Правило 17
About the boundaries of dioceses, the 30-year period of the so-called. “assignment by prescription in church matters, as well as the possibility of appealing to Constantinople in judicial matters.
Village or rural parishes in each region must remain invariably with the bishops who own them, and especially if they have held them for 30 years without using force. If during these 30 years any dispute has occurred or will occur because of these parishes, then those who say that they were treated unfairly regarding the parishes are allowed to initiate a case before the Council of the metropolitan region. If someone is treated unfairly by his own metropolitan, let him be sued by the exarch of the diocese or before the throne of Constantinople, as was said about this earlier. But if a city was founded by royal power or will be founded later, then the distribution of church parishes should follow civil and state decrees.
Greek original
Τὰς καθ᾿ ἑκάστην ἐπαρχίαν ἀγροικικὰς παροικίας, ἢ ἐγχωρίους, μένειν ἀπαρασαλεύτους παρὰ τοῖς κατέχουσιν αὐτὰς ἐπισκόποις, καὶ μάλιστα εἰ τριακονταετῆ χρόνον ταύτας ἀβιάστως διακατέχοντες ᾠκονόμησαν. Εἰ δὲ ἐντὸς τῶν τριάκοντα ἐτῶν γεγένηταί τις, ἢ γένοιτο περὶ αὐτῶν ἀμφισβήτησις, ἐξεῖναι τοῖς λέγουσιν ἠδικεῖσθαι, περὶ τούτων κινεῖν παρὰ τῇ συνόδῳ τῆς ἐπαρχίας. Εἰ δέ τις ἀδικοῖτο παρὰ τοῦ ἰδίου μητροπολίτου, παρὰ τῷ ἐξάρχῳ τῆς διοικήσεως, ἢ τῷ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως θρόνῳ δικαζέσθω, καθά προείρηται. Εἰ δὲ καί τις ἐκ βασιλικῆς ἐξουσίας ἐκαινίσθη πόλις, ἢ αὖθις καινισθείη, τοῖς πολιτικοῖς καὶ δημοσίοις τύποις, καὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν παροικιῶν ἡ τάξις ἀκολουθείτω.
Parallel canons
IВс.6Трул.25Ап.775IIВс.6IVВс.1192128Трул.8Антиох.11520Лаод.4Сард.4Карф.810111215181959104107128129130132