Canon XII.
(
Greek
.)
Bishop
Hosius
said: Since no case should be left unprovided
for, let this also be decreed.
395
Some of our
brethren and fellow-bishops are known to possess very little private
property in the cities in which they are placed as bishops, but have
great possessions in other places, with which they are, moreover, able
to help the poor. I think then permission should be given them,
if they are to visit their estates and attend to the gathering of the
harvest, to pass three Sundays, that is, to stay for three weeks, on
their estates, and to assist at divine worship and celebrate the
liturgy in the nearest church in which a presbyter holds service, in
order that they may not be seen to be absent from worship, and in order
that they may not come too frequently to the
city in which there is a bishop. In this
way their private affairs will suffer no loss from their absence and
they will be seen to be clear from the charge of ambition and
arrogance.
All the bishops said: This decree also is approved
by us.
(
Latin
.)
Bishop
Hosius
said: Since no case should be left unprovided
for [let this also be decreed]. There are some of our
brother-bishops, who do not reside in the city in which they are
appointed bishops, either because they have but little property there,
while they are known to have considerable estates elsewhere, or, it may
be, through affection for kith and kin and in complaisance to
these. Let this much be permitted them, to go to their estates to
superintend and dispose of their harvest, and [for this purpose] to
remain over three Sundays, that is, for three weeks, if it be
necessary, on their estates; or else, if there is a neighbouring city
in which there is a presbyter, in order that they may not be seen to
pass Sunday without church, let them go thither, so that [in this way]
neither will their private affairs suffer loss from their absence, nor
will they, by frequent going to the city in which a bishop is resident,
incur the suspicion of ambition and place-seeking. All said that
this was approved by them.
Notes.
Ancient Epitome of Canon
XII.
If a bishop has possessions outside his diocese, and
visits them, let him be careful not to remain there more than three
Lord’s days. For thus his own flock will be enriched by
him, and he himself will avoid the charge of arrogance.
This is Canon XV. of the Latin.
Van Espen.
As Balsamon notes, this canon is an appendix to that
which goes before, and the context of the canon indicates this clearly
enough; for while the last canon decrees that no bishop is to be absent
from his diocese for more than three Lord’s days, without grave
necessity, in this canon a certain modification is introduced with
regard to certain bishops.
Hefele.
According to the Latin text of Dionysius, it is:
“Some bishops do not reside in their Cathedral town,
etc.” Isidore and the
Prisca
, however, are nearer
the Greek text, as instead of
resident
they more rightly read
possident
.
395
Here begins the Greek
text according to Bev.