Canon XXXVI.
Renewing
the enactments by the
150 Fathers assembled at the God-protected and imperial city, and those
of the 630 who met at Chalcedon; we decree that the see of
Constantinople shall have equal privileges with the see of Old Rome,
and shall be highly regarded in ecclesiastical matters as that is, and
shall be second after it. After Constantinople shall be ranked
the See of Alexandria, then that of Antioch, and afterwards the See of
Jerusalem.
Notes.
Ancient Epitome of Canon
XXXVI.
Let the throne of Constantinople be next after that of
Rome, and enjoy equal privileges. After it Alexandria, then
Antioch, and then Jerusalem.
Balsamon
.
The Fathers here speak of the Second and Third canons of
the Second Synod [i.e. I. Constantinople] and of canon xxviij. of the
Fourth Synod [i.e. Chalcedon]. And read what we have said on
these canons.
Aristenus.
We have explained the third canon of the Synod of
Constantinople and the twenty-eighth canon of the Synod of Chalcedon as
meaning, when asserting that the bishop of Constantinople should enjoy
equal privileges after the Roman bishop, that he should be placed
second from the Roman in point of time. So here too this
preposition “after” denotes time but not honour. For
after many years this throne of Constantinople obtained equal
privileges with the Roman Church; because it was honoured by the
presence of the Emperor and of the Senate.
On this opinion of Aristenus’s the reader is
referred to the notes on Canon iij. of I. Constantinople.
Justinian.
(
Novella
CXXXI.,
Cap
.
ij.)
We command that according to the definitions of the Four
Councils the most holy Pope of Old Rome shall be first of all the
priests. But the most blessed Archbishop of Constantinople, which
is New Rome, shall have the second place after the Holy Apostolic See
of Old Rome.
This canon, in a mutilated form, is found in the
Corpus Juris Canonici
, Gratian’s
Decretum
, Pars I.,
Dist. XXII., c. vj.