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HOLY CANONS
OF THE APOSTOLIC ORTHODOX CHURCH
Chapter I. GENERAL STANDARDS
Canon 1. These canons are based on the canons of the Holy Fathers, adopted by the Ecumenical and Local Councils, and are related to the Catholic Apostolic Council and only to it. These canons define the basic principles that help faithful members of the Catholic Apostolic Church unite their personal freedom with the freedom of others for common prayer and church life in communities that are part of the one Body of Christ, indicate ways to realize diversity and freedom based on community in worship, doctrine, church device. Members of the Catholic Apostolic Church should not judge the life of other Christian communities from the point of view of these canons.
- We hereby clarify that we recognize the canons adopted at the seven Ecumenical Councils and Local Councils regarding the structure of spiritual life.
- Realizing the destructiveness of the “vertical” of church power in modern conditions, and guided by Holy Tradition, we are reviving the institution of conciliarity in resolving the most important church issues, and also affirm the need for the election of candidates for ordination by communities.
- Let us recognize that salvation is accomplished by the Lord, and not by ecclesiastical jurisdictions. Because of this, we recognize all church associations that have preserved apostolic succession, as well as believers in the Holy Trinity.
Canon 2. The Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church unites people who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world and in the One God - the Holy Trinity, in accordance with the Holy Scriptures and Tradition received from the holy Apostles. The Collegiate Orthodox Apostolic Church is ready, together with other Christians and with all people of good will, to preach the Gospel of the Resurrection of Christ, to pray, to work, to protect the life, freedom and rights of every person.
Canon 3. The Catholic Apostolic Church confesses that the true unity of the Church is not in organizational structures, but in the spirit of brotherly love, unity in faith, in the confession of doctrinal truths and principles of spiritual life. The Church of Christ has a universal character, but it exists in the form of Local Churches as a confederation of independent communities.
Canon 4. Bishops, priests, monastics and laity of the Catholic Apostolic Church, in fulfillment of the call of the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ: “Whoever wants to be great among you, let us be your servant” (Matthew 20:26) recognize the need to build the organization of church life on respect for the aspirations and will of believing Orthodox Christians, while retaining the responsibility of bishops and priests to protect and teach the truths of the faith, to organize liturgical life together with the flock, to conduct works of mercy and service to others.
Canon 5. The Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church calls upon people who believe in Christ not to deny the need for joint worship and community life, but to sacrifice their independence and unite their individual freedom with the freedom of other believers in unity with those who serve in the service of preserving and developing the traditions of common life.
Canon 6. In fulfillment of the apostolic call: “There must also be differences of opinion among you, so that those who are skillful may be revealed among you” (1 Cor. 11:19) The Catholic Apostolic Church allows and encourages diversity in the liturgical structure and principles of organizing community life while maintaining doctrinal unity and spirit of brotherly love, calls for the development of the spirit of ecumenical fellowship among fellow believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Canon 7. The Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church recognizes that the books of Holy Scripture (the Bible) include not only books recognized as canonical by all Christian confessions, but also the so-called “deuterocanonical” books, and calls for reverence both for the content of Holy Scripture and and to the books of the Bible themselves.
Canon 8. The Catholic Apostolic Church professes the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed and the Apostolic Creed.
Canon 9. In case of contradictions between various canons, between the canons and the Word of God, between Tradition and the proclamation of the Gospel in modern conditions, the Council of the Orthodox Apostolic Church considers it necessary and permissible, with reasonable caution, to make changes to the canons and develop Tradition in strict accordance with the spirit and letter Divine Revelation.
Canon 10. This Collection of Canons can be revised, supplemented or changed only by the Council of the Catholic Apostolic Church
Chapter II. FAITHFUL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH, THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Canon 11. Faithful members of the Church are all those who, united to Christ through faith and baptism, constitute the People of God, thanks to which they become participants in the priestly, prophetic and royal ministry of Christ and are called - according to the position of each of them - to the implementation of that mission, which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world.
Canon 12. Members of the Catholic Apostolic Church are those baptized Christians who share its confession of faith and take part in its liturgical life and church government.
Canon 13. Faithful members of the Church are divided according to their ministries into laity (including monastics), clergy and clergy (bishops, priests, deacons). The characteristics of the ministries make them different, but equal members of the Body of Christ.
Canon 14. In a special way, the catechumens are connected with the Church, that is, those who, being moved by the Holy Spirit, openly declare their desire to enter its composition. The Church shows special care for the catechumens: calling them to lead an evangelical life, it introduces them to participation in the Divine Liturgy, in sacred rites and in the church order, forgives sins against the faith committed before the catechumen, and gradually endows them with various prerogatives that belong to Christians themselves.
Canon 15. Faithful members of the Church must, based on the word of God and in unity with the living teaching of the Church, unswervingly preserve and openly confess the faith which their predecessors treasured and passed on to future generations as the greatest treasure, and also grow in its understanding and embody it in deeds love.
Canon 16. Clergy, as faithful members of the Church, cannot have any privileges that lessen their responsibility in living a worthy Christian life, but have the duty to be an example for everyone in full and strict observance of the divine commandments.
Canon 17. Faithful members of the Church are obliged to always maintain communion with the Church, acting in accordance with their position and capabilities. Let them fulfill with great diligence their duties in relation to the Catholic Apostolic Church (and, consequently, to the Universal Church), through the community and diocese to which they belong.
Canon 18. All faithful members of the Church, according to their position and capabilities, must make efforts to contribute to the constant growth and sanctification of the Church, strive for holiness of life, without falling into the pride of self-satisfaction and always remembering that this is only possible with the assistance of God's grace. They must with particular care avoid everything that is considered shameful and nasty where they are, unless such zeal comes into conflict with the preaching and works of salvation, purification and growth in the grace of God.
Canon 19. All faithful members of the Church not only have the right, but the obligation to help ensure that the Divine message of salvation and spiritual growth reaches more and more people throughout the world.
Canon 20. Faithful members of the Church must ensure that by participating in non-Christian customs they do not sin against the Gospel of Christ, for example, not turning to those who, in prayer, even during treatment, turn to false deities or non-existent spiritual forces.
Canon 21. Those of the faithful members of the Church who are not ordained for special church ministries (the laity) are called to obedience to the shepherds of the Church in matters of faith, Christian morality and matters of church government.
Canon 22. The laity are encouraged to freely reveal to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones, and also to express their wishes to them. To the extent of their knowledge, competence and authority, they have the right, and sometimes even a direct duty, to express to the pastors of the Church their opinion on what relates to the good of the Church, and, while maintaining the integrity of faith and morals and respect for the pastors, and also taking into account the general benefit, inform other faithful members of the Church about this.
Canon 23. All faithful members of the Church have the right to receive from their pastors the spiritual benefits of the Church, especially the gifts of the word of God and the sacraments of the Church.
Canon 24. Faithful members of the Church have the right to worship God according to the dictates of the customs and norms of their community and to follow their personal way of spiritual life, consistent with the general doctrine of the Church.
Canon 25. All faithful members of the Church are called to observe fasts on Wednesday, Friday and on the fasts before holidays established by the Church and (or) accepted in a particular diocese and community, and if they do not fast, they should not deny the very necessity of fasting.
Canon 26. Faithful members of the Church have every right to found communities and direct their activities towards the ends of love or piety or the promotion of the Christian vocation in the world, and to organize assemblies for the better attainment of these ends.
Canon 27. All faithful members of the Church, as participants in the mission of the Church, have the right, in accordance with the capabilities and position of each of them, to promote or support the apostolic activity by their undertakings; however, responsibility for these undertakings should not be placed on the entire Church unless there is the approval and consent of the relevant church authority.
Canon 28. Each faithful member of the Church independently determines his political convictions and behavior, but is called upon in any case to oppose evil - good, violence and aggression - with peacemaking and self-sacrifice.
Canon 29. All faithful members of the Church have the right and must, whenever possible, do works of mercy and charity, trying to console the suffering, feed the hungry, help prisoners and the sick.
Canon 30. Faithful members of the Church are called monastics who, after a trial (usually three years), take a vow of obedience to a bishop or an abbot appointed by a bishop, a vow of celibacy and a vow of apostolic poverty.
Canon 31. As a rule, monastic vows are eternal, but at the request of the person being tonsured and with the consent of the local bishop, temporary vows can be made for a period of one year, with the possibility of subsequent renewal.
Canon 32. Let the monastics be subordinate to the bishop, let them adhere only to fasting and prayer, and let them not interfere in either church or everyday affairs, unless, if necessary, this is allowed by their bishop or abbot.
Canon 33. Monastic vows can only be taken by people who are considered of age under the laws of their country. The rite of tonsure should be performed modestly, without pomp, as if the person being tonsured was already a monk.
Canon 34. No personal sins serve as an obstacle to taking monastic vows, because a monk devotes himself precisely to repentance of sins.
Canon 35. Hermits who take monastic vows, but do not live in a monastic hostel, must be in obedience to the bishop or to whomever the bishop entrusts this, avoiding external honor and glory, and when living in populated areas, not showing it in clothing and appearance his title, leaving it known only to his spiritual leader.
Canon 36. In exceptional cases, the Synod of Bishops or the Council of the Catholic Apostolic Church may grant a believer release from monastic vows.
Chapter III. CLERGY
Canon 37. The clergy, whose members are also called clergy, are faithful members of the Church who, through the gift of the Holy Spirit received at initiation, are destined to be ministers of the Church, participating in the mission and authority of Christ the Shepherd.
Canon 38. Clergy, united with each other by hierarchical communion and placed on different hierarchical degrees, participate in different ways in the single church service.
Canon 39. According to degrees of ordination, clergy are divided into bishops, presbyters and deacons.Canon
40. Priests may exercise the power entrusted to them upon ordination only in strict accordance with the prescriptions of church canons.
Chapter IV. ABOUT THE SUPREME AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH
Canon 41. Just as, according to the establishment of the Lord, the Apostles constituted a single Council, so all the bishops, the successors of the Apostles, are related to each other.
Canon 42. The highest authority in relation to the entire Church of Christ is the Ecumenical Council, which is convened by common consent of the Primates of the traditional Local Churches (among which the first in honor is the Pope), with the right of participation of all self-governing church associations that have arisen since the time of the last, Seventh Ecumenical Cathedral.
Canon 43. Until the establishment of the explicit and free consent of the various Churches necessary for the convening of an Ecumenical Council, the highest authority in the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church is the Council of clergy and laity of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church.
Canon 44. A Council of the Church is convened by decision of the Holy Synod of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church, or by decision of two-thirds of the total number of bishops of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church.
Canon 45. The council is usually held annually.
Canon 46. All bishops of the Church or persons to whom they delegate their powers participate with the right of a decisive vote in the Council of the Church.
Canon 47. Priests and laity can participate in the work of the Council, can have a decisive voice in deciding issues of organizing church administration, worship, court and an advisory voice in discussing doctrinal dogmatic issues.
Canon 48. The norms of representation and voting are determined for each Council separately by the decision of a simple majority of diocesan bishops, who must first ascertain the opinion of the faithful in their dioceses.
Canon 49. Any faithful member of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church has the right to freely attend and speak at the Council, as well as make proposals on the work of the Council.
Canon 50. The Council of the Church determines the order of its work and makes its decisions by two-thirds of the votes of the total number of participants in the Local Council.
Canon 51. The Council of the Church is also the highest judicial body of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church, which has the right and duty to accept for consideration complaints against the decisions of individual bishops, clergy and communities, both in form and in substance of these decisions, in accordance with the procedure established real canons for litigation.
Canon 52. The Council of the Church elects a chairman, giving the latter the title “Chairman of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church” with the position of metropolitan.
Canon 53. The Synod of Bishops of the Council of the Orthodox Apostolic Church is called upon between convocations of Councils to monitor the preservation of the purity of the faith of Christ and the liturgical order, for peace in the Church, to promote the preaching of the Good News of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Canon 54. The Chairman of the Council of the Orthodox Apostolic Church exercises general leadership of the activities of the Church. He is elected for a period of one year. In its activities it is accountable to the Council and the Synod of Bishops. If there is an urgent need, the Council may elect a new Chairman.
Canon 55. The Synod of Bishops of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church is authorized to request and receive from the bishops of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church information about their activities and about the life of the dioceses entrusted to them.
Canon 56. The Synod of Bishops of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church between Councils is the highest court of appeal in litigation between members of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church.Canon
57. The Synod of Bishops of the Cathedral Orthodox Apostolic Church preserves the Charter of the Cathedral Orthodox Apostolic Church and written oaths in which the bishops of the Cathedral Orthodox Apostolic Church testify to their fidelity to its Charter and canons.
Canon 58. The Synod of Bishops and only it represents the Catholic Apostolic Church in its entirety in the period between Councils before state authorities, public organizations and other Christian Churches and church associations.
Canon 59. Decisions of the Synod of Bishops of the Council of the Orthodox Apostolic Church are adopted by two-thirds of the votes.
Canon 60. Decisions of the Synod of Bishops may not be accepted by bishops or associations of bishops (autonomous Churches) insofar as they concern these bishops or their associations. All cases of non-recognition of decisions of the Synod of Bishops by bishops are subject to consideration at the Council of the Church, which alone is authorized to make a decision binding on all faithful members of the Church.
Chapter V. DIOCESES AND BISHOPS
Canon 61. A diocese is a part of the people of God entrusted to the pastoral care of the bishop in collaboration with the priests, so that, adhering to its shepherd and being gathered by him in the Holy Spirit through the Gospel and the Eucharist, it constitutes a separate Church in which the one holy universal truly dwells and operates and the Apostolic Church of Christ.
Canon 62. The part of the people of God constituting a diocese, or autonomous Church, is, as a rule, limited to a certain territory, embracing all the faithful members of the Church living in that territory.
Canon 63. At the same time, the formation of extraterritorial dioceses is possible, uniting under the authority of the diocesan bishop communities, clergy, clergy and monastics located in various places - including where communities of another diocese already exist.
Canon 64. Each diocese should be divided into special parts - communities (parishes), monastic communities, missions, Eucharistic groups and other communities of the faithful.
Canon 65. A diocese consists of one or more communities.
Canon 66. Bishops, who by Divine institution succeed the Apostles through the gift of the Holy Spirit, are appointed shepherds in the Church to be teachers in the doctrine, leaders of worship and ministers of government. These ministries must be carried out in the spirit of the words of the Lord: “Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave,” and they can be carried out by bishops only in hierarchical communion with fellow bishops.Canon
67. Bishops who have charge of a diocese are called diocesan. Bishops who do not have dioceses are called titular. Bishops who have retired or been removed from the administration of a diocese are called retired bishops.
Canon 68. The bishop disposes of the property of the diocese. If possible, the bishop should be assisted by an economist in managing property, so that church housebuilding is not carried out without witnesses, so that its property is not wasted, and so that suspicions and complaints do not fall on the priesthood in this regard. The personal property of a bishop must be clearly separated from the property of the diocese, which he administers. It is not subject to the jurisdiction of the Church, but must be respected and, if necessary, preserved for the heirs.
Canon 69. A bishop should not shirk his post, leave his diocese and move to another, even if many people ask him to do so, unless there is some good reason for this, and the transfer should be carried out only with the consent of the Holy Synod.
Canon 70. If prompted by the pastoral needs of the diocese, the diocesan bishop may ask the Synod of Bishops to appoint an auxiliary bishop for him.
Canon 71. A bishop has the right to accept into his diocese as an auxiliary bishop an already installed bishop from among the titular or retired.
Canon 72. When installing an auxiliary bishop or appointing one from among already installed bishops, a special charter must determine the scope of the powers of the auxiliary bishop. The scope of the auxiliary bishop's powers may be changed at the will of the diocesan bishop.
Canon 73. In the event of the death or retirement of a diocesan bishop, the auxiliary bishop also retires, retaining the right to head any diocese or become an auxiliary bishop in another diocese.
Canon 74. All bishops are equal in honor. The titles "archbishop" and "metropolitan", which a bishop may be given by decision of the Holy Synod, do not entail any advantages, rights or privileges.
Canon 75. A bishop has no right to interfere in the internal life of dioceses or communities under the jurisdiction of another bishop, except at the request or with the permission of the latter.
Canon 76. In exercising the ministry of shepherd, let the diocesan bishop show his care for all the faithful of Christ entrusted to his care, regardless of their age, status and nationality - both those permanently residing in his territory and those temporarily staying there - spreading apostolic care and on those who, due to the conditions of their lives, cannot sufficiently benefit from ordinary pastoral care, as well as on those who have fallen away from religious life.
Canon 77. The bishop must treat brothers who are not in full communion with the Catholic Apostolic Church with goodwill and Christian love, encouraging ecumenism, that is, the desire for the unity of all believers in Christ; however, one should avoid any distortion of the doctrine and take care of the development of Orthodox missionary work.
Canon 78. Let the bishop consider those who have not been baptized to be entrusted to him in the Lord, so that the love of Christ may shine upon them too, of which the bishop must be a witness before the face of all.
Canon 79. The diocesan bishop has the right to accept or refuse to accept under his care a community of faithful members of the Church of another diocese if the community requests him for such a transfer. In making the appropriate decision, bishops must be guided by brotherly love for each other and respect for the freedom of all faithful members of the Church, both priests and laity.
Canon 80. The transfer of a priest from one diocese to another must be carried out with the agreement of the bishops of these dioceses with the provision of a personal file and recommendation to the receiving bishop.
Canon 81. The diocesan bishop should treat presbyters (priests) with special care, listening to them as assistants and advisers, protecting their rights and ensuring that they properly discharge the duties inherent in their office.
Canon 82. The diocesan bishop should highly encourage vocations to various ministries, taking special care of priestly and missionary vocations.
Canon 83. The bishop is obliged to expound and explain to the faithful the truths of faith, which must be confessed and applied in matters of morality. He should also take care that the Christian doctrine is transmitted in a holistic and undistorted form. Let him firmly defend the unity of faith, recognizing, however, the need for freedom in the creative comprehension and disclosure of church truth.
Canon 84. Mindful of his duty to set an example of love, humility and simplicity of life, let the bishop strive with all his might to promote the holiness of all the faithful in accordance with the vocation proper to each of them. As the first steward of the mysteries of God, let him constantly make efforts to ensure that those who believe in Christ, entrusted to his care, through comprehension of the Word of God and participation in the sacraments, constantly grow in grace, learn the Paschal mystery and live by it.
Canon 85. The task of a bishop is to rule his diocese through the legislative, executive and judicial powers entrusted to him, according to the norms of canon law.
Canon 86. Since the bishop must protect the unity of the entire Church, he is entrusted with the duty of compelling the faithful members of the Church in the communities of his diocese to observe all general Church laws.
Canon 87. The bishop must ensure that abuse does not creep into church life, especially as regards the ministry of the word, the administration of the sacraments and rites, the veneration of God and the saints, and the administration of property.
Canon 88. The bishop represents his diocese and only it in all legal matters, in relations with state authorities, public organizations, other dioceses, Churches and Christian associations.
Canon 89. Three (in exceptional cases - two) or more bishops with the clergy and communities entrusted to their care have the right to unite into an autonomous Church - that is, an association that is part of the Catholic Apostolic Church and is subordinate to its Council, but independent in matters internal self-government. The autonomous Church establishes its own Charter and creates a special governing body that helps bishops in the performance of their archpastoral duty. At the Council of the Church, such an autonomous Church has only those rights that the bishops and communities that compose it have.
Canon 90. Bishops who have formed an autonomous Church or have entered an existing autonomous Church, independently determine the structure and powers of its governing bodies.
Canon 91. A community or parish is a certain assembly of believers in Christ, permanently established, the pastoral care of which is entrusted under the leadership of the diocesan Bishop parish priest.
Canon 92. A community may be established, dissolved or reformed by a group of faithful members of the Church with the approval of the bishop. Community members must be registered in the parish register. Entry into the parish register or exclusion from membership of the community is carried out by decision of the general meeting of the community or may be attributed by decision of the general meeting to the powers of the rector of the community.
Canon 93. The general meeting of the community meets regularly, but at least once a year. A meeting is valid if at least half of the community members are present at its opening. All decisions of the meeting are made by a two-thirds vote of the community members present during the discussion of a particular issue.
Canon 94. The abbot of a community has the right to refuse admission to membership in the community, no matter how many votes are cast by community members for his acceptance.
Canon 95. A community, as a rule, should be dedicated to the memory of some saint or feast of the church calendar.
Canon 96. A community can be territorial, that is, it can embrace all faithful members of the Church living in a certain territory. However, where this proves useful, communities can also be established that unite faithful members of the Church on other grounds.
Canon 97. The community created by the members of the Church must independently decide which of the existing bishops of the Church it will obey.
Canon 98. The community has the right to decide on changes in the liturgical rite and to submit these decisions to its priest and bishop for advice and approval.
Canon 99. The community has the right to choose for itself a candidate for the priesthood and to ask its bishop to ordain this candidate. The community may also agree to the ordination of a candidate proposed by the bishop or accept a priest recommended by the bishop.
Canon 100. A community has the right to nominate a candidate for priesthood to serve in a given community any number of times. The community has the right to reject a priest or candidate for priesthood proposed by the bishop. A community has no right to invite a priest without the consent of its bishop. The community and the bishop are called upon to decide on the ordination of a priest in the spirit of Christian love and mutual concern.
Canon 101. A parish priest must have pastoral care of only one community. However, due to a shortage of priests or due to other circumstances, the care of several communities, missions and associations in some cases may be entrusted to the same priest.
Canon 102. The community has the right to elect a candidate for bishop and to ask the Synod of Bishops to ordain this candidate. The community may also agree to the ordination of a candidate proposed by the Synod or accept a bishop recommended by the Synod.
Canon 103. Three or more communities have the right to nominate a candidate for bishop to bear the pastoral care of these communities any number of times. Communities have the right to reject the candidacy of a bishop or a candidate for bishop proposed by the Synod of Arkhmerei. Community members and members of the Synod are called upon to decide who will serve as bishop in a spirit of Christian love and mutual concern.
Canon 104. A community has the right to transfer from the jurisdiction of one bishop to the jurisdiction of another bishop with the consent of the latter. This transition cannot be carried out more than once a year.
Canon 105. A community has the right to part with a priest serving in a given community, with the obligatory election of a candidate for the vacant position and with the obligatory notification of this to the bishop. The community is not obliged to look for a candidate for the place of the priest with whom it intends to part ways, if this is not the only priest in the given community.
Canon 106. The community has the right to receive information about all decisions of its bishop and the central bodies of the Church, independently ensuring the receipt of this information.
Canon 107. The community has the right to approve and accept for guidance and execution the decisions of the bishop, the Synod of Bishops of the Cathedral Orthodox Apostolic Church or the authorities of the autonomous Church, as well as not accept them for guidance and execution, putting forward reasonable objections to these decisions and demanding them from the church authorities revision.
Canon 108. The Bishop, the Synod of Bishops and representatives of the autonomous Church may submit decisions contested by the community to the Council of the Church.
Canon 109. The decisions of the Church Council are binding for the community. Failure to comply with these decisions entails the removal of the community from the Council of the Orthodox Apostolic Church.
Canon 110. The community has the right to send its representatives (in addition to the priest) to the Council of the Church.
Canon 111. The community has the right to contact the bishop or the central bodies of the Church with proposals for the adoption of certain decisions concerning church life. The community does not have the right to speak on behalf of the entire Catholic Apostolic Church, diocese or autonomous Church.
Chapter VII. PRIESTS, THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Canon 112. Priests are obliged, first of all, through the ministry of the word and the holy sacraments, and even with their whole lives, to proclaim the Kingdom of God to everyone and demonstrate the love of God for all people, so that everyone grows in love for God and for each other, and thereby builds up the Body of Christ, which is the Church.
Canon 113. Clergy should read and meditate on the word of God daily, so that, being faithful and attentive listeners of Christ, they may become true ministers of preaching; they must be tireless in prayer, in liturgical service and especially in devotion to the sacrament of the Eucharist. They must lead a sober lifestyle, refraining from visiting places that in one culture or another are considered dubious from a moral point of view, avoiding, if possible, giving even ill-intentioned people a reason to accuse them of violating chastity. They must examine their conscience daily and frequently begin the sacrament of repentance. They must honor the Most Holy Ever-Virgin and Mother of God Mary and ask her for the gift of imitating her Son. They must also observe other rules of piety that exist in the Church.
Canon 114. Priests must set an example of zeal in the faith, as well as a Christian’s concern for his spiritual growth, self-demandingness in matters of morality and improvement in humility and all the gospel virtues.
Canon 115. Clergy should set an example for all the faithful in respect and obedience to their diocesan bishop and all other bishops of Christ's Church.
Canon 116. Married clergy should set an exemplary example of family life and raising children to all believers.
Canon 117. Priests are called upon to celebrate the Divine Liturgy frequently, especially not missing services on Sundays and holidays.
Canon 118. All clergy are bound by fraternal bonds of love and work together to build up the body of Christ, and therefore, under all circumstances, must cooperate with each other and help each other, even if they carry out their ministries in different social and spiritual conditions.
Canon 119. Every clergyman must be assigned to any diocese, monastic community, brotherhood or association which has received from the bishop the right to assign clergymen to itself.Canon
120. Clergy may have different titles (“protopresbyter”, “archpriest”, etc.), but these titles do not establish any differences between them. Priests, as well as bishops, should not strive for an abundance of titles and honorary titles, both ecclesiastical and secular, in order to testify only to the glory of God, and not to their own glory.
Canon 121. All clergy should take care to identify vocations to the service of the Church and to the monastic life, encouraging these vocations not only by preaching, catechetical instructions and other appropriate means, but especially by the testimony of their own life and service.
Canon 122. Clergy should be zealous in their apostolic zeal, setting an example for everyone in acts of mercy and compassion, especially towards the sick, those in distress, the persecuted, the exiled and the refugees.
Canon 123. The clergy are obliged to generously bestow upon the faithful the spiritual benefits of the Church, especially the word of God and the sacraments, choosing appropriate times for this and assisting the faithful in proper preparation for the reception of these benefits.
Canon 124. The clergy must recognize and support the ministry of the laity and their special participation in the Christian mission, using in all legitimate ways their experience and varied gifts for the benefit of the Church.
Canon 125. Although clergy have full civil and political rights, they should not accept temporal care that is not appropriate to the clergy.
Canon 126. Clergy should be guided by the spirit of Christ's poverty and strive to lead a simple life, thereby testifying to the world about heavenly blessings. Imitating the Holy Apostle Paul, clergy should try to independently earn food for themselves and their families, so as not to burden the communities with material care for themselves.
Canon 127. Clergy, even if they do not have a permanent home, should not leave their diocese without at least the presumed permission of their bishop.
Canon 128. A clergyman residing outside his diocese continues to submit to his bishop in matters that concern his duties as a clergyman. If he intends to stay there for a long time, he must notify the local hierarch of this.
Canon 129. Clergy should strive to avoid any quarrel; if disagreements arise between them, they must turn to the court of the Church; the same should be done in case of mutual disagreements between clergy and laity.
Chapter VIII. RECORDS OF COMMUNITIES, THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Canon 130. The rector of a community is a priest whom the diocesan bishop has entrusted to serve as his chief assistant in the care of a particular community under the jurisdiction of that bishop.
Canon 131. The rector is entirely responsible for the canonical and reverent conduct of divine services in the community and for maintaining the spirit of mutual love between members of the community. He is also responsible for the financial activities of the community, reports on these activities to the community and the bishop, and keeps a book of records of community members and the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and wedding performed in the community.
Canon 132. There may be other priests in the community who assist the abbot in caring for the community and perform the ministries assigned to them by the abbot.
Canon 133. A candidate for rector may be a bishop or priest, as well as a deacon or layman proposed for ordination. The community itself or its diocesan bishop can nominate a candidate for rector of a community.
Canon 134. Every diocesan bishop must at the same time be the superior of a community.
Chapter IX. ABOUT THE CHURCH COURT
Canon 135. The trial of Christians over a fellow believer (if the case has not previously been resolved peacefully) must be carried out in an adversarial process, where the accused has the opportunity to defend himself, where anonymous accusations are prohibited and it is forbidden to base the verdict on the testimony of one or two witnesses.
Canon 136. Disputes about church matters should be resolved with the help of fellow believers, without resorting to secular court.
Canon 137. Disputes between members of the community, both laymen and clergy, are resolved by the superior of the community.
Canon 138. The decision of the rector can be appealed to the general meeting of the community and revised by this meeting.
Canon 139. The decision of the general meeting of the community may be appealed to the diocesan bishop and reviewed by him.
Canon 140. The decision of a diocesan bishop may be appealed by a lay person or clergy subject to the authority of that bishop before the Synod of Bishops and reviewed by that Synod.
Canon 141. Disputes between bishops are resolved by the Synod of Bishops of the Council of the Orthodox Apostolic Church.
Canon 142. The decision of the Synod can be appealed by the bishop before the Council of the Catholic Apostolic Church and revised by the Council.
Canon 143. A clergyman has the right and obligation to refuse to administer the sacrament to a believer if he shows an irreverent attitude towards the sacrament, displays ignorance of the basic doctrine of the Church, or tries to use his participation in the sacraments to justify and cover up any sin.
Canon 144. A bishop cannot be punished by defrocking or demotion to the position of presbyter (priest). A priest also cannot be punished by deprivation of the priesthood, for the grace of the priesthood is given, although through people, but by God. Therefore, the punishment for a bishop, priest or deacon is only removal from the performance of their respective duties, and in extreme cases, deprivation of the right to receive Communion together with faithful members of the Church. The punishment for a layman is deprivation of the right to receive Communion together with members of the community, and, in extreme cases, deprivation of the right to attend community services.
Canon 145. The bishop has the right to exclude a layman or clergyman from the flock of his diocese.
Canon 146. The basis for the removal of a bishop, priest or deacon from church service may be grave sins committed by them: fornication, homosexuality, self-castration, perjury, theft, assault, drug addiction and drunkenness, usury, an attempt to obtain ordination for money, the use of secular authorities to obtain ordination, the refusal of a bishop, priest or deacon to serve in the place for which he was ordained, the acceptance of re-ordination, the deliberate concealment of the truth about such sins before ordination.
Canon 147. Priests are excluded from service and Communion, and laymen from Communion, for theft of church property, for conspiring against a fellow believer, for marriage with a person who took lifelong vows of celibacy, for pimping, for fornication, for renouncing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and on behalf of a Christian, for premeditated murder, rape, abortion and complicity in abortion.
Canon 148. Repentance in confession of the above sins and a return to the path of virtue, if necessary, combined at the discretion of the confessor with compensation for damage, can lead to the lifting of excommunication by the bishop, the Synod of Bishops or the Council of the Church.
Canon 149. The Synod of Bishops has the right to make a decision on the inadmissibility of using the name of the Catholic Apostolic Church by one or another bishop, priest or community. This decision can be appealed before the Council of the Church.
Canon 150. The Council has the right to make a decision on the inadmissibility of using the name of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church by one or another bishop, priest, community, and also on the fact that this or that person is not a member of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church.Chapter
X. ABOUT THE TEACHING MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH
Canon 151. Striving to fulfill the commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ to teach the Gospel to all nations, the Church, moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit, recognizes its missionary essence and orientation.
Canon 152. All dioceses, communities, faithful members of the Church must constantly ensure that the Gospel is proclaimed throughout the world. This mission is carried out under the commission and direction of bishops, through preachers possessing appropriate abilities and spiritual gifts and properly trained.
Canon 153. Faithful members of the Church are called to encourage in themselves and others knowledge of missionary work, to pray for missions, to help those called to this service and to actively support them with all their strength.
Canon 154. It is prohibited to force or lure anyone into joining the Church, or to persuade anyone by inappropriate means. All faithful members of the Church must take care to respect the right to religious freedom, so as not to alienate anyone from the Church through excessive insistence, much less threats or violence.
Canon 155. Those wishing to be baptized should, after making a catechumen, be accepted into the number of catechumens (catechumens), that is, undergoing catechesis, which should not only be a presentation of dogmas and commandments, but training in Christian life in general, carried out by specially trained catechists for the required time.
Canon 156. The catechumens have the right to participate in the liturgy of the word and in other liturgical activities not reserved exclusively for faithful members of the Church.
Canon 157. The catechumens may choose at their discretion membership in any community; care should be taken to ensure that nothing prevents them from entering the Church through the community that best suits their cultural characteristics and free choice.
Canon 158. Christians who were baptized as children, but who have not received instruction in the faith either in the family, or during catechesis, or through hearing a liturgical sermon, have the right to participate in the sacraments of the church; At the same time, priests are obliged to find out the level of their training and, together with more trained members of the community, help them in constantly replenishing and deepening their knowledge of the faith.
Canon 159. No faithful member of the Church can be forced to undergo catechesis through refusal to participate in the sacraments, just as no faithful member of the Church can be denied repeated catechesis.
Canon 160. At the discretion of the bishop or priest, the rite of announcement may be combined with the sacrament of baptism, performed on both a child and an adult, with the awareness of responsibility for the subsequent Christian upbringing and teaching of the person receiving baptism.
Canon 161. The smallest volume of catechesis is recognized as a one-time conversation or sermon about the faith; other forms of catechesis are: teaching in the family; Sunday school training; participation in a series of catechetical conversations for children or adults; listening to a liturgical sermon once or systematically; listening or reading the Holy Scriptures and explanations thereof; receiving theological education at various levels. Those who have received insufficient catechetical training should be aware of the need for further catechesis, and those who have advanced far in the study of the faith should not consider themselves better than others, but help those less prepared in every possible way.
Canon 162. The ministry of the word of God, namely preaching, catechesis and all types of Christian teaching, among which liturgical preaching occupies the most important place, must be richly nourished by the Holy Scriptures and based on Church Tradition.
Canon 163. Bishops, priests and deacons are to be concerned about the ministry of the word of God, just as the faithful are called upon to take part in this ministry according to their abilities, so that the officiating clergyman may bless an unordained Christian to preach during the service.
Canon 164. The diocesan bishop must supervise the preaching of the word of God within the boundaries of his diocese.
Canon 165. Bishops have the right to preach the word of God in any diocese, with humility and respect for the authority of the local diocesan bishop, unless he expressly prohibits this in any particular case.
Canon 166. Priests have the opportunity to preach where they have been lawfully sent or invited.
Canon 167. Deacons have the same opportunity, unless the establishment of a particular church community or association of communities does not prohibit them from doing so.
Canon 168. The superiors of communities have the right to invite any priest, deacon or layman of the Catholic Apostolic Church to preach, unless preaching is prohibited by such special order of the bishop.
Canon 169. In monastic communities, the supervision of preaching is carried out by the abbots of the communities.
Canon 170. If any bishop by his decree prohibits someone or limits his ability to preach, this decree can be duly appealed to the Synod of Bishops or the Council of the Church, and this appeal must be considered without delay.
Canon 171. It is strongly recommended that during each liturgy, a sermon be preached that, in accordance with the course of the liturgical year, would explain the mysteries of the faith and the norms of Christian life on the basis of Holy Scripture and Church Tradition.
Canon 172. Parish priests and rectors of churches are obliged to ensure that the sermon is preached at least on Sundays and holidays during the Divine Liturgy, and is omitted only for compelling reasons.
Canon 173. A pastor cannot permanently delegate to another person his duty of preaching to the community entrusted to his care, unless there is a good reason for doing so, approved by the local bishop.
Canon 174. Bishops, priests and deacons of Churches that are in Eucharistic communion, or at least in doctrinal unity with the Catholic Apostolic Church, may also be invited to preach.
Canon 175. Diocesan bishops must take care to organize at appropriate times special cycles of sacred sermons for the spiritual renewal of the Christian people.
Canon 176 All members of the Church should diligently strive to deepen their Christian faith and spiritual formation. First of all, parents are obliged to instruct their children in the faith and practice of Christian life by word and example; the same duty lies with godparents (fathers) and those who replace parents for children.
Canon 177. Associations, movements and groups of the faithful created for works of piety, apostolate, charity and assistance must ensure that their members receive religious education with the help and under the direction of the bishop who is entrusted with the spiritual care of these associations.
Canon 178. Let the diocesan bishop, with all possible zeal, take care of the development of catechetical activity in his diocese, guide it and help it.
Canon 179. The parish priest must make every effort to provide the necessary catechetical training to all those entrusted to his pastoral care, regardless of age or social position.
Canon 180. Priests and deacons associated with a parish must assist the parish priests. Other Christian believers who have the necessary training should strive to assist in catechesis in every possible way.
Canon 181. The Catechism must have an ecumenical basis and give an objective and sympathetic picture of other Churches and ecclesial communities; however, care should be taken to preserve the Orthodox content of catechesis.
Canon 182. All catechists must remember that they speak on behalf of the Church and are sent to proclaim the revealed word of God, and not their own opinion; Therefore, they must, in the process of catechesis, reveal the holistic and traditional teaching of the Church.
Canon 183. The Church, which through baptism accomplishes the Divine work of creating a new person, must, together with parents, take care of their Orthodox upbringing.
Canon 184. Of the various means of education, one should especially take care of Orthodox schools, which should be the focus of attention of parents, teachers and the entire church community. The Church has the right to create and manage schools of any type and level.
Canon 185. A school cannot bear the name ecclesiastical or Orthodox unless it was created by the diocesan bishop or the highest ecclesiastical authority or was later recognized as such by them.
Canon 186. The faithful children of Christ should be able to access the Holy Scriptures without difficulty. For liturgical and catechetical purposes, only editions of the Holy Scriptures that have received the approval of the Church should be used.
Canon 187. During divine services, only liturgical books that have received the approval of the Church may be used.
Canon 188. Approval of liturgical texts is carried out by the Council, and preliminary and temporarily by the Synod of Bishops of the Cathedral Orthodox Apostolic Church.
Canon 189. Bishops of the Catholic Apostolic Church have the right to make changes to the texts of liturgical books and liturgical norms, taking into account the opinion of the faithful children of the dioceses they lead, allowing for a variety of services depending on the needs and desires of specific communities. All these changes must be discussed and recorded in writing so that any interested member of the Church has access to the text of liturgical books and liturgical norms. The texts of liturgical books and norms adopted in any community or diocese are not binding for other communities and dioceses, unless otherwise established by the Council, the Synod of Bishops or the ruling bishop of the diocese.
Canon 190. Catechisms and other writings intended for catechetical instruction in schools of any kind and level must be approved by ecclesiastical authority.
Canon 191. Believers are not limited in their right to read any books, but church authorities can recommend to believers, in accordance with the level of their preparation, certain works that best explain the dogmatic and moral teaching of the Church.
Canon 192. Church approval of a particular work is expressed by the words: “blessed”, “I bless” and is evidence that the church authority takes responsibility for the spiritual quality of this work and its compliance with the teachings of the Church.
Canon 193. Recommendations for certain works as beneficial reading are given by the diocesan bishop and extended to the communities entrusted to his care. Recommendations for the entire Catholic Apostolic Church are given by the Synod of Bishops and, if necessary, confirmed or clarified by the Council. The blessing of new works or publications is given by the diocesan bishop or the Synod at the request of the author or publisher.
Canon 194: Priests and rectors of churches must ensure that their churches do not display, sell or distribute icons, images, audio or video recordings that do not correspond to genuine sacred art, or books that do not correspond to Christian religion or morals . Priests, rectors of churches and directors of Christian schools must ensure that any concerts, performances and film screenings held with their blessing are consistent with the spirit of Christian piety. Let the faithful children of the Church take care not to cause spiritual harm to themselves or others by listening, viewing, reading, buying, selling or distributing the items mentioned above.
Chapter XI. ABOUT WORSHIP
Canon 195. Through the sacraments which the Church is obliged to teach to the faithful, our Lord Jesus Christ sanctifies them by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that they in a special way become true worshipers of God the Father, and makes them a part of Himself and the Church, His Body; therefore, all faithful children of the Church, especially clergy, must carefully follow the instructions of the Church regarding the worthy performance of the sacraments and their acceptance.
Canon 196. Divine services performed on behalf of the Church by persons legally appointed for this purpose and through actions approved by the authority of the Church are called public; otherwise it is called private.
Canon 197. Only clergy who have been correctly ordained and lawfully placed in their service by ecclesiastical authority are authorized to lead public worship.
Canon 198. Since the sacraments are performed by a joint divine and human action and are common to the whole Church, only the highest ecclesiastical authority can accept or determine everything necessary to ensure the validity of the sacraments; established by this authority cannot be supplemented, subtracted or changed by anyone.
Canon 199. All faithful members of the Catholic Apostolic Church, especially clergy, must make efforts to ensure that divine services are held in separate buildings or special premises, where deeds contrary to the holiness of God are not performed. Particular care should be taken to ensure that in places intended for worship there is no trade, even in items related to worship.
Canon 200. Members of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church, if they have a good reason for doing so, may attend and participate in the liturgical services of other Christians, observing the regulations established in this regard by their bishop, the Synod of Bishops or the Council, taking into account the degree of communion of these Christians with the Catholic Apostolic Church.
Canon 201. Every member of the Catholic Apostolic Churchmay, following the dictates of his conscience, pray together with Christians of other confessions, and also pray in the presence of non-Christians, in order to demonstrate through his prayer the truth of God’s love for every person.
Canon 202. If Christians who do not belong to the Catholic Apostolic Church do not have a place in which to worship with dignity, the diocesan bishop may allow them to use church buildings and premises that are under his jurisdiction, so that this does not cause damage worship of the Catholic Apostolic Church.
Canon 203. Those children of the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church who, for some reason, cannot turn to its clergy, if spiritually necessary, are allowed to receive the sacraments of repentance, the Eucharist and the anointing of the sick from the clergy of churches in which the validity of the sacraments is recognized by the Conciliar Orthodox Apostolic Church. At the same time, the believer must be guided by his religious conscience, so that such actions are not associated with deviation from church truth or indifference to it.
Canon 204. The clergy of the Catholic Apostolic Church have the right to teach the sacraments of repentance, the Eucharist and the anointing of the sick to members of other Churches of the apostolic tradition, if they themselves ask for it and are appropriately disposed. This provision also applies to members of other Christian Churches, who, in the judgment of the Council of the Orthodox Apostolic Church, have no obstacles in their confession of faith to receiving such sacraments.
Canon 205. The sacraments of baptism, confirmation and ordination cannot be repeated. If, after careful investigation, there remains a reasonable doubt as to whether these sacraments were actually or actually administered, they should be administered conditionally.
Canon 206. A person who has not received baptism cannot be admitted to the other sacraments.
Canon 207. The clergy cannot refuse the sacraments to those who duly ask for them, who are duly disposed and who are not prohibited by canon law from receiving them.
Canon 208. The celebration of the sacraments, especially the Divine Liturgy, is an action of the entire Church, and therefore, as far as possible, should be performed with the active participation of its faithful members.
Canon 209. Faithful members of the Church may assist in divine services as deaconesses, subdeacons, readers, choristers, with the possible use of special clothing or signs indicating their service, which will be approved by the priest or bishop. For the temporary performance of such a service, the blessing of a clergyman is sufficient; no special appointment is required for this, since the charism of the royal priesthood is given to each member of the Church in the sacrament of Baptism.
Canon 210. Various permanent ministries are usually appointed by the bishop; in some cases he may transfer this right to a priest.
Canon 211. When performing the sacraments, one must strictly adhere to the liturgical books accepted for use by the Catholic Apostolic Church.
Canon 212. Let the minister not ask anything from members of the Church for performing the sacraments and services, accepting only voluntary donations, for the grace of God is given freely and is not an object of trade.
Canon 213. Deacons, deaconesses, subdeacons, readers, altar servers, singers and other members of the Church who assist in the performance of divine services must observe obedience to their bishop, as well as to the priest leading the service.
Canon 214. Deacons must serve at the throne of God and take care of order during the celebration of the Eucharist. Let the deacons abide in their measure, knowing that they are servants of the bishop, and lower than the presbyters. Let them receive the Eucharist in order after the presbyters, taught to them by the bishop or presbyter.
Canon 215. During the celebration of the sacraments, clergy are called to wear the vestments accepted in the Church, showing their service to the cause of the gospel of Christ.
Canon 216. In cases of extreme necessity, it is allowed to perform liturgical actions without full vestment, or using vestments of other Christian denominations, but always with an epitrachelion or a suitable piece of clothing replacing it. Let the clergyman take care of himself so as not to abuse this permission and not allow the faithful children of the Church participating in the divine service to be embarrassed.
Canon 217. Lay people should not be allowed into the altar room unnecessarily. Care should be taken to ensure that only those items that are necessary for the performance of worship are on the altar.
Chapter XII. THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
Canon 218. In Baptism, a person, through washing with water and invoking the name of the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is freed from sin, born to new life, clothed in Christ and becomes a member of the Church, which is His Body. Only through actual acceptance of baptism does a person gain the ability to participate in other sacraments.
Canon 219. In case of urgent need, baptism can be performed with only what is required for the validity of the sacrament: by pronouncing the words: “The servant of God N. (the name is pronounced) is baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” or "N. (the name is pronounced), I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” with three times immersion in running water, and if there is none, then in a lake or pool, and in their absence, in some kind of font. If it is not possible to perform baptism by immersion, it is allowed to perform it by sprinkling three times.
Canon 220. Baptism is usually performed by a priest, but if necessary, it can be performed by any Christian, even the father or mother of the person being baptized. In this opportunity for each member of the Church to perform the sacrament of baptism, the gift of the royal priesthood that he received at his own baptism is manifested.
Canon 221. Under no circumstances is it permissible to re-baptize a person who has already been baptized in any of the Christian Churches. So let us keep the immutable word of the Nicene-Constantinople Creed: “I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.”
Canon 222. Every person is capable of receiving baptism - only on the condition that he has not yet been baptized. The baptism of a pregnant woman is not the baptism of the baby she is carrying.
Canon 223 In order for an adult to be baptized, it is necessary that he express a desire to be baptized, receive sufficient instruction in the truths of the faith and Christian duties, and be tested in the Christian life during the training of the faith.
Canon 224. An adult who is in danger of death, or who is in chains, or who is leaving on a long journey, or in other similar circumstances, may be baptized if, having some knowledge of the fundamental truths of the faith, he in one way or another expresses the intention to be baptized, will express his readiness to keep the commandments of the Gospel and promise to further complete his knowledge of the faith.
Canon 225. Unless there is a serious obstacle to this, the adult being baptized should immediately receive confirmation, take part in the Eucharistic service and receive communion.
Canon 226. If the life of a child is in danger, he should be baptized without the slightest delay.
Canon 227. It is permissible to baptize a child if there is the consent of his parents, or at least one of them, or persons legally replacing them; at the same time, the hope is expressed that he will be raised in the Christian faith.
Canon 228: Premature children born prematurely should be baptized without delay, especially if their survival is in danger.
Canon 229. If there is doubt that a person has been baptized, or that baptism has been validly administered, and this doubt remains after serious examination of the matter, then the person should be baptized conditionally, that is, prefacing the words “baptized” with the expression “if not baptized.”
Canon 230. If possible, the person being baptized should be provided with a recipient, whose task is to accompany the adult person being baptized in his initiation into the Christian sacraments and help him in the worthy implementation of his Christian vocation, and at the baptism of a child, to assist the parents in his Christian upbringing.
Canon 231. At baptism, either one godparent (godfather or godmother) or godfather and godmother together are allowed. The recipient must be at least 16 years of age (unless the bishop or priest establishes a younger age in a particular case). The recipient must be determined by the baptized person himself, his parents or a person replacing them, and in the absence of such, by the one who performs the baptism. The recipient must be sincerely ready to fulfill his duty - throughout his life to be the closest assistant to the baptized person on the path of faith.
Canon 232. Non-Christians cannot be recipients.
Canon 233. The person performing baptism must try to ensure that there is at least one witness and that a record of baptism is made in the register of the church community indicating the persons who received baptism, the celebrant of the sacrament, parents, recipients and witnesses, if any, as well as the place and date of baptism, indicating, in addition, the date and place of birth of the person being baptized.
Chapter XIII. THE SACREMENT OF CONFIRMATION/CHRYSMATION
Canon 234. Those who have been baptized must be anointed with holy chrism in order to receive through this the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, like the apostles who received this gift on the day of Pentecost.
Canon 235. Holy oil is made from olive oil or other oil with the addition of aromas.
Canon 236. Holy myrrh is brewed by the diocesan bishop.Canon 237. The sacrament of confirmation is performed by the priest immediately after baptism or separately.
Chapter XIV. THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST
Canon 238. The mystery of salvation is accomplished through the reception of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, therefore Communion should be given, if possible, immediately after baptism and confirmation.
Canon 239. In the Holy Eucharist, the death and resurrection of the Lord is commemorated, the Sacrifice of the Cross is immortalized in it - the pinnacle and source of all Christian worship and Christian life; it denotes and realizes the unity of the People of God, and it accomplishes the creation of the Body of Christ. All other sacraments and all ecclesiastical works of the apostolate have a connection with the Most Holy Eucharist and are directed towards it.
Canon 240. Let the faithful of Christ pay the highest honor to the Eucharist, taking an active part in the celebration of this greatest Sacrament, with the utmost reverence and as often as possible.
Canon 241. Only a bishop or priest can celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist.
Canon 242. A priest should strive, whenever possible, to concelebrate with his bishop in the Divine Liturgy.
Canon 243. It is forbidden to admit a priest whose identity is unknown to concelebrate. The identity of the priest must be certified by a letter from his rector or bishop, or in any other way that satisfies the priest performing the liturgy.
Canon 244. The Divine Liturgy can be celebrated on any day, with the exception of those days on which the liturgy is not supposed to be served according to the charter of a particular Church.
Canon 245. As a rule, a priest can celebrate only one Divine Liturgy during the day, unless he ministers to several communities.
Canon 246. The celebrant of the Liturgy must announce his intention to the faithful in advance so that they have the opportunity to participate in the Liturgy.
Canon 247. The time of abstaining from food before Communion for the laity can be reduced at the discretion of the celebrant of the Liturgy, which he must inform those intending to receive Communion about when announcing the Liturgy.
Canon 248. It is preferable to celebrate the Liturgy in a place that is intended only for worship, on a specially made altar.
Canon 249. It is recommended to celebrate the Liturgy on an antimension with a particle of relics, which must be consecrated by the bishop and on which an inscription must be made by the bishop indicating to which priest or to which church the antimension was issued.
Canon 250. All clergy and clergy present at the Liturgy must receive communion, unless they have already received communion on that liturgical day or unless there is a reason for not proceeding to Holy Communion that the celebrant of the Liturgy considers compelling.
Canon 251. All faithful members of the Church present at the Liturgy with the intention of receiving communion must come to the service no later than the reading of Scripture and remain there until the final blessing.
Canon 252. It is preferable to celebrate the Liturgy on five prosphoras made from pure wheat flour with the addition of leaven. The priest has the right to choose to celebrate the liturgy on seven prosphoras or on one prosphora. With the blessing of the bishop or in extreme necessity, the liturgy may be celebrated on everyday wheat bread. When celebrating the liturgy according to the Western (Catholic) rite, the rule is to eat unleavened bread.
Canon 253. It is recommended to celebrate the Liturgy with dry red grape wine without added sugar. The priest has the right to choose for the service a wine with a naturally increased sugar content (“Russian Cahors”). If necessary, it is allowed to celebrate the liturgy with any other grape wine. Adding water to wine must be done in accordance with the custom of a particular rite.
Canon 254. Lay people wishing to receive communion must be present at the liturgy at least from the beginning of the reading of the Holy Scriptures, otherwise they must warn the celebrant of the liturgy about their lateness and ask permission to receive the Holy Mysteries.
Canon 255. In determining the time for the celebration of Easter, other holidays, and the days of remembrance of saints, one should first of all take care of the opportunity for faithful members of the Church to participate in public worship. Therefore, if necessary, it is possible to postpone the celebration from weekdays to days that are defined by civil law as free from work.
Canon 256. Christmas and Easter celebrations cannot be rescheduled.
Canon 257. If there are different calendar styles in a particular land, when determining the date of celebration of moving holidays, one should be consistent with the spirit of love and peace and the need to testify for the Lord in the face of unbelievers. One should strive to celebrate celebrations at the same time with all communities of the Catholic Apostolic Church located in a given land, and also, if this does not contradict the previous one, to unity with Christians of other confessions.
Canon 258. Let every dying or seriously ill Christian, no matter who he is, who asks for Communion, be given the Holy Gifts, which should be kept by the clergy specifically for this purpose. Communion must be administered by a clergyman unless otherwise blessed by the bishop. It is unacceptable to place Holy Communion into the mouth of a deceased person.
Chapter XV. SACRAMENT OF REPENTANCE
Canon 259. The faithful children of the Church at any time and in any place can repent to the Creator and confess to Him the sins committed after baptism and can receive forgiveness from Him. Believers should especially try, if and as far as possible, to seek forgiveness from those people who have been harmed by their sins, to compensate them for the damage caused, and to be reconciled with them. In the sacrament of repentance (confession), the believing children of the Church, with the intention of correcting themselves and no longer sinning, confess their sins to God in the presence of a clergyman, and through absolution given by the same minister, they receive from God absolution for the sins committed after baptism, reconciling with God and the Church.
Canon 260. Confession should, if possible, take place in church. In any case, confession must be performed in such a way that what is said during confession is not heard by anyone except the repentant and the person receiving the confession.
Canon 261. Only priests and bishops can absolve sins.
Canon 262. When listening to confessions, let the priest remember that when confessing, he acts simultaneously as a judge and a doctor, and also that he is appointed by God as a minister of Divine justice and at the same time mercy, in order to take care of the salvation of souls.
Canon 263. A Christian is not charged with sin if during persecution he hides from them or does not openly testify to his faith, but, faced with the need to directly confess Christ or renounce Him, let him choose the confession of Jesus by Christ and God that is understandable to the persecutors.
Canon 264. The celebrant of the sacrament of repentance should, if possible, avoid accepting confession from persons with whom he is connected by family ties of the first degree (spouse, parents, children) or relationships of power and subordination (the abbot should avoid accepting confession from a priest subordinate to him). A person in authority cannot in any way use in external management information about sins received during confession at any time.
Canon 265 When asking questions, let the priest do so judiciously and discriminately, taking into account the position and age of the penitent, and refrain from asking about the name of the accomplice in sin.
Canon 266. If the priest does not doubt the appropriate spiritual disposition of the penitent, and he asks for absolution, then absolution should neither be refused nor postponed.
Canon 267. The secret of confession is inviolable, therefore the confessor is strictly forbidden to betray the penitent by words or in any other way and for any reason. The translator, if there was one, and all other persons who in one way or another learned about sins from confession are also obliged to keep the secret.
Canon 268. The confessor is strictly prohibited from using the information received during confession, thereby causing damage to the penitent, even if there is no danger that it will be revealed to anyone.
Canon 269. After reaching the age of consciousness, every faithful person is obliged to confess all his grave sins. It is advisable to confess as soon as possible after committing a serious sin, and to regularly confess not only serious sins, but also minor sins, and especially try to confess during fasting.
Canon 270. Every believer has the right to confess to any clergyman of the Catholic Apostolic Church, and in the absence of such an opportunity, to a clergyman of another Orthodox Church or the Catholic Church. The believer must inform the superior of the community of which he is a member about who he confessed to, if the superior asks him about it.
Canon 271. If possible, every believer should be provided with the opportunity to confess before each communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. It is forbidden, however, to say the prayer of remission of sins without hearing the personal repentance of the believer, unless the latter, being sane, is in a physical condition that prevents the verbal expression of repentance.
Canon 272. The confessor has the right to oblige the penitent, in order to heal the consequences of sin, to read certain prayers, perform some act of piety, and perform an act that can compensate for the damage caused by this sin to other people.
Canon 273. The confessor has the right to refuse absolution if the penitent, revealing a serious disagreement with the teaching of the Church on the sacrament of confession, persists in his error, or declares that he does not intend to abstain from this sin in the future, or refuses to compensate within his power the damage caused by this sin to another person.
Canon 274. A penitent who has been denied absolution has the right and obligation, if he doubts the validity of the refusal, to go to confession to another clergyman, informing him in sufficient detail of the reason for which absolution was previously denied to him.
Chapter XVI. THE SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING
Canon 275. The Blessing of the Sick with Anointing, through which the Church entrusts believers suffering from a dangerous illness to the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the body and the salvation of the soul, is taught by anointing them with oil and pronouncing the words prescribed in the liturgical books.
Canon 276. It is advisable for seven clergy to perform the sacrament of anointing. In extreme cases, it can be performed by one clergyman.
Canon 277. Anointing should be performed carefully, adhering to the words, order and manner prescribed in the liturgical books. However, if necessary, it is enough to anoint only the forehead or even another part of the body and recite the full formula.
Canon 278. Pastors and relatives of the sick should take care that the sick are strengthened by this sacrament at the appropriate time.
Canon 279. The joint consecration of oil may be performed for several sick people at once, who must be properly prepared and in the right mood.
Canon 280. The Blessing of the Sick may be taught to the faithful who find themselves in mortal danger due to illness or old age.
Canon 281. The Sacrament of Anointing can be repeated if the illness returns or worsens. In the event that there is doubt whether the patient is capable of sound judgment, whether he is dangerously ill or whether he is dead, the sacrament should be given. Those patients who, being fully conscious, in any way make known their desire to resort to the sacrament, should be given it without delay.
Canon 282. Blessing of oil should not be taught to those who stubbornly continue to remain in obvious grave sin, refusing to repent of it and receive remission.
Chapter XVII. THE SACRAMENT OF THE PRIESTHOOD
Canon 283. By Divine institution, through the sacrament of priesthood (ordination), some of the faithful of Christ become priests. This means that, according to the dignity of each of them, they are consecrated and destined to shepherd the people of God, performing in the name of Christ the ministries of teaching, sanctification and government.
Canon 284. The degrees of holy orders are: bishop, presbyter (priest, priest), deacon. Ordination (consecration) is accomplished through the laying on of hands with the reading of the consecration prayers prescribed by the liturgical books for each degree of priesthood.
Canon 285. The sacrament of the priesthood, by the power of the special grace of the Holy Spirit, leaves an indelible spiritual seal and can neither be repeated nor given temporarily.
Canon 286. When choosing a candidate for ordination, one should, if possible, carefully find out the circumstances of his life in the Church, including finding out whether he had conflicts with church authorities, the clergy and fellow believers, and for what reasons; find out whether the candidate is guided by motives of vanity and self-interest; electing a candidate for reasons of personal sympathy or family ties should be avoided.
Canon 287. A person who has recently become a member of the Church should not be ordained, unless there is the grace of God to do so.
Canon 288. One should avoid ordaining a person with a mental or physical defect that would significantly hinder the performance of ministry (deafness, blindness), unless it is possible to compensate for this defect.
Canon 289. People who are possessed by demons and those who pretend to be possessed cannot be ordained.
Canon 290. A person who has castrated himself out of contempt for marriage cannot be ordained. It is unacceptable to break the marriage bond against the will of one of the spouses, even for the sake of the desire to become a clergyman, or to assert that a married priest or bishop is less worthy of his rank than one who does not have a wife.
Canon 291. For a candidate to be eligible for the priesthood, it is required that he be of the Orthodox faith, distinguished by strong faith, good morals, piety, wisdom, prudence; had a good reputation and pastoral abilities.
Canon 292. According to ancient tradition, in the Catholic Apostolic Church only male Christians can be ordained.
Canon 293. In order to ordain a member of the Church, it is necessary that he possess the necessary internal and external freedom. No one should be forced to accept ordination in any way or for any reason; in the same way, a worthy candidate cannot be prevented from accepting ordination.
Canon 294. A candidate for ordination as a priest or deacon must be nominated either by a community or by a bishop.
Canon 295. A candidate for ordination as a bishop must be at least 30 years of age, for ordination as a priest at least 25 years of age, and for ordination as a deacon at least 20 years of age. An exception to this rule can be made only with the approval of the Synod of Bishops for each individual case.
Canon 296. Ordination may be performed regardless of the marital status of the candidate. A member of the Church who has been ordained does not have the right to file a divorce with government authorities.
Canon 297. Only those who have the degree of deacon can be ordained as a priest.
Canon 298. Only those who have the presbyteral degree can be ordained bishop.
Canon 299. Bishops may be ordained by two or three bishops. This expresses the equality of bishops and their connection with each other. The bishop who led the service of the Eucharist is considered to have performed the ordination; his name is called as the name of the one who performed the ordination.
Canon 300. Let one bishop ordain a presbyter and a deacon.
Canon 301. Ordination can be performed by a diocesan bishop or a titular bishop. An auxiliary bishop may perform ordination only if it is entrusted to him by his diocesan bishop.
Canon 302. A retired bishop cannot perform ordination unless the diocesan bishop asks him to do so, or unless there is a serious threat to the preservation of apostolic succession in the Church and the danger of leaving the faithful without pastoral or archpastoral care.
Canon 303. If persecution or other insurmountable external circumstances prevent the meeting of two or three bishops for ordination as bishops, the ordination may be performed by one bishop, and it is advisable to receive, before or after the ordination, letters from other bishops confirming the ordination.
Canon 304. Any ordination should, if possible, be performed on a Sunday. The clergy and all other members of the Church should be invited to the ordination so that as many Christian believers as possible will be present at the ordination.
Canon 305. Upon completion of the ordination, the names of each of the ordained and the ordaining bishop, as well as the place and date of the ordination, should be entered in a special book, which should be carefully kept by the bishop who performed the ordination, or by the person to whom the bishop has entrusted it; all documents related to each ordination, especially the oath of the protege, should also be carefully preserved.
Canon 306. The bishop who has performed the ordination must issue to each ordained person a certificate of acceptance of the ordination, keeping a copy of it. Likewise, a bishop who has ordained another bishop must give him a certificate of completed ordination, signed by those bishops who took part in the sacrament.
Canon 307. If there is doubt that a clergyman was truly ordained, and this doubt remains even after a serious study of this issue, then this person should be ordained conditionally, that is, prefacing the words of the sacrament with the expression “if the grace of the Spirit is not given previously".
Canon 308. For compelling reasons, a deacon, priest or bishop may be released from the obligations and functions associated with the priesthood, or prohibited from performing them by a decision of the Synod of Bishops or the Council of the Catholic Apostolic Church. At the same time, punishment of a clergyman in the form of defrocking is not allowed, since the seal imposed by ordination remains forever.
Chapter XVIII. SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE
Canon 309. Marriage is a free union of a man and a woman, which, thanks to their preservation of physical and spiritual fidelity to each other, gives them the fullness of human existence in the unity of two personalities, provided by the Creator during the creation of the human race. Marriage in itself is not an obstacle on the path to God, but the fulfillment of God’s mysterious plan for man as a being destined for love.
Canon 310. Marriage is created by the consent of the parties, validly expressed by legally capable persons; this consent cannot be replaced by any human power. Marital consent is an act of will by which a man and a woman, through a contract made before God, mutually give themselves and accept each other.
Canon 311. The Church recognizes as marriage a union between non-believers, a union of a faithful son of the Church with an unbelieving woman, and a union of a faithful daughter of the Church with an unbelieving husband, regardless of whether such a marriage was concluded before or after one of the spouses entered the Church, according to the word Apostle: “If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, then he should not leave her; and a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and he agrees to live with her, should not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband.”
Canon 312. The sacrament of marriage (wedding) is the blessing of the marital union by the Church in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church, in which Christian spouses, recognizing the Lord Jesus Christ as the head of their family as a small Church, receive grace for joint spiritual growth, for blessed birth and upbringing children, to testify to the Gospel before the world.
Canon 313. A church marriage is a union that has received a blessing in any Orthodox or Catholic Church. A marriage that has received a blessing in the Church of other Christian denominations may be recognized as a church marriage by the decision of the bishop.
Canon 314. The sacrament of marriage can be performed by a clergyman of the Catholic Apostolic Church both over a member of his own Church and over a member of another Christian Church.
Canon 315. The marriage union of a faithful member of the Church with an unbelieving spouse, or with a non-Christian spouse, may receive the blessing of a clergyman, which in itself is not a sacrament.
Canon 316. Those entering the sacrament of marriage (those getting married) must be of sound mind and not younger than 16 years old, unless the civil legislation of the country in which the wedding takes place establishes a higher age for marriage.
Canon 317. The sacrament of marriage is performed on those whose marriage is certified before society through legal registration in the authorities entrusted with the registration of marriage by the government of a particular country. The bishop, upon careful consideration, has the right in some cases to allow the wedding of believers who do not have state registration of marriage.
Canon 318. If one of the spouses in a state-registered marriage has received holy baptism, the Church recognizes his marriage and admits him to all the sacraments.
Canon 319. If both spouses simultaneously receive holy baptism, or baptism is received by a person whose spouse is already a faithful child of the Church, the Church calls on them to crown their marriage with a church sacrament.
Canon 320. If two believers, no matter what Christian denomination they belong to, are in a marriage recognized by the state and enjoy all the joys and privileges of marriage, but do not approach the Church to celebrate the sacrament of marriage, they may be denied participation in other sacraments of the Church, unless we are talking about the teaching of the sacraments in a moment of mortal danger.
Canon 321. If a marriage between two unbelievers breaks down and one of the spouses has received holy baptism, he has the right to begin the sacrament of marriage on the basis common to all members of the Church. This right remains with him even if the second spouse also accepts baptism and decides to begin the sacrament of marriage.
Canon 322. If a believing member of the Church who was married to an unbeliever is abandoned by his unbelieving spouse, he has the right to proceed to the sacrament of marriage, like his former spouse, if the latter converts, repents and receives holy baptism.
Canon 323. It is possible to perform the sacrament of marriage over a person whose marriage, sanctified by the Church, is declared invalid and annulled. The basis for annulment of a marriage may be circumstances discovered after the wedding (too close a degree of relationship, the presence of a previous undissolved marriage, or the insanity of one of the spouses at the time of marriage).
Canon 324. The discovered inability of one or both spouses to bear children or a physical illness discovered or acquired after the sacrament of one or both of the spouses, which prevents them from fully enjoying the joys of married life, cannot serve as a basis for declaring the sacrament of marriage invalid. However, if both spouses decide that due to one of these circumstances the marriage should be declared invalid, their decision is accepted by the Church. In the event that one of these spouses subsequently enters into a church marriage again, neither he nor his spouse will have the opportunity to ask for annulment of their marriage due to these circumstances, since they knew about them at the time of the wedding.Canon
325. As a rule, the sacrament of marriage can be performed on one person only once. A second celebration of the sacrament of marriage is possible over a widowed spouse (including over a person who has been declared widowed by a civil court due to the unknown absence of his spouse).
Canon 326. If one of the spouses creates a significant danger to the soul or body of the other spouse or children, or otherwise makes life together too difficult, then he gives the other spouse a legal reason for ending the cohabitation by decision of the bishop or even by his own decision if delay would be dangerous.
Canon 327. Neither spouse in an ecclesiastical marriage can take a vow of celibacy without the permission of the other spouse.
Canon 328. Spouses should not refrain from living together if their separation would harm the upbringing of their children, making them involved in the sin of irresponsibility.
Canon 329. A Christian man and a Christian woman who have separated from their spouses and have filed divorces with government authorities may ask the church authorities for leniency towards their desire to lead a life together. In exceptional cases, the bishop has the right to authorize a priest to perform the ceremony of blessing their union over these people (the so-called “sequence of remarriage”).
