The canon shows that the prohibition of reconciliation performed by presbyters, as mentioned in canon 3 of the same council [135] had a disciplinary character, and there was no important theological reasons for it. As this canon shows, presbyters could validly reconcile penitents, the only condition being obtaining the absent bishop's permission, which of course raises questions about how, technically, such a permission could be obtained. It also shows incidentally that it might quite often have been the case that bishops' stays outside their dioceses were long enough to justify such provisions.