Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIV/Additional Canons 1/Synod of Laodicea/Canons/Canon XX

Canon XX.

is not right for a deacon to sit in the presence of a presbyter, unless he be bidden by the presbyter to sit down.&#160; Likewise the deacons shall have worship of the subdeacons and all the [inferior] clergy.

Notes.

A deacon shall not sit down unless bidden.

This is another canon to curb the ambition of Levites who wish to take upon themselves the honours of the priesthood also.&#160; Spiritual Cores seem to have been common in early times among the deacons and this is but one of many canons on the subject.&#160; Compare Canon XVIII of the Council of Nice.&#160; Van Espen points out that in the Apostolic Constitutions (Lib. II., cap. lvij), occurs the following passage, &#8220;Let the seat for the bishop be set in the midst, and on each side of him let the presbyters sit, and let the deacons stand, having their loins girded.&#8221;

Here it should be noted, by the way, that in this canon there is presented a hierarchy consisting of bishops, presbyters, and deacons and other inferior ministers, each with their mutual subordination one to the other.

This canon is found in the Corpus Juris Canonici, Gratian&#8217;s Decretum, Pars I., Dist. xciii., c. xv., in Dionysius&#8217;s version.