What does Chapter 51 of the Nomocanon say about Roman Catholics?

I am writing this text for a friend of mine who claims that Saint Sava did not condemn the Catholics in the Nomocanon, or rather, he was unable to find such a reference. It is a massive book, and it is indeed difficult to find. I believe that an article on this topic would benefit everyone, especially in light of the ecumenists who shamelessly occupied the throne of Saint Sava.

In the first book of the Nomocanon by Professor Miodrag Petrović, it is indeed not easy to find the condemnation of the Latin heresy because it is referred to by different names. However, in the second book of the Nomocanon, there is Chapter 51, which thoroughly presents arguments against the Latin heresy, which we colloquially call Roman Catholicism today.

I believe that Chapter 51 is one of the main reasons why Professor Petrović was prevented from publishing the second book of the Nomocanon through fictitious legal disputes. Since the creation of Yugoslavia, historians have been striving to prove that Catholics and Orthodox Christians are indeed brothers and that we worship the same God. For nearly a century, official science has been falsifying evidence to support this claim. I will mention only a few falsifications, such as the papal crown of Stefan the First-Crowned, the papal letter to Saint Sava in Domentijan’s hagiography, the story of Anna Dandolo, and so on.

In this light, the effort to ensure the Nomocanon never sees the light of day should be understood. Indeed, a translation into modern Serbian, accessible to the general public, has been available for just over a year. Until then, the most important book in Serbian history and statehood was kept in the dark.

However, some may argue that everything written in the Nomocanon about the pope, Latins, i.e., Catholics, is not so severe and that these are merely religious differences. One must be cautious here and understand that the Latins, during the time of Saint Sava, conquered Constantinople, marking the beginning of the decline of these heretics who, over the following centuries until the present day, would commit numerous conquests, falsifications, assimilations of populations, bloodshed, crusades, inquisitions, and genocides worldwide.

When speaking of Catholics, this is what we must primarily keep in mind—we judge by deeds, not words. We Serbs, especially, must remember Jasenovac and the Independent State of Croatia, various attempts at Uniatism, forced conversions, coercion, concordats, and wars in which people speaking the same language found themselves on opposite sides of the front. I have already written about the differences between Orthodox Christians and Catholics here.

The Nomocanon is a large book, consisting of 800 pages from the 12th century. It is not easy to read, nor can everything be understood without good prior knowledge. It is difficult to find where specific things are located, so I will provide a brief overview here.

Throughout the entire book, the canons of the Ecumenical Councils and the Holy Fathers are interwoven, which I will present here in a condensed form. However, in the canons, heretics are mentioned rather than Latins by name. This is because there are various types of heretics, so even the Ecumenical Councils did not list them individually; instead, the canons apply to all dissenters—heretics.

However, there is Chapter 51 in the book, which specifically deals with Catholics, or Franks and other Latins as mentioned in the text, where they are clearly referred to as heretics (page 38, second book of the Nomocanon, translated by Miodrag Petrović). This is not the end of the criticism of the Latins; there are several other texts that address them. I would mention here Chapter 49 by Nikita the Monk and presbyter of the Studenica Monastery concerning the Latins and unleavened bread (page 19), and Chapter 50 concerning marriages (page 29).

For a detailed review, it is necessary to search the text of the Nomocanon for all the Roman popes mentioned. Some of them are considered heretics, while those before the 11th century were generally not heretics but were in accordance with the Orthodox (right-believing) Church. It is also essential to search for references to the nations considered Latins (Italians, Lombards, Franks, also known as Germans, Amalfitans, Venetians).

My comments will be marked in *** red.

Saint Sava’s *Nomocanon* Chapter 51 – On the Franks and Other Latins

The Roman pope and those Christians from the western regions beyond the Ionian Gulf: Italians, Lombards, Franks, also called Germans, Amalfitans, Venetians, and others, except for the Calabrians and Alemanni, do not differ at all from the ancient Greeks, both in their impiety and shamelessness; (on the other hand) the Calabrians are Christians, faithful from ancient times, educated in the customs of our Apostolic Church; all the aforementioned with the pope have, for a long time, been outside the Holy Church and contrary to the Gospel, Apostolic, and Patristic traditions, due to the barbaric customs they adhere to, the worst and greatest of which are as follows:

1. To the Holy Creed (Symbol of Faith), composed of evangelical words, which so clearly speaks of the Holy Spirit: “And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the life-giver, who proceeds from the Father,” they (i.e., the Latins) have wrongly and wickedly added: “And from the Son.” I believe that due to the limitations of their language, they consider it the same—the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the sending to us through the Son. Barbarically and ignorantly, they fail to understand that the sending is in no way the same as the procession.
2. Instead of bread, they offer unleavened bread (at the Divine service) and falsely claim that the Apostles Peter and the Holy Fathers handed down such a tradition. *** Unleavened bread, i.e., bread without yeast, is considered a Jewish custom, as discussed in detail in Chapter 49.
3. Their bishops arm themselves during times of war and, entering the battle before others, fight. *** This primarily refers to the Crusades, in which many Catholic clergy actively participated.
4. They fast on Saturdays. Even if Christmas or Epiphany falls on a Saturday, they do not break the Saturday fast for the holiday. *** This is also considered a Jewish custom, as discussed in Chapter 49.
5. They begin fasting from the Wednesday of the first week of Great Lent.
6. They do not abstain from meat during Cheesefare Week, nor do they know what Cheesefare Week is.
7. They do not fast throughout the entire Great Lent; instead, on Holy and Great Thursday, they eat eggs, cheese, and milk. Moreover, they allow their children to consume milk, cheese, and eggs on all Sundays during Great Lent.
8. They do not depict the images of saints in their churches, except for the Crucifixion, and even then, it is not depicted in a painted form but rather carved as a whole, either from wood or stone. *** In Catholic churches, there are no frescoes; they create statues from wood or stone. The Catholic churches that do have frescoes were originally Orthodox and were later taken over by Catholics.
9. When entering their sacred churches, they fall prostrate to the ground, whispering with their faces against the floor, and then, marking the sign of the cross on the ground with a finger and kissing it, they rise and complete their prayer.
10. They do not call the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ “Theotokos” (Mother of God), but only “Saint Mary.” *** Since the time of iconoclasm, the Latins have not honored the Mother of God, but instead, they refer to her by the secular name “Mary.”
11. Anyone who wishes may enter their holy altar, and during their service, regardless of rank, age, or status, even women may sit on the bishop’s throne in the sanctuary. Such is their distinction between the sacred and the profane! *** In Orthodoxy, only a priest or a king may enter the altar. Ordinary people cannot enter. Catholics, however, made exceptions for dignitaries and wealthy people in the church.
12. They consume strangled animals, wild meat, carrion, blood, bear meat, otter, turtle, and even more impure and abominable things. *** Generally, Catholics did not adhere strictly to fasting and found various excuses to eat meat. For example, otters, turtles, and frogs were classified as fish because they came from water.
13. Their priests and bishops do not make priestly robes from wool; instead, they are adorned in woven red silk threads, making their garments elaborate and highly ornate. They wear rings and gloves. On the right glove, it says: “A hand like from a cloud,” and on the left, it reads “Lamb of God.” *** Unlike the humility preached by Orthodoxy, Catholic priests and bishops adorned their vestments, which was considered a fall into pride.
14. These priests baptize with water alone, placing salt in the mouth of the person being baptized; they spit in the left hand and, with the right hand, mix the saliva and anoint the one being baptized. And when the baptized person reaches maturity and falls into sin, they anoint him with oil for the remission of sins, thus considering that they are baptizing him a second time. *** Differences in rituals and understanding. In Orthodoxy, a person’s sins are forgiven only once, during baptism. However, Catholics took it upon themselves to forgive sins, even for donations to the church. This was later formally introduced into Catholic canon law as indulgences.
15. These priests also perform various other purifications; they sprinkle holy water daily to drive away those they fear, following Jewish customs. *** In Catholic services and prayers, enemies were cursed. In Orthodoxy, this is entirely unworthy, as we pray for God to restore the reason, repentance, or mercy to those people.
16. They bless with five fingers in a certain lateral motion, and then make the sign of the cross on the face with their thumb.
17. From the Wednesday of the first week of Lent until Pascha, they do not sing “Alleluia” at all.
18. Ordained deacons, priests, and bishops dismiss their wives, and their bishops preached to the priests in all regions to dismiss their wives. Yet, not only did they reject these teachings, but after the death of their first wives, they openly take second, and some even third wives, and serve without fear. *** In Orthodoxy, a man cannot become a priest if he is not married, whereas Catholics did the opposite and forbade their clergy from having wives. This unnatural canon led to many instances of fornication, sodomy, and pedophilia, even to this day.
19. When their bishops die, they are left unburied for a full eight days, and everyone from the area comes to dress and sing over them, as their custom dictates, before performing the burial. Their hands are not placed crosswise on the chest, like ours, but are laid down along the thighs, while the eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth are sealed with wax. The same is done for laypeople.
20. Their priests serve three or four times in one church, or wherever it may happen, not distinguishing between what is sacred and what is unclean.
21. Each one, having given his daughter as a wife to someone else’s son, takes in return the daughter of his son-in-law as a wife for his son, or for his brother, or for another relative. *** Marriages of convenience were used to link families. In Orthodoxy, marriage is solely for love, and this is examined.
22. If someone from monastic life becomes a bishop, he is allowed to eat meat without fear. Even their monks, if they experience any minor illness, consume meat, while all healthy laypeople eat pork fat. *** Orthodox monks do not eat meat unless they are sick and need strength. The Orthodox Church also advised the general public to consume pork fat only if someone was ill.
23. They do not fast uniformly during Great Lent; in Poland, they fast for nine weeks, while others—some fast for eight weeks, others longer, and some shorter. Italians, that is, Romans, only fast for six weeks.
24. On all other days, they keep the Cross of the Lord in the church, venerate it, look at it, and bow to kiss it; but during Holy and Great Lent, they neither bow to it nor look at it, but wrap it in a shroud and keep it in some dark place, together with the “Alleluia.” On Holy Saturday, they reveal it from its hidden place, as if it had risen from the grave, and show it from the altar to the people, and all together with great cry chant “Alleluia,” just as we proclaim “Christ is Risen” on the Great Day of Pascha!
25. While their priests serve in order, the gathered congregation, most of them, by their custom, sit without fear and converse with each other even during the proclamation of the Holy Gospel or the Sacred Mysteries.
26. The Communion of the Holy Community is not performed like ours; instead, as they say, the one who wishes to commune receives only a kiss from the serving priest, which serves as Communion. *** In Orthodoxy, Communion was not possible without regular prayer, fasting, and abstinence. This was verified, and people would not dare to receive Communion if they had committed any sin. However, Catholics commune all who come to the service without any examination. We see attempts by ecumenists to introduce such a practice in our churches, unfortunately.
27. Their hierarchs do not ordain priests and bishops at any time, but four times a year, on specific days, as the year is divided into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The first months follow the appearance of the (Sun rising from the East), that is, March, June, September, and December, in which the change of the four seasons begins. And on the first Wednesday of the first week of March, June, September, or December, their hierarchs ordain priests and bishops whom they wish.

The Canons of the Holy Ecumenical Councils Concerning Heresy

Here is a brief overview of the canons mentioned throughout both books of the Nomocanon, which explain how the faithful and clergy should relate to heretics.

7th Rule of the Holy Apostles

If any bishop, priest, or deacon celebrates the Holy Day of Pascha (Easter) before the vernal equinox together with the Jews, let him be deposed.

10th Rule of the Holy Apostles

Whoever prays together with an excommunicated person, even if in a private house, shall also be excommunicated.

*** Excommunication means separating the individual from the faithful; they cannot participate in the service but may repent and be reinstated. If they persist and do not repent, in the Middle Ages, this often resulted in banishment from the village.

11th Rule of the Holy Apostles

A cleric who prays together with a deposed cleric shall be deposed as well.

*** Deposing a cleric means they can no longer serve as a priest.

45th Rule of the Holy Apostles

A bishop, priest, or deacon who prays together with heretics shall be excommunicated; if they permit them to perform any clerical duties, they shall be deposed.

46th Rule of the Holy Apostles

We order that any bishop or priest who recognizes the baptism or sacrifice of heretics be deposed. For what concord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

48th Rule of the Holy Apostles

Any bishop, priest, or deacon who accepts ordination from someone else shall be deposed, as shall the one who ordained them, unless it is proven that the ordination came from a heretic. For those baptized or ordained by such people cannot be counted as faithful or clerics.

64th Rule of the Holy Apostles

If any cleric or layperson goes into a Jewish synagogue or a heretic’s assembly to pray, let them be deposed and excommunicated.

*** A cleric is a priest or monk, while a layperson is someone from the secular world, i.e., an ordinary person.

70th Rule of the Holy Apostles

If a bishop, priest, deacon, or anyone listed in the clerical order fasts together with the Jews, celebrates their feasts, or accepts their festive gifts such as unleavened bread or similar items, let them be deposed, and if it is a layperson, let them be excommunicated.

71st Rule of the Holy Apostles

If any Christian brings oil into a pagan temple or Jewish synagogue or lights candles during their feasts, let them be excommunicated.

1st Canon of the Council of Antioch

All those who dare to violate the decrees of the Holy and Great Council, which assembled in Nicaea in the presence of the most pious and beloved Emperor Constantine, concerning the celebration of the saving Pascha, shall be excommunicated and expelled from the Church if they persist in their contentious attitude against the good custom.

2nd Canon of the Fourth Council of Antioch

Those who come to the Church and listen to the Holy Scriptures but refuse to participate in the prayers with the people or withdraw from Holy Communion and the Eucharist for some reason shall be excluded from the Church until they confess and show fruits of repentance. If they do so, they may receive forgiveness. There should be no communion with the excommunicated, nor should one go to their homes to pray with those who are not praying with the Church. Nor should those who belong to different assemblies be admitted to one Church. If any bishop, priest, deacon, or other cleric is found to be in communion with the excommunicated, let them be deposed, as they are disturbing the Church’s order.

9th Rule of the Council of Carthage

If a bishop or priest communes with those who have justly been excluded from the Church for their offenses, they must also suffer the same condemnation.

Canonical Answer of St. Timothy of Alexandria, No. 9

The question arises whether a cleric may pray in the presence of Arians or other heretics, or if it is harmless when they pray or offer a sacrifice.

Answer:

At the divine sacrifice, the deacon proclaims before the kiss of peace: “Those who are outside communion, depart,” and therefore, they should not be present unless they promise to repent and renounce heresy.

33rd Rule of the Council of Laodicea

There should be no praying together with heretics or schismatics.

9th Rule of the Council of Laodicea

It is not permitted for those who belong to the Church to go to the cemeteries or so-called martyr’s shrines of heretics for prayer or services. If any of the faithful do this, they shall be excommunicated for a period of time. If they repent and confess their wrongdoing, they shall be received back.

32nd Rule of the Council of Laodicea

Heretical blessings should not be accepted, for they are more like curses than blessings.

34th Rule of the Council of Laodicea

No Christian should forsake the martyrs of Christ and turn to false martyrs, i.e., heretics or those who were once heretics, for these are far from God. Let those who turn to them be anathema.

37th Rule of the Council of Laodicea

Festive gifts sent by Jews or heretics should not be accepted, nor should one celebrate with them.

38th Rule of the Council of Laodicea

It is not allowed to celebrate together with pagans, nor to participate in their godlessness.

6th Rule of the Council of Laodicea

It is not permissible for heretics who remain obstinate in their heresy to enter the house of God.

7th Rule of the Council of Laodicea

Those converting from heresy should not be received until they have renounced every heresy, especially the one to which they previously belonged. Only then, after they have studied the Creed and been anointed with holy chrism, should they be received into the communion of the holy mysteries.

10th Rule of the Council of Laodicea

Members of the Church should not indifferently marry their children to heretics.

31st Rule of the Council of Laodicea

No marriage should be contracted with heretics, nor should children be given to them in marriage; rather, if they promise to become (Orthodox) Christians, they may be accepted.

*** Interestingly, in Serbia and Serbian territories, this rule was observed until the crisis surrounding the Concordat and the Bloody Liturgy (1930.). After the establishment of Yugoslavia, the state legally allowed the mixing of people of different faiths.

72nd Rule of the Sixth Ecumenical Council of Trullo

An Orthodox man should not marry a heretical woman, nor should an Orthodox woman marry a heretical man. If it is discovered that someone has done this, the marriage shall be considered invalid and the unlawful union shall be annulled, for what cannot be mixed should not be mixed, nor should a wolf be joined with a sheep, or the inheritance of heretics with the lot of Christ. Whoever transgresses this decree shall be excommunicated. *** Annulment is the same as deposition; the individual is removed from service.

5th Rule of St. Basil the Great

Heretics who repent at the end of their lives should be received, but with caution, and only after examining whether they show true repentance and whether they can demonstrate the fruits of their efforts to be saved.

1st Rule of the Council of Carthage

Those baptized by heretics should be rebaptized to be received into the Church.

15th Canon

Those who separate themselves from communion with their bishop because of some heresy that is condemned by the holy councils or Fathers, that is, when he openly preaches heresy and teaches it publicly in the church, such people shall not only not be subject to penalties under the rules, but rather, they shall be worthy of the honor due to the Orthodox. For they did not condemn bishops, but false bishops and false teachers; they did not cause schism in the unity of the Church, but rather hastened to deliver the Church from schism and division.

*** The church canon that allows the faithful to oppose bishops who introduce reforms and oppose the canons. This is especially important today when our church is under attack by ecumenists.

46th Rule of St. Nicephorus the Confessor

In churches established by heretics, it is noted that one may enter only out of necessity, and then as if entering an ordinary house, and only when a cross is placed in the center may one sing there; however, one should not enter the altar, nor cense, nor pray, nor light a candle or lamp.

Heretics are all those who teach contrary to the Orthodox faith, whether they were long ago or recently excluded from the Church, or whether they follow an old or a new heresy.

*** Today, many of our clergy who are ecumenists serve, sing, and light candles with Catholics, Jews, and Muslims, which is completely contrary to the church canons.

(Zonaras, Interpretation of the 2nd Canon of the 6th Ecumenical Council, Ath. synt.2,182)

Heretical teaching contrary to the Orthodox faith does not necessarily concern the foundation of the Orthodox belief; it is enough that a person errs in any dogma to already be considered a heretic. Under the name “heretic” are included those who invoke and confess our mystery but err in some aspects of Orthodox teaching and think differently from the Orthodox in that regard.

(Zonaras, Interpretation of the 14th Canon, 4th Ecumenical Council)

As we can see, the Holy Fathers were very precise, and there is no ambiguity regarding relations with Catholics, Jews, and Muslims.

Thus, we should not mix apples and oranges. It is not possible to speak of Orthodox and Catholics as two lungs of a single God’s church, even though this is increasingly heard in public. If you take pure water from a spring and add just a little mud and mix it, you no longer have pure water. Truth and falsehood cannot be mixed.

Now, this does not mean that good neighborly relations should not exist, nor that one should be impolite towards the other side. On the contrary, peaceful coexistence must exist among people. We must preserve our faith and show others how beautiful our faith is through our good behavior.