The Canons of St John the Faster

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He says that our shortening the periods of repentance in this way will not appear unreasonable to those who, as I believe, reason rightly. For neither Basil the Great nor the more ancient of our divinely inspired Fathers prescribed for those who sin any particular fast, vigil, or number of prostrations, but only abstention from Holy Communion. We therefore judged that, for those who repent sincerely, willingly afflict the flesh by strict disciplines, and gratefully pursue a way of life that counterbalances their former evil, the reduction of the period of repentance ought to be measured according to the measure of their self-restraint. For example, if someone agrees not to drink wine on specified days, we judged that one year should be removed from the penance prescribed by the Fathers for his offence. Likewise, if he promises to abstain from meat for a time, we approved cutting off another year; and similarly for cheese and eggs, or fish, or oil: for abstinence from each one of these kinds, one year is removed. The same is to be done if he chooses to propitiate God by frequent prostrations, and especially if he shows a generous purpose in almsgiving that is not less than his means. If, after the fall, someone has also entered the God-loving solitary life, we judged it good to promise him an even shorter remission, since throughout life he is to pursue the hardship proper to such a discipline.

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The assault of pleasure upon the heart through thoughts, since the sin has not yet been carried into effect, is wholly without penance.

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Association with the thought is washed away by twelve prostrations.

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The struggle is worthy either of crowns or of punishment.

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Consent is the cause and beginning of the penances.

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One who is polluted during sleep by the passion of an emission is excluded from Communion for one day; after chanting Psalm 50 and making forty-nine prostrations, he is thus believed to be cleansed from the defilement.

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One who is polluted in body while awake is barred from Communion until the seventh day, chanting Psalm 50 and making forty-nine prostrations each day.

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One who has committed masturbation is placed under penance for forty days, living on dry food and making one hundred prostrations each day.

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Mutual intercourse of this kind, since it effects a double act of masturbation, receives the stated penance for as many as eighty days.

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If anyone among the clergy fell into the passion of masturbation before being ordained, perhaps not daring to disclose it because he would be dismissed from the priesthood for this alone, let him first receive a sufficient penance and then approach ordination. But if he was caught in this after ordination, let him be suspended from the priesthood for one year, corrected by the customary disciplines, and then restored to the priesthood. If, after recognizing the sin, he commits it twice or three times, let him cease from the priesthood and enter the rank of readers.

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Likewise, a woman who has permitted a man's kisses and touching, but has not been violated, receives the penance for masturbation.

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For every monk or layman who has committed fornication, we prescribe that he not commune for two years, provided that after the ninth hour he is willing to use dry food and to make two hundred and fifty prostrations. But if he is negligent, let him complete the period prescribed by the Fathers.

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We deem an adulterer worthy to partake of Communion after three years, provided that he does not shrink from dry food after the ninth hour and makes fifty prostrations each day. If he is disposed to negligence, let him await the end of the period prescribed by the Fathers.

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We command that one who has raged against his own sister be deemed worthy of Communion after three years, if he chooses to fast until evening, live on dry food, and make five hundred prostrations each day.

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We exclude from Communion for two years one who has had intercourse with his own daughter-in-law, provided that he lives on dry food after the ninth hour and makes three hundred prostrations each day. But if he is enslaved to negligence, let him complete the years prescribed by the Fathers.

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One who has raged against his own mother-in-law is subject to the same penances, without being separated from his wife, according to the law which says: 'Things valid from the beginning are not invalidated by what happens afterwards.'

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Canon 2 of Saint Dionysius and Canon 7 of Timothy command women during their monthly flow not to touch any of the holy things for seven days. The ancient Law also commands this. Nor does it permit them to unite with men, for through this the offspring conceived become weak and defective. For this reason divine Moses ordered the father of the deformed child to be stoned, because through incontinence he did not await his wife's purification. They command a woman who, during the time of this same uncleanness, shows contempt and touches the Divine Mysteries to remain without Communion for forty days.

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It seemed good that one who has had intercourse with a male be barred from Communion for three years, weeping and fasting, living on dry food toward evening, and making two hundred prostrations. But if he gives greater place to ease, let him complete fifteen years.

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A boy who has been violated by someone does not enter the priesthood. Although he did not sin because of the incompleteness of his age, his vessel was nevertheless ruptured and has become unfit for sacred ministry. But if he received the discharge between the thighs, he is not to be barred from advancing to the priesthood after receiving a suitable penance.

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We exclude a voluntary murderer from Communion for five years and an involuntary murderer for three, provided that the killer fasts until evening, uses the strictest dry diet, and is willing to make three hundred prostrations each day. If he is disposed to sluggishness, let him complete the rule of the Fathers.

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For those who deliberately destroy embryos, and for those who give or receive drugs in order to cause abortion and make infants fall prematurely, we prescribe that they be treated by economy for up to five years, or at most three.

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A woman who involuntarily loses her infant receives a penance of one year.

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A woman who lies upon her infant and suffocates it is deemed worthy of Communion after three years, abstaining from meat and cheese on the specified days and laboriously fulfilling the other requirements. If this occurred through the parents' negligence or incontinence, it is likened to voluntary murder; but if it occurred through a plot of the adversary, the matter is worthy of pardon. Nevertheless, even this requires moderate penances, for this abandonment occurred because of other offences.

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When an unbaptized child dies through the negligence of its own parents, the parents are excluded from Communion for three years, living on dry food during that time and propitiating God by bending the knees, weeping, and giving alms according to their ability, while making forty prostrations each day.

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A nun who knows that others have committed adultery or destroyed an infant and does not disclose it to the superior receives the same penance as the one who committed the act, according to Canon 71 of Basil the Great.

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The law punishes as murderesses those who expose their own infants at the entrances of churches, even if some persons take them up and preserve them.

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We bar from Communion for forty days a thief who repents voluntarily, and for up to six months one who is convicted, living on dry food after the ninth hour and making one hundred prostrations each day.

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One convicted of public theft in matters called capital thefts does not enter the priesthood; and if he falls into this passion after entering it, he is stripped of the priesthood, according to Canon 25 of the Holy Apostles.

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We prescribe that a grave robber remain without Communion for one year, living on dry food after the ninth hour and making two hundred prostrations each day.

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Sacrilege is punished for a shorter period than adultery, according to Saint Gregory of Nyssa, and is administered by economy for up to three years.

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We judged that those who committed perjury under necessity—or without necessity—ought to postpone Communion for one year, living on dry food after the ninth hour and making two hundred and fifty prostrations each day.

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For those who confess enchantment or sorcery, he shortens by economy the period of repentance to three years, provided that each day they are willing to hold fasting in the highest regard, to use hard and dry food after the ninth hour, to live as plainly as possible, and also to make two hundred and fifty prostrations, reverently placing the forehead upon the ground. He assigns the same correction to women who make amulets and practise divination.

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Neither a laywoman nor a nun is separated from the Church for any offence, but only from Communion. For the canon says that we do this because many, from shame, have taken their own lives; likewise neither a presbyter nor a deacon receives two punishments, because: 'You shall not exact vengeance twice for the same thing.'

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If something unclean falls into a well, into oil, or into wine, one who tastes from it is not to touch meat or cheese for three days and is not to commune for seven.

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One who vomits after receiving Divine Communion is to abstain from Divine Communion for forty days, chanting Psalm 50 each day and making fifty prostrations, however this may have occurred. For although he may think that he himself gave no occasion for it, nevertheless it was permitted because of certain other offences of his.