CANONS 1 - 6 OF THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS (431)

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("Creeds and Councils" Section)

The Greek text below follows that in W. Bright, Canons of the first four General Councils, 2nd edn, pp. XXVII - XXVIII.

The Latin text is that found in Dionysius Exiguus (Migne, Patrologia Latina vol. 67, Col. 82).

An English translation of this text, placed alongside the Greek and Latin text, can be found on the subscription version of the site.

 

(Click on Latin and Greek words to link to the Perseus Morphology. If there are problems with the Perseus website click here for a version of the page with a locally based morphology* and lexicon.)


                                       
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Canon 1          

Εἴτις μητροπολίτης τῆς ἐπαρχίας, ἀποστατήσας τῆς ἁγίας καὶ οἰκουμενικῆς συνόδου, προσέθετο τῷ τῆς ἀποστασίας συνεδρίῳ, μετὰ τοῦτο προστεθείη, τὰ Κελεστίου ἐφρόνησεν φρονήσει, οὗτος κατὰ τῶν τῆς ἐπαρχίας ἐπισκόπων διαπράττεσθαί τι οὐδαμῶς δύναται, πάσης ἐκκλησιαστικῆς κοινωνίας ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη ὑπὸ τῆς συνόδου ἐκβεβλημένος, καὶ ἀνενέργητος ὑπάρχων· ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς τῆς ἐπαρχίας ἐπισκόποις καὶ τοῖς πέριξ μητροπολίταις τοῖς τὰ τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας φρονοῦσιν ὑποκείσεται, εἰς τὸ πάντη καὶ τοῦ βαθμοῦ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐκβληθῆναι.

An English translation is here on the subscription version of the site.

Si quis metropolitanus provinciae a sancta et oecumenica synodo desciscens, defectionis consessui adhaesit, vel postea adhaeserit, vel cum Celestio sensit aut senserit: is adversus provinciae praesides et episcopos nihil omnino agere potest, omni ecclesiastica communione abhinc jam a synodo seclusus, et ad nullum exercendum munus officiumque idoneus existens. Sed et ipsis provinciae episcopis, et finitimis metropolitanis orthodoxam fidem profitentibus, omnino subjicietur, et de episcopatus gradu dejicietur.

                                                  

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Canon 2       

Εἰ δέ τινες ἐπαρχιῶται ἐπίσκοποι ἀπελείφθησαν τῆς ἁγίας συνόδου, καὶ τῇ ἀποστασίᾳ προσετέθησαν, προστεθῆναι πειραθεῖεν, καὶ ὑπογράψαντες τῇ Νεστορίου καθαιρέσει ἐπαλινδρόμησαν πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀποστασίας συνέδριον, τούτους πάντη κατὰ τὸ δόξαν τῇ ἁγίᾳ συνόδῳ ἀλλοτρίους εἶναι τῆς ἱερωσύνης, καὶ τοῦ βαθμοῦ ἐκπίπτειν.

 

Si qui provinciales episcopi sanctae synodo non interfuerunt, et defectionis consessui adhaeserunt vel adhaerere studuerunt, vel postquam Nestorii depositioni subscripserunt, ad defectionis consessum relapsi sunt, ii omnino, ut visum est sanctae synodo, sint a sacerdotio alieni, et gradu excidant.

 

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Canon 3           

Εἰ δὲ τινὲς καὶ τῶν ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει χώρᾳ κληρικῶν ὑπὸ Νεστορίου καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ ὄντων τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐκωλύθησαν διὰ τὸ ὀρθῶς φρονεῖν, ἐδικαιώσαμεν καὶ τούτους τὸν ἴδιον ἀπολαβεῖν βαθμόν· κοινῶς δὲ τοὺς τῇ ὀρθοδόξῳ καὶ οἰκουμενικῇ συνόδῳ συμφρονοῦντας κληρικοὺς κελεύομεν τοῖς ἀποστατήσασιν ἀφισταμένοις ἐπισκόποις μηδόλως ὑποκεῖσθαι κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον.

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Si qui autem clerici in quacunque civitate vel regione sub Nestorio et iis qui sunt cum eo, sacerdotio depulsi sunt eo quod recte sentiant, aequum censuimus, ut ii quoque suum gradum recipiant. Communiter autem omnibus, qui cum orthodoxa et universali synodo consentiunt clericis, jubemus, iis qui defecerunt vel deficiunt episcopis nullo modo subjici.

 

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Canon 4        

Εἰ δὲ τινὲς ἀποστατήσαιεν τῶν κληρικῶν, καὶ τολμήσαιεν κατ' ἰδίαν δημοσίᾳ τὰ Νεστορίου τὰ Κελεστίου φρονῆσαι, καὶ τούτους εἶναι καθῃρημένους ὑπὸ τῆς ἁγίας συνόδου δεδικαίωται.

 

Si qui autem clerici desciverunt, et ausi sunt vel privatim, vel publice cum Nestorio vel Celestio sentire, eos quoque a sacra synodo depositos esse aequum visum est.

 

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Canon 5         

Ὅσοι δὲ ἐπὶ ἀτόποις πράξεσιν κατεκρίθησαν ὑπὸ τῆς ἁγίας συνόδου ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπισκόπων, καὶ τούτοις ἀκανονίστως κατὰ τὴν ἐν ἅπασιν αὐτοῦ ἀδιαφορίαν Νεστόριος, καὶ οἱ τὰ αὐτοῦ φρονοῦντες, ἀποδοῦναι ἐπειράθησαν πειραθεῖεν κοινωνίαν βαθμόν, ἀνωφελήτους μένειν καὶ τούτους, καὶ εἶναι οὐδὲν ἧττον καθῃρημένους ἐδικαιώσαμεν.

 

Quicunque autem propter improba facta, a sancta synodo vel a propriis episcopis condemnati sunt, et eos non canonice Nestorius, prout omnia indifferenter agit, et qui idem cum eo sentiunt, communioni vel gradui restituerint, aut restituere tentaverint: hujuscemodi ex tali restitutione nihil profecisse, sed depositos, nihilo secius permanere aequum judicavimus.

 

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Canon 6      

Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ εἴτινες βουληθεῖεν τὰ περὶ ἑκάστων πεπραγμένα ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ συνόδῳ τῇ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ οἱῳδήποτε τρόπῳ παρασαλεύειν, ἁγία σύνοδος ὥρισεν, εἰ μὲν ἐπίσκοποι εἶεν κληρικοὶ, τοῦ οἰκείου παντελῶς ἀποπίπτειν βαθμοῦ· εἰ δὲ λαϊκοί, ἀκοινωνήτους ὑπάρχειν.

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Similiter autem, si qui voluerint quae de quacunque re in sancta synodo Ephesina acta sunt, quovis modo labefactare, sancta synodus decrevit, si quidem sint episcopi aut clerici, a suo gradu omnino excidere; si autem laici, excommunicari.

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