε μᾶλλον τὰ λελεγμένα πρᾶξαι· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν ἀναγκαῖον εἰς τόπον καθαρώτατον οἰκίας, ἐφ' ᾗ διὰ θυσιαστηρίου καθηγιασμένου, ἤτοι τραπέζης, τὴν ἱερουργίαν ὁ μέλλων ἐπιτελεῖν τὸ φώτισμα βαπτιζέτω. ἀναδόχους δὲ ἐκείνους προσιτέον, τοὺς οὐ τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς κοινωνοῦντας, καὶ γονέας τοὺς ὡσαύτως πεφυλαγμένους. Ἐρώτησις. εἰσὶν ἐκκλησίαι ἔχουσαι δύο κόγχας ἢ καὶ τρεῖς, ἔστι δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν μία ἀνενθρονίαστος· χρὴ ἐκεῖσε λειτουργῆσαι ἢ οὔ; Ἀπόκρισις. ἐὰν ὑπὸ τὸν ἀναφερόμενον αἱρετικόν ἐστιν ἡ τοιαύτη ἐκκλησία, κἂν μία κόγχη οὐ καθιέρωται, οὐ χρὴ λειτουργεῖν ἐκεῖ· εἰ δὲ κρατεῖται ὑπὸ ὀρθοδόξου, ποιείτω λειτουργίαν εἰς τὴν κόγχην ἥτις οὐ καθιέρωται. Ἐρώτησις. εἰ δύναταί τις κρατῆσαι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοῦ ἵνα μὴ λειτουργῆται ὑπὸ αἱρετικοῦ, πόσον χρόνον