The Holy Canons Apostolic Canon 52
Canon 52 Clergy must receive the repentant sinner
Ἱεροὶ Κανόνες τῶν Ἁγίων καὶ Πανσέπτων Ἀποστόλων
The Apostolic Canons · compiled in Syria in the later fourth century · The Apostolic Canons on the map
If any bishop or presbyter does not receive one who turns back from sin, but rejects him, let him be deposed; because he grieves Christ, who said: There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.
Εἴ τις ἐπίσκοπος ἢ πρεσβύτερος, τὸν ἐπιστρέφοντα ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας οὐ προσδέχεται, ἀλλ᾿ ἀποβάλλεται, καθαιρείσθω· ὅτι λυπεῖ Χριστόν, τὸν εἰπόντα· Χαρὰ γίνεται ἐν οὐρανῷ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι.
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.