1The council confirms the Nicene faith and anathematizes the Eunomians, Semi-Arians or Pneumatomachi, Sabellians, Marcellians, Photinians and Apollinarians.
2Bishops are confined to their own civil dioceses (Egypt, the East, Asia, Pontus, Thrace), with Antioch's Nicene privileges kept and each province governed by its synod.
3The bishop of Constantinople ranks in honor next after the bishop of Rome, Constantinople being New Rome.
4The irregular consecration of Maximus the Cynic at Constantinople and all his ordinations are declared invalid.
5The synod accepts those at Antioch who confess the one Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in agreement with the Western tome.
6Private complaints against a bishop may be brought by anyone, but ecclesiastical charges only by orthodox accusers in good standing, first before the provincial bishops and then a synod of the diocese, under penalty for false accusation.
7Converts from some heresies are received by written renunciation and anointing with chrism; others, including Eunomians, Montanists and Sabellians, are received as pagans and baptized.
About this work
Author
Anonymous
Attribution
authentic · Second ecumenical council (Constantinople I). Canons 5–7 are often judged later additions.
Standing
Received by the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. Ecumenical council; its creed and definitions are received by Catholics, Orthodox, and the main Protestant confessions (canons less so among Protestants).
Date
381–382 (probable) · Canons 1–4 are the council's; 5–7 are often judged later additions (382 or later). The creed is not staged.
Written at
Constantinople, Thrace
Language
Greek
Genre
canon/council
Reference system
canons 1–7 in the traditional numbering
SBL abbreviation
Conc. Const. INot yet checked
Text from
Nikodemos the Hagiorite and Agapios, eds., Πηδάλιον τῆς νοητῆς νηὸς τῆς μιᾶς ἁγίας καθολικῆς καὶ ἀποστολικῆς τῶν ὀρθοδόξων ἐκκλησίας (Leipzig: Breitkopf, 1800; reprinted Athens and Zakynthos), text as transcribed on Greek Wikisource (raw wikitext, canon text only) (Printed edition in the public domain; Wikisource transcription CC BY-SA)
Critical editions
Hermann Theodor Bruns, ed., Canones apostolorum et conciliorum veterum selecti, vol. 1 (Berlin: Reimer, 1839); Friedrich Lauchert, ed., Die Kanones der wichtigsten altkirchlichen Concilien (Freiburg i. B.: Mohr, 1896); Périclès-Pierre Joannou, ed., Discipline générale antique (IVe-IXe s.), vol. 1.2 (Grottaferrata: Tipografia Italo-Orientale, 1962) (cited, not reproduced)