Canon 6 Who may bring accusations against a bishop

Since many, wishing to confuse and overturn good ecclesiastical order, in a hostile and slanderous way fabricate certain accusations against the Orthodox bishops who administer the churches, attempting nothing other than to stain the reputations of the priests and to contrive disturbances among peaceable peoples: for this reason it has pleased the holy synod of the bishops who have assembled together in Constantinople not to admit accusers without examination, nor to allow all to bring accusations against those who administer the churches, nor yet to shut out all. But if anyone should bring against the bishop some complaint of his own, that is, a private one, as having been defrauded or having suffered something else unjust at his hands, in the case of such accusations neither the person of the accuser nor his religion is to be examined. For it is necessary in every way both that the conscience of the bishop be free, and that he who says he is wronged, of whatever religion he may be, should obtain justice. But if the charge brought against the bishop be ecclesiastical, then the persons of the accusers must be scrutinised; so that, first, it be not permitted to heretics to make accusations against Orthodox bishops concerning ecclesiastical matters. And we call heretics both those who were long ago disowned by the Church and those afterwards anathematised by us; and besides these, also those who pretend to confess the sound faith, but have split off and hold rival assemblies against our canonical bishops. And then, if any of those of the Church have been previously condemned for certain causes and cast out, or are out of communion, whether from the clergy or from the lay order, neither is it permitted to these to accuse a bishop until they have first cleared themselves of their own charge. Likewise also those who are under a prior accusation are not to be received for an accusation of a bishop or of other clerics before they have shown themselves innocent of the charges brought against them. If, however, some are neither heretics, nor out of communion, nor condemned, nor previously accused of certain offences, but say that they have some ecclesiastical accusation against the bishop, these the holy synod commands first to lay their accusations before all the bishops of the province, and before them to prove the charges against the bishop who is under accusation; and if it should happen that the bishops of the province are unable to set right the charges brought against the bishop, then they are to approach a greater synod, the bishops of that diocese being convened for this cause; and they are not to lodge the accusation before they have bound themselves in writing to an equal penalty on themselves, if in the course of the proceedings they should be convicted of slandering the accused bishop. But if anyone, despising what has been decreed according to the things declared above, should dare either to trouble the imperial ears, or the courts of secular rulers, or to disturb an ecumenical council, having dishonoured all the bishops of the diocese, such a one is not to be received for accusation at all, as having outraged the canons and violated good ecclesiastical order.