Epistula canonica ad Domnum OF THE HOLY CYRIL, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA Cyril to Domnus A Concerning a bishop who has been deposed and ceases from sacred ministry.

ceases.

Each of our affairs, when they are conducted according to the straight path of canonical order, brings forth no disturbance for us, but delivers us also from the ill-repute of some, and rather even procures for us praises from those who are well-disposed. For who would not accept an impartial vote, which 277 might be cast concerning some matters, or how will judging rightly and lawfully not be irreproachable, but rather full of all praise? And I write these things now, since your God-reverence in your own letters, which were sent both to me and to our most holy and God-beloved brother and fellow bishop Proclus, names the most devout and God-reverent Peter as a bishop, while he himself is weeping and saying that he has been unreasonably removed from the church assigned to him.

It would have been consistent, either for him to have the name of the priesthood along with the office, or at least, if he was worthy of not presiding over the divine altar, not even to be honored with the title of the episcopate. But perhaps the word from me might seem to your God-reverence to be harsh and unfriendly, but in truth it is not so; for perhaps we think we are showing mercy to the old man, by leaving him the title alone; but it was 278 far better to consider the other side as well; for he asserts that he is able to stand by his own reputation, but that he did not receive an opportunity for defense, nor was a canonical hearing granted to him. If such a thing had happened, the very composition of the records would have convicted him, either showing him to be guilty of the charges and having nothing left to say about being wronged, or at least, having declared him free, would have again given him charge of the church which had been under his hand. But since nothing of the sort was done, he cries out against the affair; he says he has suffered an intolerable injustice, and has been lawlessly cast out, adding that all his personal property was also seized.

Therefore let your Holiness, considering both what is pleasing to the divine canons and what is fitting for the church and for those ordained to sacred liturgy, and in addition to these things, being moved by our letters, stop 279 the old man’s tear. And if he should choose to go to law against those who bring the accusations against him, let him be judged according to custom before your God-reverence, with the most God-reverent bishops under your hand clearly being present, unless he should reject some as suspect; for we believe that none of the most God-reverent bishops thinks hostilely toward a brother, but lest this become a pretext, invalidating the coming judgment upon him, so that it may not seem to have been made unjustly, it is no trouble for some of those under suspicion to be absent from the council.

B Concerning the bishop having authority over all ecclesiastical matters. But it is just for the property unjustly taken from him to be restored in two

ways. First, that such a thing should not have happened at all, and that it greatly grieves and brings to extreme despondency the most God-reverent bishops everywhere 280 on earth, to be asked for accounts of the management of the expenses that fall to them, whether from ecclesiastical revenues, or even from the produce of certain persons; for each of us in his own time will give an account to the Judge of all; for treasures and immovable possessions unalienably to the

Epistula canonica ad Domnum ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΑΛΕΞΑΝ∆ΡΕΙΑΣ Κύριλλος ∆όμνῳ Α Περὶ τοῦ ἐπίσκοπον καθαιρεθέντα καὶ τοῦ ἱερουργεῖν

παύεσθαι.

Ἕκαστα τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς πραγμάτων, ὅταν εὐθὺ φέρωνται κανονικῆς εὐταξίας, οὐδένα μὲν ἡμῖν ἐντίκτει θόρυβον, ἀπαλάττει δὲ καὶ τῆς παρά τινων δυσφημίας, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν εὖ φρονούντων εὐφημίας ἡμῖν προξενεῖ. Τίς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἀποδέξαιτο ψῆφον ἀπροσκλινῆ, ἥ 277 περ ἂν γένοιτο περί τινων, ἢ πῶς τὸ κρίνειν ὀρθῶς καὶ ἐννόμως οὐκ ἀνεπίπληκτον ἔσται, μᾶλλον δὲ παντὸς ἐπαίνου μεστόν; Καὶ ταῦτα γράφω νυνί, τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας ἐν τοῖς ἑαυτῆς γράμμασι, τοῖς σταλεῖσι πρὸς ἐμέ τε καὶ τὸν ὁσιώτατόν τε καὶ θεοφιλέστατον ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν καὶ συνεπίσκοπον Πρόκλον, ἐπίσκοπον μὲν ὀνομαζούσης τὸν εὐλαβέστατον καὶ θεοσεβέστατον Πέτρον, αὐτοῦ δὲ κλαίοντος καὶ τῆς ἐκνεμηθείσης ἐκκλησίας αὐτῷ παραλόγως κεκινῆσθαι λέγοντος.

Ἦν δ' ἀκόλουθον, ἢ τὸ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ὄνομα μετὰ τοῦ πράγματος ἔχειν αὐτόν, ἢ γοῦν, εἴπερ ἦν ἄξιος τοῦ μὴ προεστάναι θείου θυσιαστηρίου, μηδ' αὐτῇ τιμᾶσθαι τῇ κλήσει τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς. Ἀλλ' ἴσως δόξειεν ἂν τῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ σκληρὸς εἶναί τις καὶ ἀφιλάλληλος ὁ παρ' ἐμοῦ λόγος, ἔχει δὲ οὐχ οὕτω κατὰ τὸ ἀληθές· ἐλεῆσαι γὰρ τάχα που νομίζομεν τὸν πρεσβύτην, μόνην αὐτῷ τὴν κλῆσιν ἀφέντες· μακρῷ δὲ 278 ἦν ἄμεινον ἐννοῆσαι καὶ τὸ ἕτερον· φάσκει γὰρ δύνασθαι μὲν συστῆναι τῇ οἰκείᾳ ὑπολήψει, οὐ λαβεῖν δὲ καιρὸν ἀπολογίας, οὔτε μὴν ἀκρόασιν αὐτῷ προστεθῆναι κανονικήν. Εἰ δ' ἐγεγόνει τι τοιοῦτον, αὐτὴ τῶν ὑπομνημάτων ἡ σύστασις διήλεγξεν ἂν αὐτόν, ἢ ἁλόντα τοῖς αἰτιάμασιν ἔνοχον ἀποπεφασμένον καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχοντα λοιπὸν εἰπεῖν ὡς ἠδικημένον, ἢ γοῦν ἐλεύθερον ἀποφήνασα πάλιν ἐδίδου τὸ προεστάναι τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἣ καὶ ὑπὸ χεῖρα γέγονε τὴν αὐτοῦ. Οὐδενὸς δὲ πεπραγμένου τοιούτου, καταβοᾷ τοῦ πράγματος· ἀδικίαν ἀφόρητον ὑποστῆναί φησι, καὶ ἀθέσμως ἐκβεβλῆσθαι, προσεπάγων ὅτι καὶ ἡρπάσθη πάντα τὰ προσήκοντα αὐτῷ χρήματα.

Ἡ σὴ τοιγαροῦν ὁσιότης ἐννοοῦσα καὶ τὸ τοῖς θείοις κανόσι δοκοῦν καὶ τὸ πρέπον ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τεταγμένοις εἰς ἱερὰν λειτουργίαν, ἔτι τε πρὸς τούτοις καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν δυσωπηθεῖσα γράμματα, στη 279 σάτω τοῦ πρεσβύτου τὸ δάκρυον. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἕλοιτο δικάσασθαι πρὸς τοὺς ἐπάγοντας αὐτῷ τὰς αἰτίας, δικαζέσθω κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ἐπὶ τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας, συμπαρόντων δηλονότι τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν αὐτῆς χεῖρα θεοσεβεστάτων ἐπισκόπων, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ παραιτοῖτό τινας ὡς ὑπόπτους· οὐδένα μὲν γὰρ τῶν θεοσεβεστάτων ἐπισκόπων ἐχθρὰ φρονεῖν ἀδελφῷ πιστεύομεν, ἵνα δὲ μὴ πρόφασις αὕτη γένηται, τὴν ἐσομένην ἐπ' αὐτῷ κρίσιν παραλύουσα, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐν δίκῃ πεποιῆσθαι δοκεῖν, οὐδὲν ἐστὶ τὸ λυποῦν ἀπεῖναι τοῦ συνεδρίου τῶν ἐν ὑποψίᾳ τινάς.

Β Περὶ τοῦ πάντων τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν ἔχειν τὴν ἐξουσίαν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον. Τὰ δὲ ἀδίκως ληφθέντα παρ' αὐτοῦ χρήματα ἀναδοθῆναι δίκαιον κατὰ δύο

τρόπους. Πρῶτον μέν, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐχρῆν ὅλως γενέσθαι τι τοιοῦτον, καὶ ὅτι λυπεῖ σφόδρα καὶ εἰς ἐσχάτην ἀκηδίαν καταφέρει τοὺς ἁπαν 280 ταχόσε γῆς ὄντας θεοσεβεστάτους ἐπισκόπους, τὸ ἀπαιτεῖσθαι λόγους τῆς οἰκονομίας τῶν παραπιπτόντων αὐτοῖς ἀναλωμάτων, εἴτε ἐκ προσόδων ἐκκλησιαστικῶν, εἴτε οὖν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τινων καρποφορίας· ἕκαστος γὰρ ἡμῶν τῶν ἰδίων καιρῶν δώσει λόγον τῷ πάντων κριτῇ· κειμήλια μὲν γὰρ καὶ κτήσεις ἀκινήτους ἀνεκποιήτως ταῖς