www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Why the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches is not online

The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Latin-English Edition, New English Translation (1992) can be ordered from any bookstore by asking for it by name or by ISBN 0-943616-88-3. I ordered my copy through the Icon and Book Service in Washington, DC. It's also available online from numerous online bookstores. It's essential reading for anyone with insomnia.

See also the Cannon Law Website [clsa.org]

Administrator:

Thanks for the info. Guess I'll have to try and order it from some other source than the Code of Canon website. Once again I tried to order on line and once again it won't take the order if I do not supply a 'company' -

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Found two USED COPIES available through Barnes and Noble. They got to be kidding me with the prices!!!!

Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches : New English Translation
Author: CLSA Staff (editor)
Condition: Cloth. New. 8vo - over 7*" - 9*" tall. ISBN:0943616883.
Format: Hardcover
Associated Dealer: St. Anthony's Bookstore
Our Price: $79.50
More Info...




Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches : Latin-English Edition
Author: Canon Law Society of America Staff (translator)
Condition: Soft Cover. New/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7*" - 9*" tall.ISBN:0-943616-52-2. Nihil Obstat by Chorbishop John
Faris, andImprimatur by Archbishop Francis Zayek, Diocese of St. Maron OUT OFPRINT Patrimonium universae Christi
Ecclesiae, the heritage of theentire Church of Christ, the Second Vatican Council insisted, is thehistory, tradition, and
very many ecclesiastical institutions which cometo the Universal Church from the Eastern Churches The Fathers
gatheredin the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 AD at Nicea. The legates sentby my predecessor, Hadrian I
presided. "Rejoicing as one who finds muchtreasure," the Council, in its canonical regulations, brought forth
theSACRED CANONS and confirmed them, briefly declaring them to be thosewhich, according to tradition, came from
the sacred Apostles, "the sixholy and universal Synods and Councils which gathered locally" and "fromour holy Fathers
. . . ." from the Apostolic Constitution Sacri Canonesby John Paul, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God. 785pp.
Table ofContents: Foreward to the Translation Apostolic Constitution SacriCanones Preface to the Latin Edition Outline
of the Code by CanonsLiturgy of St. Basil Canon of the Code in Latin and English GlossaryTable of Corresponding
Canons
Format: Paperback / Signed
Associated Dealer: St. Joseph School for Boys Bookstore
Our Price: $85.79

Canons on-line?

NEVER in Orthodoxy. Another latinization!

It was bad enough when Martin Luther told the laity to start reading the Bible

Dear Adminstrator,

The copyright 1990 for the Latin translation is held by the Adminstration of the Pattrimony of the Apostolic See Vatican city.

The copyright 1992 for the translation,
foward,glossary and tables of corresponding canons are held by the Canon Law Society of America Washington DC.
These are the laws of OUR Church. Emphasis on OURS as long as you don't profit from it why is it wrong to post our Church laws here. If I quote from Canon here for the benefit of someone am I breaking copyright laws? Where does the Canon Law Society of America get the money to publish the Canons?

Nicky's Baba

Slava Isusu Christu

There is a more recent copy of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches available for purchase; it became available in March, 2001, and has the Imprimatur of Theodore Cardinal McCarrick of Washington, DC.

As I recall, it cost approx. $50, and was easily obtainable through the Pauline Book & Media (a RC Bookstore run by the Daughters of St. Paul).

I'm not sure if Axios is kidding or not...I assume so with the smilie face.

At any rate, an interesting website with info on the Canons of the Orthodox Church is at:

http://www.3saints.com/canons.html

Dave Ignatius DTBrown@aol.com

[ 06-13-2002: Message edited by: DTBrown ]

Dear Administrator,

Frankly, I'm not clear on the role of canon law in Orthodoxy.

The Rudder shows that the Orthodox truly have a set of regulations from the Councils and the Fathers organized in orderly fashion and that govern the life of the Church and Her members.

Then there is the Roman Church's Canon Law . . .

I wonder how one could characterize the differences here in qualitative terms?

Orthoman?

Alex

Dear Orthoman,

You are just so loveable!!

Sitting and waiting indeed . . .

Could you comment, Smarty Pants , on the canons in Orthodoxy and how the Conciliar rules and regulations differ from the Latin notion of "Canon Law?"

Alex

Alex my friend:

Better tone down all those sweet words you greet me with. I'm a diabetic too you know and you are just making my blood sugar go sky high!

Now, to answer your two previous posts. I hope this helps (took me over a half hour to type it) -

From 'Historical Dictionary of the Orthodox Church'.

[Alex: Hope you appreciate how long it took me to type this since I'm a three finger typist!]

CANON LAW: the term "canon" is a Greek word that comes from Hebrew and means a "reed or straight rod" used in measuring, i.e., a "yardstick" which has the same bivalent senses in English). In early Christianity it was used to connote a rule or norm of behavior, truth, or faith (Gal 6:16). Canons are distinguished from dogmas (q.v.) in that canons are generally disciplinary rules for the organization and administration of the Church, whereas, dogmas are immutable doctrines and basic principles of faith. For example, canons may be changed by human agency but dogmas may not. The canons of the seven ecumenical councils (q.v.) are given certain precedence in the Eastern Church over laws and local churches.
Canons differ also from state laws on Church matters, an important point since Orthodoxy has a long history of relations between Church and state (q.v.). Every state defines the relationship between itself and Church bodies, but this is not Canon Law. Canon Law differs both in origin and discipline from state law, e.g., Byzantine Law (q.v.). Canon Law is made by the Church, while state law is issued by secular powers - two different institutions of society. Further, the principle of the Church discipline is voluntary obedience and not forced constraints, as it is with the state. It is true that the Church may impose disciplinary punishment for violation of Canon Law, but these disciplinary measures are to be voluntarily accepted and followed: they are not forced. The most severe ecclesiastical discipline is excommuication, which in itself might not even physically separate the individual from the community. In summary, Canon Law is passed by the Church itself and established by its own legislative bodies. Church law does not lose its specific character if, as sometimes happens, the state assumes responsibility for it and approves it. Ultimately, the Church is responsible for the formation and application or "economy" (q.v.) of its own laws.
Eastern Orthodox Canon Law comes from three sources: Holy Scripture, Church legislation, and Church custom. Although the Scriptures (q.v.) are the basic source of Canon Law, one would search in vain there for a detailed system of Church organization. The significance of Scripture as it relates to Canon Law is that it embodies principles of Christian doctrine from which rules may be extrapolated for solving disciplinary problems within the Church - but only the Church itself may do that. The second source, Church legislation, originated not only as written rules, but also as oral tradition. The legislation is comprised of local Church councils preceding the Ecumenical Councils, the Ecumenical Councils themselves, and the local Church councils afterwards. Church custom or usage is different from Holy Tradition (q.v.) in that Holy Tradition is looked to for dogma, while custom is a source for ecclesiastical discipline. For example, Basil of Caesarea (q.v.) emphasized repeatly that some disciplinary rules were accepted "not on the ground of any Canon but only on the ground of useage followed by those who have preceded us" (Canon 4, 87). Still, not every custom may be a basis of Canon Law. In order to be so, the custom must have been observed for a long time, it must have been freely subscribed to, and it must be in conformity with the principles of faith and order.
The body of Canon Law of the early Church, included the Apostolic Canons, the Canons, of the Ecumenical Councils, the Canons of the Local Councils, and the Canons of the Holy Fathers. Later collections that were popularly used are those of Dionysius Exiguus, John Scholasticus, Syntagma Canonicon, The Nomocanons, and the 12th century Canonical Editions of Aristenus, Zonaras, and Balsamon (qq.v). The most extensive, comprehensive collection in modern times were made by Russian, Greek, Serbian, and Bulgarian scholars of the 19th century. The best available English edition of the canons of the undivided Church is H. R. Percival's volume XIV of the Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers.

Dear Orthoman,

Thank you for that painstaking and copiously comprehensive post!

And I don't need to sweeten you up, since you are obviously sweet enough!!

Your post shows that the Orthodox Church indeed has its own canonical law tradition.

It was St John Chrysostom, I believe, who bemoaned the fact that so few Christians knew about the rules and regulations of Christian living set down by the Church.

It's just that you won't catch me reading the Rudder on a Saturday night!

Alex

[And I don't need to sweeten you up, since you are obviously sweet enough!!]

Yeh! Any sweeter and I'll be on insulin!

OrthoMan

Dear Orthoman,

Perish the thought! God forbid!

But you do a great job "sticking it" to others you know . . .

Alex

From the Aposotolic Constitution _Sacri Canones_, given by Pope John Paul II on 18 October 1990 when the Eastern Code of Canons was promulgated:

"John Paul
Bishop
Servant of the Servants of God
for Perpetual Memory

To the Venerable Brothers,
the Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops,
and Beloved Sons, the Presbyters,
Deacons and other Christian Faithful
of the Eastern Churches...

Nevertheless, the heritage of the sacred canons common to all of the Eastern Churches coalesces with the passing of the ages and with the character of each and every group of the Christian faithful, from which the individual Churches are constituted, and so takes on in the name of Christ and his evangelical message their whole culture and not simply of one and the same nation. Thus it belongs to the heart of the people, inviolable and most worthy of every consideration....

I exhort all of the faithful to carry out these proposed precepts with sincere hearts and good will; without doubt there is nothing that will more exceptionally serve the Eastern Churches than disciplined care for the souls of the Christian faithful, that they may flourish more and more and carry out the duty entrusted to them under the patronage of the glorious and blessed Mary ever Virgin, who is most truly called Theotokos and stands out as the exalted Mother of the entire Church."

Granted these words must be taken in context. Canon law, as our Administrator has said, is excellent medicine for insomnia. But, the Church has always spoken of "the holy canons." They are an important part of our Church. One must be careful not to read the canons in isolation to other considerations: the salvation of souls, proper ecclesial authority, etc., etc. John Paul says our canon law belongs to the faithful (and not just to clerics). And, yet, I would venture that 98% of our people have never even seen a copy of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Most of those probably never have wanted to and can live just fine without reading it. But, many of our faithful wish they had easier access to it. This, again, is one reason why I feel the Code should be available online to those who wish to read it.

Dave Ignatius DTBrown@aol.com

[ 06-13-2002: Message edited by: DTBrown ]

[But you do a great job "sticking it" to others you know . . .]

That honest reply just brought my blood sugar down 40 points!

OrthoMan