Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIV/The Fourth Ecumenical Council/Canons/Canon XXII

Canon XXII.

is not lawful for clergymen, after the death of their bishop, to seize what belongs to him, as has been forbidden also by the ancient canons; and those who do so shall be in danger of degradation from their own rank.

Notes.

Whoever seizes the goods of his deceased bishop shall be cast forth from his rank.

It is curious that the Greek text which Zonaras and Balsamon produce, and which Hervetus translated, had instead of &#964;&#959;&#8150;&#962; &#960;&#8049;&#955;&#945;&#953; &#954;&#945;&#957;&#8057;&#963;&#953;, &#964;&#959;&#953;&#962; &#960;&#945;&#961;&#945;&#955;&#945;&#956;&#946;&#8049;&#957;&#959;&#965;&#963;&#953;&#957; .&#160; Van Espen thinks that the Greek commentators have tried without success to attach any meaning to these words, accepting the arguments of Bp. Beveridge (which see).&#160; The reading adopted in the text does not lack authority, and is the one printed by Justellus in his &#8220;Codex of the Canons of the Universal Church.&#8221;

This canon is found in the Corpus Juris Canonici, Gratian&#8217;s Decretum, Pars II., Causa XII., Qu&#230;st. II., canon xliii., in Isidore&#8217;s version.