Collections of laws

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III presents a methodical classification of the church law collections, and clarifies their sources and the standing of each collection in the history of church life.

Sources of church laws

• The Holy Bible is the first and fundamental source of church laws. It contains texts about marriage and divorce and prohibitions of marriage and rulings for spiritual and priestly life.

• Apostolic Canons (Laws of the Apostles): a respected collection consisting of 127 laws compiled in two books (56 and 71) and published by the Patrologia Orientalis collections. One must beware of forged laws attributed to the apostles or published in later collections without verification.

• The Disciplinary Teachings (Didascalia): an interpretive and regulatory collection of 38 chapters that explains the work of the clergy and the conditions of ordination and worship; it is more instructional than literal legislative texts.

Ecumenical and local councils

• Ecumenical councils: Council of Nicaea (325 AD — issued about 20 canons to organize the Church alongside the Creed), Council of Constantinople (381 AD — added to the Creed the portion concerning the Holy Spirit), and Council of Ephesus (431 AD). These councils are important for doctrinal firmness and for organizing church affairs.

• Local/regional councils: appeared after the Edict of Milan (313 AD) councils like Ancyra (314 AD), Caesarea Nova (315 AD) and Carthage (councils in 257 AD and 419 AD) which addressed practical issues such as accepting the baptism of heretics and organizing penalties for apostates.

Laws of the great Fathers and monasticism

• Letters and teachings of the Church Fathers (Basil, Athanasius, Timothy, Dionysius, Peter, Cyril…) contained legal texts or theological fatwas that became laws referred to.

• Monastic rules: laws that arose from monastic life (Anba Pachomius and Anba Shenouda the Anchorite…) and some of them transmitted to the West via Basil and John Cassian.

Historical and methodological warning

• The lecturer warns of forged laws or later additions (such as those attributed to Ibn al-‘Assal or Ibn Qir) and stresses the necessity of historical criticism when taking from these references.

Practical spiritual conclusion

• Church laws are the result of biblical, traditional, and historical sources and aim to preserve the mystery of the Church and organize worship and spiritual life. It is necessary to distinguish the fixed from the temporary and the transmitted accurately to preserve the sanctity of the heritage and the order of the Church.

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