Правило 68
On the possibility of admitting Donatist clergy to the clergy of the Orthodox Church.
Those who were baptized by the Donatists in infancy, when they could not yet know the destruction of their error, but upon reaching an age capable of reasoning, knew the truth and were disgusted by their depravity, may they be received into the Catholic Church of God, spread throughout the whole world, according to the ancient rite - through the laying on of hands. They should not, under the pretext of their error, be prevented from entering the rank of clergy if they, having come to faith, recognized the true Church as theirs and, having believed in Christ in it, accepted the sacraments of the Trinity, which, which is completely clear, are all true, holy and divine and on which all the hope of the soul is based.
Although the hasty insolence of heretics most of all strives, under the name of truth, to shamelessly teach some contrary sacraments, but since the sacraments are simple, as the holy Apostle teaches, saying: there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph. 4:5), and it is impossible to repeat what should be taught once, then let them, anathematizing this error by name, through the laying on of hands, be accepted into the one Church, which, as it is said, is the dove and the only mother of Christians (see Song 6:8). In the Church, all the sacraments, eternal and life-giving, are accepted for salvation, but to those who remain in heresy, they bring great condemnation and punishment, which is why what in truth should have become a luminous companion for them into eternal life, in error will lead them to greater darkness and condemnation. This is precisely what some escaped and, having learned the highest truth of the common mother Church, out of love for the truth, believed in all the holy sacraments and accepted them. Such people, when their good life is proven, will undoubtedly be allowed to enter the clergy to serve the Holy Mysteries, especially since in such difficult circumstances there is no one who would not agree with this. If any clergy from the followers of the Donatian teaching want to come to us together with their people and in their degrees, out of love for honor, giving the people advice on life and keeping them with them for salvation, then the question of this, we believe, should be clarified in more detail when the above-mentioned brothers express their opinion - so that they, at their most prudent meeting, examine the subject of our appeal to them and deign to confirm us in what should us to rule on this matter. And we are content with the fact that, if they please, only in relation to those baptized in infancy, they agree with our decision to ordain such.
Although the hasty insolence of heretics most of all strives, under the name of truth, to shamelessly teach some contrary sacraments, but since the sacraments are simple, as the holy Apostle teaches, saying: there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph. 4:5), and it is impossible to repeat what should be taught once, then let them, anathematizing this error by name, through the laying on of hands, be accepted into the one Church, which, as it is said, is the dove and the only mother of Christians (see Song 6:8). In the Church, all the sacraments, eternal and life-giving, are accepted for salvation, but to those who remain in heresy, they bring great condemnation and punishment, which is why what in truth should have become a luminous companion for them into eternal life, in error will lead them to greater darkness and condemnation. This is precisely what some escaped and, having learned the highest truth of the common mother Church, out of love for the truth, believed in all the holy sacraments and accepted them. Such people, when their good life is proven, will undoubtedly be allowed to enter the clergy to serve the Holy Mysteries, especially since in such difficult circumstances there is no one who would not agree with this. If any clergy from the followers of the Donatian teaching want to come to us together with their people and in their degrees, out of love for honor, giving the people advice on life and keeping them with them for salvation, then the question of this, we believe, should be clarified in more detail when the above-mentioned brothers express their opinion - so that they, at their most prudent meeting, examine the subject of our appeal to them and deign to confirm us in what should us to rule on this matter. And we are content with the fact that, if they please, only in relation to those baptized in infancy, they agree with our decision to ordain such.
Greek original
Διὸ ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῇ ἀνωτέρω συνόδῳ ὁρισθὲν μέμνηται ἅμα ἐμοὶ ἡ ὑμετέρα ὁμοψυχία, ὥστε τοὺς παρὰ τοῖς Δονατισταῖς μικροὺς βαπτιζομένους, καὶ μηδέπω δυναμένους γινώσκειν τῆς πλάνης αὐτῶν τὸν ὄλεθρον, μετὰ τὸ εἰς κεῖραν λογισμοῦ δεκτικὴν παραγενέσθαι, ἐπιγνωσθείσης τῆς ἀληθείας, τὴν φαυλότητα ἐκείνων βδελυττομένους*, πρὸς τὴν καθολικήν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίαν, τὴν ἀνὰ πάντα τὸν κόσμον διακεχυμένην, τάξει ἀρχαίᾳ διὰ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν ἀναδεχθῆναι τοὺς τοιούτους ἐκ τοῦ τῆς πλάνης ὀνόματος μὴ ὀφείλειν ἐμποδίζεσθαι εἰς τάξιν κληρώσεως, ὁπόταν τὴν ἀληθινὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἰδίαν ἑαυτῶν ἐλογίσαντο τῇ πίστει προσερχόμενοι, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῷ Χριστῷ πιστεύσαντες, τῆς Τριάδος τὰ ἁγιάσματα ὑπεδέξαντο· ἅτινα πάντα ἀληθῆ καὶ ἅγια καὶ θεῖα εἶναι δῆλόν ἐστι, καὶ ἐν τούτοις πᾶσαν τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐλπίδα ὑπάρχειν. Κἂν εἰ τὰ μάλιστα οὖν καὶ ἡ τῶν αἱρετικῶν προληφθεῖσα τόλμα, τῷ ὀνόματι τῆς ἀληθείας ἐναντιούμενά τινα παραδιδόναι προπετεύεται, ταῦτα ἐπειδὴ ἁπλᾶ εἰσιν, ὡς διδάσκει ὁ ἅγιος Ἀπόστολος λέγων, Εἷς Θεός, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα· καὶ τὸ ὀφεῖλον προσάπαξ δίδοσθαι, ἐπαναληφθῆναι οὐκ ἔξεστιν, ἀναθεματιζομένου τοῦ τῆς πλάνης ὀνόματος, διὰ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῆς χειρὸς ἀναδεχθῶσιν εἰς τὴν μίαν ἐκκλησίαν, τήν, ὡς εἴρηται, περιστεράν, καὶ μόνην μητέρα τῶν Χριστιανῶν, ἐν ᾗ πάντα τὰ ἁγιάσματα σωτηριωδῶς αἰώνια καὶ ζωτικὰ παριλαμβάνονται· ἅτινα τοῖς ἐπιμένουσιν ἐν τῇ αἱρέσει, μεγάλην τῇς καταδίκης τὴν τιμωρίαν πορίζουσιν, ἵνα, ὅπερ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ πρὸς τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν ἀκολουθητέον φωτεινότερον, τοῦτο γένηται αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ πλάνῃ σκοτεινότερον καὶ πλέον καταδεδικασμένον· ὅπερ τινὲς ἔφυγον, καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς καθολικῆς μητρὸς τὰ εὐθύτατα ἐπιγνόντες, πάντα ἐκεῖνα τὰ ἅγια μυστήρια φίλτρῳ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπίστευσαν καὶ ὑπεδέξαντο. Τοῖς οὖν τοιούτοις, ὅταν δοκιμὴ χρηστοῦ βίου προσέλθῃ, ἀναμφιβόλως καὶ κλῆρος πρὸς ὑπουργίαν τῶν ἁγίων προσκυρωθήσεται· καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τῇ τοσαύτῃ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀνάγκῃ, οὐδείς ἐστιν ὁ μὴ τοῦτο παραχωρῶν. Εἰ δέ τινες τοῦ αὐτοῦ δόγματος κληρικοί, μετὰ τοῦ πλήθους καὶ τῶν τιμῶν αὐτῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐλθεῖν ποθήσουσιν, οἵτινες τῷ ἔρωτι τῆς τιμῆς συμβουλεύουσι πρὸς ζωήν, καὶ κατέχουσι πρὸς σωτηρίαν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο καταλειπτέον κρίνω τῇ μείζονι κατανοήσει, ψηφισομένων τῶν προλεχθέντων ἀδελφῶν, ἵνα τῇ συνετωτέρᾳ αὐτῶν βουλῇ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀναφορᾶς τὸν λόγον διαγνῶσι, καὶ ἡμᾶς βεβαιῶσαι καταξιώσωσιν εἰς τὸ ὀφεῖλον περὶ τούτου τοῦ πράγματος παρ᾽ ἡμῶν τυπωθῆναι. Μόνον δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐν νηπιότητι βαπτισθέντων ἀρκούμεθα, ἵνα, εἰ ἀρέσκει αὐτοῖς, τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ συναινέσωσι προαιρέσει περὶ τοῦ χειροτονεῖσθαι τούτους. Πάντα τοίνυν ἃ ἀνωτέρω συνηγάγομεν παρὰ τοῖς ἁγιωτάτοις ἐπισκόποις, πρακτέα εἶναι δικαιοῖ ἅμα ἐμοὶ ἡ ἔντιμος ὑμῶν ἀδελφότης.[1]
Parallel canons
Ап.464768IВс.8IIВс.7Трул.95Карф.47666768699192939499117118119124