Ecclesiastical Punishments [4]
We speak about the ancient ecclesiastical canons, known since the earliest ages of Christianity, and known during the times of the Ecumenical and Local Councils up to the middle of the fifth century A.D., when the Church was extremely firm and decisive in dealing with believers and in punishing them for their grave sins with public penalties.
The Source of the Authority to Punish
The authority of the Church to impose punishment is a divine authority, about which the Lord said: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” And He also said about the sinner: “If he refuses to listen to the Church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17–18).
This ecclesiastical authority was exercised by St. Peter the Apostle when he punished Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), and by St. Paul the Apostle when he punished the sinner of Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:5), and in the curse he pronounced upon Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:11). Likewise, he imposed the punishment of anathema upon anyone who erred in doctrine.
The divine purpose of punishment was for the Church to preserve her holiness, for sinners to be deterred, and for the rest to have fear (1 Timothy 5:20 – Acts 5:11). Divine punishments have their roots extending back to the Old Testament since the sin of Adam and Eve, and the Fathers and prophets also exercised and executed such punishments with divine authority.
Degrees and Types of Punishment
Ecclesiastical punishments are in degrees, differing according to the nature of the sin and its repetition. They are imposed upon those who sin and those who neglect their spiritual duties. Every fault has its weight and measure. The Fathers established an important legal principle: “It is not permissible to impose two punishments for one sin.”
An exception to this rule is heresy and false teaching, and every deviation from the sound faith. There is a sin whose punishment for a layman is excommunication, but for a priest, the punishment is the deposition of his priestly rank without excommunication from the community of believers.
However, if the priest falls into heresy, both punishments are imposed upon him—he is deposed not only from his priestly rank but from all ecclesiastical degrees, no matter how high, and he is also excommunicated from the community of believers. Thus happened with Arius the priest and all who followed his heresy among bishops, priests, and deacons. The same occurred with Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, and before him with Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople. As for a monk, if he becomes heretical, he may lose both his priesthood and monasticism, and be excommunicated from the community of believers—that is, three punishments.
What happens, for example, if a deacon or priest remarries after being widowed?
In this case, the deacon is deposed from his diaconate, and the priest is deposed from the presbyterate, but both remain within the community of believers. If a monk-priest marries, he is deposed from the priesthood and stripped of his monastic order, but he is not excommunicated from the community of believers. Instead, he enters into a canon of repentance and may not partake of Communion as a vow-breaker until his period of punishment ends. When and how that ends will be discussed, God willing, on another occasion.
Excommunication
Excommunication is derived from two parts: Ex meaning “outside,” and Community meaning “the community,” so the punishment means expelling the wrongdoers outside the community of believers.
It is different from Anathema, which is imposed on heretics.
Among its examples are the twelve anathemas pronounced by St. Cyril the Great against Nestorius and all who fall into his heresies in detail. Another example is St. Paul’s words: “If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed (Anathema)” (Galatians 1:8–9).
The person excommunicated from the Church is said to be anathematized, while a priest deposed from his priestly rank is said to be deposed, and the act of removing a priest from his priesthood is called deposal. We mention these expressions to distinguish between these kinds of punishments, since many laypeople know only the word “excommunicated.” Sometimes, a priest in anger may tell a believer, “You are excommunicated!” without specifying what he means by this excommunication.
Is it excommunication from Communion, or from entering the Church, or from the community of believers? Is it temporary or permanent? The punished person may not understand its meaning, and perhaps even the priest has no clear definition in mind—it might just be a word said in anger. Naturally, excommunication should be based on canonical laws and proper ecclesiastical procedures.
The term “anathema” must not be used carelessly, without a proper canonical reason, nor should it be used vaguely without clarification, lest confusion and doubt arise among people and they lose trust in ecclesiastical authority.
Ecclesiastical Punishments and the System of the Choirs
In ancient times, ecclesiastical punishments were connected with the system of church choirs and the architectural layout of the church. The nave was not one open space but divided into sections called choirs, separated by partitions or railings.
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The first section, closest to the sanctuary, was the Choir of the Faithful, sometimes called the Choir of the Saints. This was for those believers who had the right to attend all parts of the Divine Liturgy and to receive Communion. They also had the right to offer their oblations, which were mentioned in the Prayer of the Oblations. This choir also included penitents in the final stage of repentance, who were allowed to attend the Liturgy but not partake of the Holy Mysteries until their penitential period ended. The Church also did not accept their offerings or gifts—they were merely participants in prayer.
The Church did not accept offerings or gifts from condemned sinners, in accordance with the divine saying: “Let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head” (Psalm 140), and “You shall not bring the wages of a harlot… into the house of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 23:18). Similarly, the Church does not accept offerings or money gained through sinful means—such as from usury, idol-making, deceit, injustice, or immoral entertainment. Nor does she accept offerings from a sinner under ecclesiastical penalty or barred from Communion until his punishment ends, so that he may feel the weight of his sin.
Degrees of Punishments and Their Places in the Choirs
A sinner was assigned a period of punishment that could last for years, during which he progressed through several choir stages until finally reaching the level of penitents participating in prayer with the faithful. These degrees were:
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The Order of the Weepers (Penitents) Outside the Church:
They were not allowed to enter the church at all but stood in the outer courtyard, weeping over their sins and begging those entering and leaving to pray for them. Some or all of them wore sackcloth in humility, in accordance with the verse: “Holiness befits Your house, O Lord” (Psalm 92). When they completed this period properly, they moved to: -
The Choir of the Hearers (Catechumens):
This was a vestibule at the back of the church. They were permitted to listen to the readings from the Epistles, the Catholic Epistles, Acts, and the Gospel, as well as the sermon, but were dismissed before the Liturgy of the Faithful. In this choir, Jews, Gentiles, and catechumens were also allowed. Before the Offertory, a deacon would announce, “Let none of the catechumens or unbelievers remain,” and all in this choir would leave. -
The Choir of the Kneelers:
This choir was closest to the faithful. They were not allowed to attend the Divine Liturgy or offer oblations, but because they had advanced in repentance, they stood closer. They attended the readings and sermons, kneeling while the bishop or priest prayed over them before dismissing them. After completing this stage, they advanced to the next degree. -
The Degree of Penitents Participating in Prayer:
This was the final stage of repentance and punishment. After completing it, the penitent was allowed to receive Communion, and the Church accepted his offerings again.
The End of This Penal System
Today, this system of punishments is no longer practiced in any church in the world, as people cannot endure it anymore. It used to be public and suited the spirit of contrition and repentance, which is rarely found now. People once endured punishments lasting seven, ten, or even twenty years—who could bear such today? No one.
Therefore, the Roman Catholic Church abolished these punishments from the old canons long ago. The Byzantine or Greek Orthodox Churches also abolished them since the eleventh century. With them, the offices of the “Instructor” and “Chief Instructor” disappeared, and the choir system vanished from church architecture long ago.
Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, published in Watani Newspaper on 19-7-1987.
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