Правило 7 Василия Великого

Sodomists, and bestialists, and murderers, and poisoners, and adulterers, and idolaters are worthy of the same condemnation. Therefore, the rule that you have about others, observe also about these: but about the acceptance of those who repented for thirty years of uncleanness, which they committed in ignorance, we should not have doubted. For ignorance makes them worthy of leniency, and voluntary confession, and the passage of such a long time: for they were devoted to Satan for almost the entire human age, so that they would learn not to act outrageously. Therefore, they commanded you to urgently accept them, and especially if you have tears that incline you to mercy, and show a life worthy of mercy. (Trul. 61, 87; Ankir. 16, 17, 20, 22, 24; Basil the Great. 58, 62, 63, 65; Gregory of Nissk. 4). This rule imposes heavy church punishments on a certain type of criminals, among whom sodomists (άρρενοφθόροι) are mentioned in the first place. The crimes of such persons are the lowest and most shameful kind of crime, and belong to the so-called crimes against nature (παρά φύσιν, contra naturam); These crimes are also called the sin of Sodom, after the biblical city of Sodom, whose inhabitants aroused the wrath of God by all kinds of criminal acts (Gen. 18:20 et seq.). Basil the Great also mentions a man who showed fury in the male field in his 62nd rule, and prescribes the same punishment as for adulterers. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, in his 4th canon, calls this crime παιδεραστία. In the present (7) rule of St. Basil, cattle-breakers are then mentioned, or, as it is said in the 63rd rule of the same holy father, “those who showed their wickedness on cattle.” Old Testament legislation for this type of criminals prescribes the death penalty (Lev. 20:15–16). The present rule subjects them to punishment on the same basis as adulterers 36 . Further mention is made of murderers, and especially those who committed voluntary murder, who are subject to the same punishment as the above-mentioned criminals. Murderers are discussed in more detail in the following (8) rule of this holy father. Poisoners, who are equated to free murderers, are subject to the same punishment. Further mention is made of adulterers, for whom the Holy Father prescribes a fifteen-year penance; but Basil the Great speaks about adulterers in his 9th and 21st rules. Finally, idolaters are also mentioned in this rule, for whom the same punishment is prescribed as for adulterers. Here, by idolaters (είδωλολάτραι), according to Zonara’s interpretation of this rule, one should not understand those who make sacrifices to idols, for, having made a sacrifice to idols, a Christian is condemned to repentance for life; here by idolaters we mean sorcerers (γόηται) and all those who engage in similar dark deeds, for by practicing magic, they call on the devil for help and thereby serve him and honor him 37 . Regarding this kind of idolaters, as well as about other sinners, Saint Basil says that they are worthy of equal condemnation (τής αυτής καταδίκης είσίν ήξιωμένοι). Next, the rule mentions those who remain in uncleanness (επί τή άκαθαρσία), into which they fell out of ignorance, for which they must repent for thirty years. By this uncleanness we must understand, notes Balsamon in the interpretation of this rule, αίμομιξίαν (incestum), incest, and not any other sins, for they do not by their nature relate to sins of ignorance 38 . For these criminals, as well as for homosexuals, according to the Slavic Helmsman, the prescription of Byzantine legislation is valid, namely: let their shameful share be cut. Ch. 48, gr. 39, § 74, 75 (cit. ed., II, 169). You might be interested in: