Правило 33
Condemning the practice of ordaining only those from the priestly class.
Since we learned that in the Armenian country only persons from the priestly family are accepted into the clergy, which shows a desire to follow Jewish customs, and that some of them, even without tonsure, are appointed as sacred singers and readers of the Divine Temple, we decided: from now on, those who wish to elevate someone to the clergy are not allowed to pay attention to the origin of what is being done, but they must, after testing whether they are worthy of being numbered among the clergy, the definitions adopted in the sacred canons to produce such as ecclesiastical ministers, whether they descend from consecrated ancestors or not. But reading Divine words from the pulpit to the people according to the rank of the clergy is not allowed to anyone at all, except those who have received priestly initiation and blessing from their shepherd in accordance with the rules. If anyone is found to be acting contrary to what is prescribed, let him be excommunicated.
Greek original
Ἐπειδή περ ἔγνωμεν ἐν τῇ Ἀρμενίων χώρᾳ, μόνους ἐν κλήρῳ, τοὺς ἐκ γένους ἱερατικοῦ κατατάττεσθαι, Ἰουδαϊκοῖς ἔθεσιν ἑπομένων τῶν τοῦτο πράττειν ἐπιχειρούντων, τινὰς δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἀποκειρομένους, ἱεροψάλτας, καὶ ἀναγνώστας τοῦ θείου ναοῦ καθίστασθαι· συνείδομεν, ὥστε ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, μὴ ἐξεῖναι τοῖς εἰς κλῆρον βουλομένοις προάγειν τινάς, εἰς τὸ γένος ἀποβλέπειν τοῦ προχειριζομένου· ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζοντες, εἰ ἄξιοι εἶεν, κατὰ τοὺς τεθέντας ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς κανόσιν ὄρους, ἐν κλήρῳ καταλεγῆναι, τούτους ἐκκλησιαστικοὺς προχειρίζεσθαι, εἴτε καὶ ἐκ προγόνων γεγόνασιν ἱερέων, εἴτε καὶ μή. Ἀλλὰ μηδέ τινα τῶν ἁπάντων συγχωρεῖν ἐπ᾿ ἄμβωνος, κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἐν τῷ κλήρῳ καταλεγομένων τάξιν, τοὺς θείους τῷ λαῷ λόγους ἀποφωνεῖν· εἰ μή τι ἂν ἱερατικῇ κουρᾷ χρήσηται ὁ τοιοῦτος, καὶ τὴν εὐλογίαν ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκείου ποιμένος κανονικῶς ὑποδέξηται. Εἰ δέ τις φωραθείη παρὰ τὰ προγεγραμμένα ποιῶν, ἀφοριζέσθω.
Parallel canons
Ап.76VIIВс.14Лаод.15