Послание 5 Григория Нисского

Therefore, it remains to examine the spiritual power of irritation when, having deviated from the good use of indignation, it falls into sin. A lot happens from irritation from sinful deeds and all kinds of evils. But our Fathers were pleased not to go into much detail about some of them, and they did not recognize that healing all sins from irritation that occur requires a lot of care. Scripture forbids not only a slight wound, but also all slander or blasphemy (Col. 3:8; Eph. 4:31), and everything like that that occurs from irritation, but they only put protection against the crime of murder in penances. This crime is divided according to the difference between voluntary and involuntary murder. Voluntary murder, firstly, is that which the person who decided on this very crime dared with intention in order to commit it; secondly, even then it is necessary between free killings, when someone in a confrontation, beating and being beaten, strikes with his hand in some dangerous place. For once overwhelmed by rage and given over to the desire for anger during passion, he does not accept into his mind anything that can stop evil. So, murder that occurs as a result of confrontation is attributed to arbitrary action, and not to chance. Involuntary murders have well-known signs, when someone, having something else in mind, accidentally commits a grave evil. Of these, voluntary murder requires three times the length of time for those who treat an arbitrary crime with treatment. For them, three nine-year periods are prescribed, with nine years assigned for each, the degree of repentance. Let the repentant spend 9 years in complete excommunication, with his entry into the church blocked. For the same number of other years, let him remain in the degree of listeners, worthy only of listening to teachers and Scriptures; in the third nine years, let him pray with those who fall in repentance, - then let him begin to communicate the Holy Mysteries. It is obvious that the steward of the Church will have the same supervision over such a person, and at the discretion of conversion, the continuation of penances for him will be shortened, so that instead of nine, for each degree of repentance, either eight, or seven, or six, or only five years will be assigned, if by the greatness of repentance he anticipates the time and by zeal in correcting himself, he surpasses those who, over a long period of time, are less active in cleansing themselves from defilements. Involuntary murder is recognized as worthy of leniency, but not commendable. I said this in order to make it clear that if anyone, even involuntarily, is defiled by murder, such a one, as having already become unclean through an unclean deed, the rule recognized as unworthy of priestly grace. Whatever time is appointed for the cleansing of simple fornication, the same is destined to be set for unwitting murderers, moreover, with consideration here too of the disposition of the penitent. Thus, if there is a true conversion, then let the number of years not be observed, but with the reduction of time, let the penitent be led to return to the Church and to the communion of the Holy Mysteries. If someone, without fulfilling the time of repentance determined by the rules, departs from life, then the love of the Fathers commands that he may partake of the Holy Mysteries, and not without parting words be released on that last and distant journey. But if, having received communion of the Holy Mysteries, he returns to life again, then let him await the fulfillment of the appointed time, being at the level at which he was before the communion given to him, out of need. (Ap. 66; Trul. 91; Ankir. 22, 23; Basil Vel. 8, 11, 56 and 57). You might be interested in: