Chapter III: Part I

2. ¹Let the bishop be ordained after he has been chosen by all
the people. ²When he has been named and shall please all, let
him, with the presbytery and such bishops as may be present,
assemble with the people on a Sunday. ³While all give their
consent, the bishops shall lay their hands upon him, and the
presbytery shall stand by in silence. ⁴All indeed shall keep
silent, praying in their heart for the descent of the Spirit.
⁵Then one of the bishops who are present shall, at the request
of all, lay his hand on him who is ordained bishop, and shall
pray as follows, saying:

GRE[71] 3. ¹God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies
and God of all comfort, who dwellest on high yet hast respect
to the lowly, who knowest all things before they come to pass.
²Thou hast appointed the borders of thy church by the word of
thy grace, predestinating from the beginning the righteous
race of Abraham. ³And making them princes and priests, and
leaving not thy sanctuary without a ministry, thou hast from
the beginning of the world been well pleased to be glorified
among those[72] whom thou hast chosen. ⁴Pour forth now that
power, which is thine, of thy royal Spirit, which
LAT[73] thou gavest to thy beloved Servant[74] Jesus Christ, which he
bestowed on his holy apostles,
GRE who established the church in every place, the church which
thou hast sanctified unto unceasing glory and praise of thy
name. ⁵Thou who knowest the hearts of all,[75] grant to this
thy servant, whom thou hast chosen to be bishop, [to feed thy
holy flock][76] and to serve as thy high priest without blame,
ministering night and day, to propitiate thy countenance
without ceasing and to offer thee the gifts of thy holy
church. ⁶And by the Spirit of high-priesthood to have
authority to remit sins according to thy commandment, to
assign the lots according to thy precept, to loose every bond
according to the authority which thou gavest to thy apostles,
and to please thee in meekness and purity of heart, offering
to thee an odour of sweet savour. ⁷Through thy Servant Jesus
Christ our Lord, through whom be to thee glory, might, honour,
with [the] Holy Spirit in [the] holy church, both now and
always and world without end.[77] Amen.

LAT 4. ¹And when he is made bishop, all shall offer him the kiss
of peace, for he has been made worthy. ²To him then the
deacons shall bring the offering, and he, laying his hand upon
it, with all the presbytery, shall say as the thanksgiving:

³The Lord be with you.

And all shall say

_And with thy spirit._

Lift up your hearts.
_We lift them up unto the Lord._

Let us give thanks to the Lord.
_It is meet and right._

And then he shall proceed immediately:

⁴We give thee thanks, O God, through thy beloved Servant Jesus
Christ, whom at the end of time thou didst send to us a
Saviour and Redeemer and the Messenger of thy counsel. ⁵Who is
thy Word, inseparable from thee; through whom thou didst make
all things and in whom thou art well pleased. ⁶Whom thou didst
send from heaven into the womb of the Virgin, and who,
dwelling within her, was made flesh, and was manifested as thy
Son, being born of [the] Holy Spirit and the Virgin. ⁷Who,
fulfilling thy will, and winning for himself a holy people,
spread out his hands when he came to suffer, that by his death
he might set free them who believed on thee. ⁸Who, when he was
betrayed to his willing death, that he might bring to nought
death, and break the bonds of the devil, and tread hell under
foot, and give light to the righteous, and set up a boundary
post, and manifest his resurrection, taking bread and giving
thanks to thee said: ⁹Take, eat: this is my body, which is
broken for you. And likewise also the cup, saying: This is my
blood, which is shed for you. ¹⁰As often as ye perform this,
perform[78] my memorial.

¹¹Having in memory, therefore, his death and resurrection, we
offer to thee the bread and the cup, yielding thee thanks,
because thou hast counted us worthy to stand before thee and
to minister to thee.

¹²And we pray thee that thou wouldest send thy Holy Spirit
upon the offerings of thy holy church; that thou, gathering
them into one, wouldest grant to all thy saints who partake to
be filled with [the] Holy Spirit, that their faith may be
confirmed in truth, that we may praise and glorify thee.
¹³Through thy Servant Jesus Christ, through whom be to thee
glory and honour, with [the] Holy Spirit in the holy church,
both now and always and world without end.[79] Amen.

5. ¹If anyone offers oil, he shall give thanks as at the
offering of the bread and wine, though not with the same words
but in the same general manner,[80] saying:

²That sanctifying this oil, O God, wherewith thou didst anoint
kings, priests and prophets, thou wouldest grant health to
them who use it and partake of it, so that it may bestow
comfort on all who taste it and health on all who use it.

6. ¹Likewise, if anyone offers cheese and olives, let him say
thus:

²Sanctify this milk that has been united into one mass, and
unite us to thy love. ³Let thy loving kindness ever rest upon
this fruit of the olive,[81] which is a type of thy bounty,
which thou didst cause to flow from the tree unto life for
them who hope on thee.

⁴But at every blessing shall be said:

Glory be to thee, with [the] Holy Spirit in the holy church,
both now and always and world without end. [Amen.]

8.[82] ¹But when a presbyter is ordained, the bishop shall lay
his hand upon his head, while the presbyters touch him, and he
shall say according to those things that were said above, as
we have prescribed above concerning the bishop, praying and
saying:

²God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look upon this thy
servant, and grant to him the Spirit of grace and counsel of a
presbyter,[83] that he may sustain and govern thy people with
a pure heart; ³as thou didst look upon thy chosen people and
didst command Moses that he should choose presbyters, whom
thou didst fill with thy Spirit, which thou gavest to thy
servant. ⁴And now, O Lord, grant that there may be unfailingly
preserved amongst us the Spirit of thy grace, and make us
worthy that, believing, we may minister to thee in simplicity
of heart, praising thee. ⁵Through thy Servant Jesus Christ,
through whom be to thee glory and honour, with [the] Holy
Spirit in the holy church, both now and always and world
without end. Amen.

9. ¹But the deacon, when he is ordained, is chosen according
to those things that were said above, the bishop alone in like
manner laying his hands upon him, as we have prescribed. ²When
the deacon is ordained, this is the reason why the bishop
alone shall lay his hands upon him: he is not ordained to the
priesthood but to serve the bishop and to carry out the
bishop’s commands. ³He does not take part in the council of
the clergy; he is to attend to his own duties and to make
known to the bishop such things as are needful. ⁴He does not
receive that Spirit that is possessed by the presbytery, in
which the presbyters share; he receives only what is confided
in him under the bishop’s authority.

⁵For this cause the bishop alone shall make a deacon. ⁶But on
a presbyter, however, the presbyters shall lay their hands
because of the common and like Spirit of the clergy. ⁷Yet the
presbyter has only the power to receive; but he has no power
to give. ⁸For this reason a presbyter does not ordain the
clergy; but at the ordination of a presbyter he seals while
the bishop ordains.

⁹Over a deacon, then, he shall say as follows:

¹⁰O God, who hast created all things and hast ordered them by
thy Word, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom thou didst
send to minister thy will and to manifest to us thy desire;
¹¹grant [the] Holy Spirit of grace and care and diligence to
this thy servant, whom thou hast chosen to serve the church
and to offer
TEST in thy holy sanctuary[84] the gifts that are offered to thee
ETH by thine appointed high priests,[85]
TEST so that serving without blame[86] and with a pure heart he may
be counted worthy of this exalted office,[87] by thy goodwill,
praising thee continually. ¹²Through thy Servant Jesus Christ,
through whom be to thee glory and honour, with [the] Holy
Spirit, in the holy church, both now and always and world
without end. Amen.[88]

SAH 10. ¹On a confessor, if he has been in bonds for the name of
the Lord, hands shall not be laid for the diaconate or the
presbyterate, for he has the honour of the presbyterate by his
confession. But if he is to be ordained bishop, hands shall be
laid upon him.

²But if he is a confessor who was not brought before the
authorities nor was punished with bonds nor was shut up in
prison, but was insulted (?) casually or privately for the
name of the Lord, even though he confessed, hands are to be
laid upon him for every office of which he is worthy.[89]

³The bishop shall give thanks [in all ordinations][90] as we
have prescribed. ⁴It is not,[91] to be sure, necessary for
anyone to recite the exact words that we have prescribed, by
learning to say them by heart in his thanksgiving to God; but
let each one pray according to his ability. ⁵If, indeed, he is
able to pray competently with an elevated prayer, it is well.
⁶But even if he is only moderately able to pray and give
praise, no one may forbid him;[92] only let him pray sound in
the faith.

11.[93] ¹When a widow is appointed, she shall not be ordained
but she shall be appointed by the name. ²If her husband has
been long dead, she may be appointed [without delay]. ³But if
her husband has died recently, she shall not be trusted; even
if she is aged she must be tested by time, for often the
passions grow old in those who yield to them.

⁴The widow shall be appointed by the word alone, and [so] she
shall be associated with the other widows; hands shall not be
laid upon her because she does not offer the oblation nor has
she a sacred ministry.[94] ⁵Ordination is for the clergy on
account of their ministry,[95] but the widow is appointed for
prayer, and prayer is the duty of all.

GRE[96] 12. ¹The reader is appointed by the bishop’s giving him the
book, for he is not ordained.

SAH 13. ¹Hands shall not be laid upon a virgin, for it is her
purpose alone that makes her a virgin.

14. Hands shall not be laid upon a subdeacon, but his name
shall be mentioned that he may serve the deacon.

15. If anyone says, “I have received the gift of healing”,
hands shall not be laid upon him: the deed shall make manifest
if he speaks the truth.