The Synod of Ancyra was an ecclesiastical council, or synod, convened in

Ancyra Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, mak ...

(modern-day

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

, the capital of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

), the seat of the Roman administration for the province of Galatia, in 314. The season was soon after Easter; the year may be safely deduced from the fact that the first nine canons are intended to repair havoc wreaked in the church by persecution, which ceased after the overthrow of

Maximinus II Galerius Valerius Maximinus, born as Daza (20 November 270 – July 313), was Roman emperor from 310 to 313 CE. He became embroiled in the Civil wars of the Tetrarchy between rival claimants for control of the empire, in which he was defeate ...

in 313. Only about a dozen bishops were present, nonetheless representing nearly every part of Syria and

Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

. Either Vitalis, Bishop of Antioch, or

Marcellus of Ancyra Marcellus may refer to: * Marcellus (name) * Marcus Claudius Marcellus, Roman commander Places * Marcellus, Lot-et-Garonne, France * Marcellus Township, Michigan ** Marcellus, Michigan, a village in Marcellus Township ** Marcellus Community Sch ...

presided, and possibly both were present, although the Libellus Synodicus, also known as the Synodicon Vetus, assigns to the latter. The tenth canon tolerates the marriages of deacons who previous to ordination had reserved the right to take a wife. The thirteenth forbids

chorepiscopi A chorbishop is a rank of Christian clergy below bishop. The name chorepiscope or chorepiscopus (plural chorepiscopi) is taken from the Greek and means "rural bishop". History Chorepiscopi are first mentioned by Eusebius as existing in the seco ...

to ordain presbyters or deacons. The sixteenth canon brackets the Christians who have committed bestiality, or may still have been doing so, into several different groups based on the offender's age, and assigns different penances to each group; married men over 20 were sanctioned more harshly than unmarried youths, and married men over 50 received the harshest sanctions. The seventeenth canon condemns the Christians who have either committed bestiality or had sexual intercourse with a

leprous Leprous is a Norwegian rock band from Notodden, formed in 2001. The group was founded by singer and keyboardist Einar Solberg and guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke. After releasing several demos with relatively unstable lineups, the band released th ...

woman, while themselves being leprous, to having to pray with the ''wintering people'' - i.e. outside church buildings. The equation of leprous women with beasts is generally considered difficult to interpret. The eighteenth safeguards the right of the people in objecting to the appointment of a bishop whom they do not wish. Canon XXII: Concerning wilful murderers let them remain prostrators; but at the end of life let them be indulged with full communion. Canon XXIV imposes five years of penance upon those who consult magicians.

References

;Attribution

External links

Canons of the Council of Ancyra
{{Authority control

314 310s in the Roman Empire Events in Ankara Christian clerical marriage Zoophilia