The Canons of the CCXVII Blessed Fathers who…

 The Canons of the CCXVII Blessed Fathers who assembled at Carthage.

 Introductory Note.

 An Ancient Introduction.

 The Canons of the 217 Blessed Fathers who…

 The Canons of the 217 Blessed Fathers who assembled at Carthage.

 Canon I.

 Canon II.

 Canon III.

 Canon IV.

 Canon V.

 Canon VI.

 Canon VII.

 Canon VIII.

 Canon IX.

 Canon X.

 Canon XI.

 Canon XII.

 Canon XIII.

 Canon XIV.

 Canon XV.

 Canon XVI.

 Canon XVII.

 If any cleric is ordained he ought to be admonished to observe the constitutions.

 That if any bishop is accused the cause should be brought before the primate of his own province.

 Canon XX. (Greek xxiii.)

 Canon XXI. (Greek xxiv.)

 Canon XXII. (Greek xxv.)

 Canon XXIII. (Greek xxvi.)

 Canon XXIV. (Greek xxvii.)

 Canon XXV. (Greek xxviii.)

 Canon XXVI. (Greek xxix.)

 Canon XXVII. (Greek xxx.)

 Canon XXVIII. (Greek xxxi.)

 Canon XXIX. (Greek xxxii.)

 Canon XXX. (Greek xxxiii.)

 Canon XXXI. (Greek xxxiv.)

 Canon XXXII. (Greek xxxv.)

 Canon XXXIII. (Greek xxxvi.)

 Canon XXXIV. (Greek xxxvii.)

 Canon XXXV. (Greek xxxviii.)

 Canon XXXVI. (Greek xxxix.)

 Canon XXXVII. (Greek xl.)

 Canon XXXVIII. (Greek xli.)

 Canon XXXIX. (Greek xlii.)

 Canon XL. (Greek xliii.)

 Canon XLI. (Greek xliv.)

 Canon XLII. (Greek xiv.)

 Canon XLIII. (Greek xlvi.)

 Canon XLIV. (Greek xlvii.)

 Canon XLV. (Greek xlviii.)

 Canon XLVI. (Greek l.)

 Canon XLVII. (Greek li.)

 Canon XLVIII. (Greek lii.)

 Canon XLIX. (Greek liii.)

 Canon L. (Greek liv.)

 Canon LI. (Greek lv.)

 Canon LII. (Greek lvi.)

 Canon LIII. (Greek lvii.)

 Canon LIV. (Greek lviii.)

 Canon LV. (Greek lix.)

 Canon LVI. (Greek lx.)

 Canon LVII. (Greek lxi.)

 Canon LVIII. (Greek lxii.)

 Canon LIX. (Greek lxiii.)

 Canon LX. (Greek lxiii.)

 Canon LXI. (Greek lxiv.)

 Canon LXII. (Greek lxv.)

 Canon LXIII. (Greek lxvi.)

 Canon LXIV. (Greek lxvii.)

 Canon LXV. (Greek lxviii.)

 Canon LXVI. (Greek lxix.)

 Canon LXVII. (Greek lxx.)

 Canon LXVIII. (Greek lxxi.)

 Canon LXIX. (Greek lxxii.)

 Canon LXX. (Greek lxxiii.)

 Canon LXXI. (Greek lxxiv.)

 Canon LXXII. (Greek lxxv.)

 Canon LXXIII. (Greek lxxvi.)

 Canon LXXIV. (Greek lxxvii.)

 Canon LXXV. (Greek lxxviii.)

 Canon LXXVI. (Greek lxxix.)

 Canon LXXVII. (Greek lxxx.)

 Canon LXXVIII. (Greek lxxxi.)

 Canon LXXIX. (Greek lxxxii.)

 Canon LXXX. (Greek lxxxiii.)

 Canon LXXXI. (Greek lxxxiv.)

 Canon LXXXII. (Greek lxxxv.)

 Canon LXXXIII. (Greek lxxxvi.)

 Canon LXXXIV. (Greek lxxxvii.)

 Canon LXXXV. (Greek lxxxviii.)

 Canon LXXXVI. (Greek lxxxix.)

 Canon LXXXVII. (Greek xc.)

 Canon LXXXVIII. (Greek xci.)

 Canon LXXXIX. (Greek xcii.)

 Canon XC. (Greek xciii.)

 Canon XCI. (Greek xciv.)

 Canon XCII. (Greek xcv.)

 Canon XCIII. (Greek xcvi.)

 Canon XCIV. (Greek xcvii.)

 Canon XCV. (Greek xcviii.)

 Canon XCVI. (Greek xcix.)

 Canon XCVII. (Greek c.)

 Canon XCVIII. (Greek cii.)

 Canon XCIX. (Greek ciii.)

 Canon C. (Greek civ.)

 Of making peace between the Churches of Rome and Alexandria.

 Canon CII. (Greek cv.)

 Canon CIII. (Greek cvi.)

 Canon CIV. (Greek cvii.)

 Canon CV. (Greek cviii.)

 Canon CVI. (Greek cix.)

 Canon CVII. (Greek cx. continued.)

 Canon CVIII. (Greek cxii.)

 Canon CIX. (Greek cxij. continued.)

 That infants are baptized for the remission of sins.

 Canon CXI. (Greek cxiij.)

 Canon CXII. (Greek cxiij. continued.)

 Canon CXIII. (Greek cxiiii.)

 Canon CXIV. (Greek cxv.)

 Canon CXV. (Greek cxvi.)

 Canon CXVI. (Greek cxvii.)

 Canon CXVII. (Greek cxviii.)

 Canon CXVIII. (Greek cxix.)

 Canon CXIX. (Greek cxx.)

 Canon CXX. (Greek cxxi.)

 Canon CXXI. (Greek cxxii.)

 Canon CXXII. (Greek cxxiii.)

 Canon CXXIII. (Greek cxxiv.)

 Canon CXXIV. (Greek cxxv.)

 Canon CXXV. (Greek cxxvi.)

 Canon CXXVI. (Greek cxxvii.)

 Canon CXXVII. (Greek cxxviii.)

 Canon CXXVIII. (Greek cxxix.)

 Canon CXXIX. (Greek cxxx.)

 Canon CXXX. (Greek cxxxi.)

 Canon CXXXI. (Greek CXXXII.)

 Canon CXXXII. (Greek cxxxiii.)

 Canon CXXXIII. (Greek cxxxiv.)

 Canon CXXXIV. (Continuation of cxxxv. in the Greek.)

 Canon CXXXV. (Not numbered in the Greek.)

 Canon CXXXVI. (Not numbered in the Greek but with a new heading.)

 Canon CXXXVII. (Continuation of the last in the Greek.)

 Canon CXXXVIII. (Not numbered in the Greek.)

Canon XLIX. (Greek liii.)

How many bishops there should be to ordain a bishop.

Honoratus and Urban, the bishops, said: We have issued this command, that (because lately two of our brethren, bishops of Numidia, presumed to ordain a pontiff,) only by the concurrence of twelve bishops the ordination of bishops be celebrated. Aurelius, the bishop, said: The ancient form shall be preserved, that not less than three suffice who shall have been designated for ordaining the bishop. Moreover, because in Tripoli, and in Arzug the barbarians are so near, for it is asserted that in Tripoli there are but five bishops, and out of that number two may be occupied by some necessity; but it is difficult that all of the number should come together at any place whatever; ought this circumstance to be an impediment to the doing of what is of utility to the Church? For in this Church, to which your holiness has deigned to assemble35 Notice the African use of the phrase, convenire ad. we frequently have ordinations and nearly every Lord’s day; could I frequently summon twelve, or ten, or about that number of bishops? But it is an easy thing for me to join a couple of neighbours to my littleness. Wherefore your charity will agree with me that this cannot be observed.

Notes.

Ancient Epitome of Canon XLIX.

Fewer than three bishops do not suffice for the ordination of a bishop.

This is Canon ij., of the Synod of Carthage, August 28th, 397.

Johnson.

See Can. 13.

The occasion of this canon was a complaint that two bishops in Numidia had presumed to ordain a third; upon which it was proposed that not less than twelve should perform this office: But Aurelius, Bishop of Carthage, desires that the old form might be observed, and three bishops be sufficient; especially, because in Tripoli, where there were but five bishops in all, it would be hard to get more than three together. And he adds, that though it were no hard matter for him to get two bishops to assist him in his ordinations at Carthage, yet it would not be practicable for him to get twelve: “For,” says he, “we have frequently, and almost every Sunday, men to be ordained.” He must mean bishops for otherwise it had been nothing to his purpose, because he could ordain priests or deacons by himself, without the assistance of other bishops: and yet it is very strange, that ordinations of bishops should be so frequent as to bear that expression of “almost every Sunday.” There were indeed above one hundred bishoprics in his Province; but these could not occasion above six or eight ordinations in a year; but it is probable that the privilege belonging to him, Can. 55, brought very many ordinations to the church of Carthage; for it is evident, there was a great scarcity of men fit for the Episcopal office in Africa. It is further evident from this canon, that bishops were not ordained in the church of their own see, but in that of the Primate. See Can. Ant., 19.