The Presbyters Project

Canon 125

De presbyteris et clericis, ut non appellent nisi ad Africana concilia.

Item placuit ut presbyteri, diaconi, uel ceteri inferiores clerici in causis quas habuerint, si de iudiciis episcoporum suorum questi fuerint, uicini episcopi eos audiant, et inter eos quidquid est finiant adhibiti ab eis ex consensu episcoporum suorum.

Quod si et ab eis prouocandum putauerint, non prouocent nisi ad Africana concilia uel ad primates prouinciarum suarum; ad transmarina autem qui putauerit appellandum, a nullo intra Africam in communionem suscipiatur.

(ed. Munier 1974: 227)

Canon 125

Presbyters and clerics should appeal only to the African councils.

It pleased us that if presbyters, deacons, and other lower clerics, in the cases which they had, were dissatisfied with the judgements of their bishops, they should be heard by neighbouring bishops, with the consent of their bishops, and the matter should end there.

If they thought that they had reason to appeal from this decision, they should appeal only to African councils or to the primates of their provinces.

And if someone dares to appeal overseas, he shall not be accepted into communion by anyone in Africa.

(trans. S. Adamiak)

Discussion:

The canon was repeated a year later [260] in the midst of the case of Apiarius, who acted in direct violation of it.

Place of event:

Region

Latin North Africa
Italy south of Rome and Sicily

City

Carthage
Capua

About the source:

Title: Carthage Register, Registri Ecclesiae Carthaginensis Excerpta
Origin: Carthage (Latin North Africa)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The text of the canon was transmitted in the Carthage Register (Registri Ecclesiae Carthaginensis Excerpta). This collection was compiled by an anonymous author in the 5th century and included by Dionysius Exiguus in his "Codex canonum Ecclesiae Universae" in the early 6th century. It is sometimes known as "Codex canonum Ecclesiae Africanae" (Clavis Patrum Latinorum erroneously attributes this name to the "Codices in causa Apiarii" alone). In the text of the collection, the fiction is maintained, as if they were all read at the session of the Council of Carthage, 30 May 418. The canons from this collection were accepted later by the Council of Trullo (AD 692).

Edition:

C. Munier ed., Concilia Africae a. 345-a. 525, Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina 149, Turnhoult 1974, 173-247.

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Public law - Ecclesiastical

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

Administration of justice - Excommunication/Anathema

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER315, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=315