CANON II.

THE bishops are not to go beyond their dioceses to churches lying 

outside of their bounds, nor bring confusion on the churches; but let 

the Bishop of Alexandria, according to the canons, alone administer the 

affairs of Egypt; and let the bishops of the East manage the East alone, 

the privileges of the Church in Antioch, which are mentioned in the 

canons of Nice, being preserved; and let the bishops of the Asian 

Diocese administer the Asian affairs only; and the Pontic bishops only 

Pontic matters; and the Thracian bishops only Thracian affairs. And let 

not bishops go beyond their dioceses for ordination or any other 

ecclesiastical ministrations, unless they be invited. And the aforesaid 

canon concerning dioceses being observed, it is evident that the

synod of every province will administer the affairs of that particular 

province as was decreed at Nice. But the Churches of God in heathen 

nations must be governed according to the custom which has prevailed 

from the times of the Fathers.

NOTES.

ANCIENT EPITOME OF CANON II.

No traveller shall introduce confusion into the Churches either by 

ordaining or by enthroning. Nevertheless in Churches which are among the 

heathen the tradition of the Fathers shall be preserved.

In the above Ancient Epitome it will be noticed that not only is 

ordination mentioned but also the "inthronization" of bishops. Few 

ceremonies are of greater antiquity in the Christian Church than the 

solemn placing of the newly chosen bishop in the episcopal chair of his 

diocese. It is mentioned in the Apostolical Constitutions, and in the 

Greek Pontificals. Also in the Arabic version of the Nicene Canons. (No. 

lxxi.). A sermon was usually delivered by the newly consecrated bishop, 

called the "sermo enthronisticus." He also sent to neighbouring bishops 

    sullabai        enqronistikai   , and the fees the 

new bishops paid were called     ta    

    enqronistika   .

VALESIUS.

(Note on Socrates, H.E.v., 8).

This rule seems to have been made chiefly on account of Meletius. Bishop 

of Antioch, Gregory Nazianzen, and Peter of Alexandria. For Meletius 

leaving the Eastern diocese had come to Constantinople to ordain Gregory 

bishop there. And Gregory having abandoned the bishoprick of Sasima, 

which was in the Pontic diocese, had removed to Constantinople. While 

Peter of Alexandria had sent to Constantinople seven Egyptian bishops to 

ordain Maximus the Cynic. For the purpose therefore of repressing these 

[disorders], the fathers of the Synod of Constantinople made this canon.

BALSAMON.

Take notice from the present canon that formerly all the Metropolitans 

of provinces were themselves the heads of their own provinces, and were 

ordained by their own synods. But all this was changed by Canon xxviij 

of the Synod of Chalcedon, which directs that the Metropolitans of the 

dioceses of Pontus, Asia, and Thrace, and certain others which are 

mentioned in this Canon should be ordained by the Patriarch of 

Constantinople and should be subject to him. But if you find other 

churches which are autocephalous as the Church of Bulgaria, of Cyprus, 

of Iberia, you need not be astonished. For the Emperor Justinian gave 

this honour to the Archbishop of Bulgaria. ... The third Synod gave this 

honour to the Archbishop of Cyprus, and by the law of the same synod 

(Canon viii.), and by the Sixth Synod in its xxxixth Canon, the judgment 

of the Synod of Antioch is annulled and this honour granted to the 

bishop of Iberia.

TILLEMONT.

Mem. ix., 489).

The Council seems likewise to reject, whether designedly or 

inadvertently, what had been ordained by the Council of Sardica in 

favour of Rome. But as assuredly it did not affect to prevent either 

Ecumenical Councils, or even general Councils of the East, from judging 

of matters brought before them, so I do not know if one may conclude 

absolutely that they intended to forbid appeals to Rome. It regulates 

proceedings between Dioceses, but not what might concern superior 

tribunals.

FLEURY.

(Hist. Eccl. in loc.).

This Canon, which gives to the councils of particular places full 

authority in Ecclesiastical matters, seems to take away the power of 

appealing to the Pope granted by the Council of Sardica, and to restore 

the ancient right.

HEFELE.

An exception to the rule against interference in other patriarchates was 

made with regard to those Churches newly rounded amongst barbarous 

nations (not belonging to the Roman Empire), as these were of course  

obliged to receive their first bishops from  strange patriarchates, and 

remained after wards too few in number to form patriarchates of their 

own and were therefore governed as belonging to other patriarchates, as, 

for instance, Abyssinia by the patriarchate of Alexandria.