The Living Tradition An Orthodox Archive of the Church Fathers and Early Church

The First Council of Nicaea

Canon XII

Soldiers who left the army for the faith and then bought their way back are to spend three years as hearers and ten as prostrators, with attention to the quality of their repentance.

  • Canonical normEstablished by a received canon of a council, or of a Father whose canons the Church has received. Canons are applied within the Church's pastoral and conciliar life; a canon is not a rule a reader applies to themselves or to anyone else.
  • Pastoral applicationHow a teaching is ordinarily applied in practice, under the guidance of a priest and bishop. Never a substitute for that guidance.

Primary evidence verified Content last reviewed 2026-08-29

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Canon XII — conciliar text

As many as were called by grace, and displayed the first zeal, having cast aside their military girdles, but afterwards returned, like dogs, to their own vomit, (so that some spent money and by means of gifts regained their military stations); let these, after they have passed the space of three years as hearers, be for ten years prostrators. But in all these cases it is necessary to examine well into their purpose and what their repentance appears to be like. For as many as give evidence of their conversions by deeds, and not pretence, with fear, and tears, and perseverance, and good works, when they have fulfilled their appointed time as hearers, may properly communicate in prayers; and after that the bishop may determine yet more favourably concerning them. But those who take [the matter] with indifference, and who think the form of [not] entering the Church is sufficient for their conversion, must fulfil the whole time.

Henry R. Percival (ed.), The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. XIV (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1900). Public domain.

Ancient Epitome, as printed in the same edition

Those who endured violence and were seen to have resisted, but who afterwards yielded to wickedness, and returned to the army, shall be excommunicated for ten years. But in every case the way in which they do their penance must be scrutinized. And if anyone who is doing penance shews himself zealous in its performance, the bishop shall treat him more leniently than had he been cold and indifferent.

A Byzantine-era summary carried in the canonical collections. It is a witness to how the canon was read, not the canon itself.

Plain-language summary — this project's words, not the canon's

Those who cast aside their military belts for the faith and then returned to their posts, in some cases spending money to regain them, are to spend three years as hearers and ten as prostrators.

But the council directs that in every case the person's purpose and the character of their repentance be examined. Those who show conversion by deeds — with fear, tears, perseverance and good works — may be admitted to the prayers earlier, and the bishop may deal with them still more favourably. Those who treat the matter with indifference must complete the whole time.

The fourth-century problem

Licinius had required officers and soldiers to sacrifice. Some resigned rather than comply; when the pressure eased, some of those bought their commissions back.

The canon is dealing with people who had already shown they would pay a price for the faith and then reversed it — which is why it is harder on them than canon XI is on ordinary lapse, and why it simultaneously builds in more discretion.

Canonical principle

Time served is not the measure. The canon says explicitly that the bishop is to look at what the repentance is actually like, and to shorten or extend accordingly.

This is the clearest text among the twenty for the principle that canonical penance is pastoral rather than mechanical, and it is in the canon itself, not in later interpretation.

What kind of canon this is

  • disciplinary

Percival's edition groups the Nicene canons without formal classification. The kinds named above are this project's analysis, offered so that a reader can see which parts of a canon are principle and which are the arrangement of a particular century.

Later interpretation and reception

Percival prints Lambert's note that the power of relaxing penance under these terms was later abused, which is a candid piece of reception history to include in an edition.

The distinction between the zealous penitent and the indifferent one, and the bishop's discretion between them, passes into the whole later tradition of confession.

  • Canon XI, on those who lapsed without compulsion.

  • The First Council of Nicaea

    The council that confessed the Son to be of one substance with the Father, addressed the date of Pascha, and issued twenty disciplinary canons. It did not decide which books belong to the Bible.

    Council

  • Repentance

    From the ancient penitential stations to the sacrament of confession as it is practised now.

    Theme

  • Repentance and confession

    From the ancient penitential stations to the sacrament as it is practised now.

    Lesson

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Sources for this page

  1. Tier C The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church Henry R. Percival (ed.); Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (series eds.) Canon XII of Nicaea annotated edition of conciliar texts The conciliar text as archived here. Source record
  2. Tier C The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church Henry R. Percival (ed.); Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (series eds.) Ancient Epitome of Canon XII, with Percival's notes annotated edition of conciliar texts Nineteenth-century editorial apparatus and Byzantine canonists. Source record

Tiers are explained in the methodology. No page on this site has been reviewed or approved by any bishop, priest, synod or seminary.