Council of Neocaesarea

Canon 1 — De presbyteris qui uxores acceperunt, vel fornicati sunt.

Presbyter, si uxorem acceperit, ab ordine deponatur: si vero fornicatus fuerit, aut adulterium perpetraverit, amplius pelli debet, et ad poenitentiam redigi.

If a presbyter marry, let him be removed from his order; but if he commit fornication or adultery, let him be altogether cast out [i.e. of communion] and put to penance.

Canon 2 — De his quae duobus fratribus nupserint, vel qui duas sorores uxores acceperint.

Mulier, si duobus fratribus nupserit, abjiciatur usque ad mortem: verumtamen in exitu propter misericordiam, si promiserit, quod facta incolumis, hujus conjunctionis vincla dissolvat, fructum poenitentiae consequatur. Quod si defecerit mulier aut vir in talibus nuptiis, difficilis erit poenitentia in vita permanenti.

If a woman shall have married two brothers, let her be cast out [i.e. of communion] until her death. Nevertheless, at the hour of death she may, as an act of mercy, be received to penance, provided she declare that she will break the marriage, should she recover. But if the woman in such a marriage, or the man, die, penance for the survivor shall be very difficult.

Note Incest: Printed "can. 12" (on clinical baptism); probably can. 2, on a woman married to two brothers.

Canon 3 — De multinubis.

De his qui in plurimas nuptias inciderunt, et tempus quidem praefinitum manifestum est, sed conversatio eorum, et fides, tempus abbreviat.

Concerning those who fall into many marriages, the appointed time of penance is well known; but their manner of living and faith shortens the time.

Canon 4 — De his qui proponentes fornicari vetantur.

Si quis mulierem concupiscens proposuerit cum ea concumbere, et cogitatio ejus non perveniat ad effectum, apparet quod Dei gratia liberatus sit.

If any man lusting after a woman purposes to lie with her, and his design does not come to effect, it is evident that he has been saved by grace.

Canon 5 — De catechumenis peccantibus.

Catechumenus si ingrediatur ecclesiam, et in ordinem eorum qui instruuntur assistat: hic autem deprehensus fuerit peccans, si quidem genu flectit, audiat, ut non delinquat ulterius: si vero et audiens peccaverit, expellatur.

If a catechumen coming into the Church have taken his place in the order of catechumens, and fall into sin, let him, if a kneeler, become a hearer and sin no more. But should he again sin while a hearer, let him be cast out.

Canon 6 — De catechumena praegnante.

Gravidam oportet baptizari, quando voluerit; nihil enim in hoc quae parit nascenti communicat: propterea quod uniuscujusque suum propositum in confessione declaretur.

Concerning a woman with child, it is determined that she ought to be baptized whensoever she will; for in this the woman communicates nothing to the child, since the bringing forward to profession is evidently the individual [privilege] of every single person.

Canon 7 — Quod non oporteat in bigami nuptus orare presbyterum.

Presbyterum in nuptiis bigami prandere non convenit, quia cum poenitentia bigamus egeat, quis erit presbyter qui propter convivium talibus nuptiis possit praebere consensum?

A presbyter shall not be a guest at the nuptials of persons contracting a second marriage; for, since the digamist is worthy of penance, what kind of a presbyter shall he be, who, by being present at the feast, sanctioned the marriage?

Canon 8 — De his qui mulieribus adulteris juncti sunt.

Mulier cujusdam adulterata laici constituti, si evidenter arguatur, talis ad ministerium cleri venire non poterit. Si vero post ordinationem adulterata fuerit, dimittere eam convenit: quod si cum illa convixerit, ministerium sibi commissum obtinere non poterit.

If the wife of a layman has committed adultery and been clearly convicted, such [a husband] cannot enter the ministry; and if she commit adultery after his ordination, he must put her away; but if he retain her, he can have no part in the ministry committed to him.

Canon 9 — De his qui ad presbyterium promoventur, et ante ordinationem peccatorum sibi sunt conscii.

Presbyter, si praeoccupatus corporali peccato provehatur, et confessus fuerit de se, quod ante ordinationem deliquerit, oblata non consecret; manens in reliquis officiis, propter studium bonum. Nam peccata reliqua plerique dixerunt per manus impositionem posse dimitti. Quod si de se non fuerit ipse confessus, et argui manifeste nequiverit, potestatis suae judicio relinquatur.

A presbyter who has been promoted after having committed carnal sin, and who shall confess that he had sinned before his ordination, shall not make the oblation, though he may remain in his other functions on account of his zeal in other respects; for the majority have affirmed that ordination blots out other kinds of sins. But if he do not confess and cannot be openly convicted, the decision shall depend upon himself.

Canon 10 — De diaconis similiter.

Simili modo etiam diaconus, si eodem peccato succubuerit, ab ordine ministerii subtrahatur.

Likewise, if a deacon have fallen into the same sin, let him have the rank of a minister.

Canon 11 — Quo tempore presbyterum conveniat ordinare.

Presbyter ante tricesimum aetatis suae annum nullatenus ordinetur, licet valde sit dignus: sed hoc tempus observet. Nam Dominus noster tricesimo aetatis suae anno baptizatus est, et sic coepit docere.

Let not a presbyter be ordained before he is thirty years of age, even though he be in all respects a worthy man, but let him be made to wait. For our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized and began to teach in his thirtieth year.

Canon 12 — De his qui in aegritudine baptisma consequuntur.

Si quis in aegritudine fuerit baptizatus, ad honorem presbyterii non potest promoveri, quod non ex proposito fides ejus, sed ex necessitate descendit: nisi forte propter sequens studium ejus, et fidem, atque hominum raritatem talis possit admitti.

If any one be baptized when he is ill, forasmuch as his [profession of] faith was not voluntary, but of necessity [i.e. though fear of death] he cannot be promoted to the presbyterate, unless on account of his subsequent [display of] zeal and faith, and because of a lack of men.

Canon 13 — De presbyteris agrorum.

Presbyteri ruris in Ecclesia civitatis, episcopo praesente, vel presbyteris urbis ipsius, offerre non possunt, nec panem sanctificatum dare, calicemque porrigere. Si vero absentes hi fuerint, et ad dandam orationem vocentur, soli dare debebunt.

Country presbyters may not make the oblation in the church of the city when the bishop or presbyters of the city are present; nor may they give the Bread or the Cup with prayer. If, however, they be absent, and he [i.e., a country presbyter] alone be called to prayer, he may give them.

Canon 14

Chorepiscopi quoque ad exemplum quidem, et formam septuaginta videntur esse: ut comministri autem, propter studium quod erga pauperes exhibent, honorentur.

The chorepiscopi, however, are indeed after the pattern of the Seventy; and as fellow-servants, on account of their devotion to the poor, they have the honour of making the oblation.

Canon 15 — De numero certo diaconorum.

Diaconi septem debent esse, juxta regulam, licet et valde magna sit civitas. Idipsum autem et Actuum apostolorum liber insinuat.

The deacons ought to be seven in number, according to the canon, even if the city be great. Of this you will be persuaded from the Book of the Acts.