The Holy Canons Apostolic Canon 14
Canon 14 A bishop may not leave his diocese for another
Ἱεροὶ Κανόνες τῶν Ἁγίων καὶ Πανσέπτων Ἀποστόλων
The Apostolic Canons · compiled in Syria in the later fourth century · The Apostolic Canons on the map
A bishop is not permitted to leave his own diocese and leap into another, even if he is pressed by many, unless there is some reasonable cause compelling him to do this, as when he is able to contribute some greater gain to those there by the word of piety; and even this not of himself, but by the judgement of many bishops and upon the most earnest entreaty.
Ἐπίσκοπον μὴ ἐξεῖναι καταλείψαντα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παροικίαν ἑτέρᾳ ἐπιπηδᾶν, κἂν ὑπὸ πλειόνων ἀναγκάζηται, εἰ μή τις εὔλογος αἰτία ᾖ, τοῦτο βιαζομένη αὐτὸν ποιεῖν, ὡς πλέον τι κέρδος δυναμένου αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἐκεῖσε λόγῳ εὐσεβείας συμβάλλεσθαι· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ κρίσει πολλῶν ἐπισκόπων, καὶ παρακλήσει μεγίστῃ.
The Apostolic Canons, the canons
English: this site's translation of the Greek beside it. Greek: the text of the Pedalion, as transcribed at users.uoa.gr/~nektar and corrected here. About these texts.