Canon 69 Laymen may not enter the altar, save the emperor

Κανόνες τῆς ἐν Τρούλλῳ Ἁγίας καὶ Οἰκουμενικῆς Πενθέκτης Συνόδου

The Council in Trullo · Constantinople, 691 to 692 · convened by the emperor Justinian II · The Quinisext Council (Trullo, 692) on the map

Let it not be permitted to anyone at all who is numbered among the laity to go inside the sacred altar; the imperial power and authority being in no way barred from this, whenever it wishes to bring gifts to the Maker, according to a certain most ancient tradition.

Μὴ ἐξέστω τινὶ τῶν ἁπάντων ἐν λαϊκοῖς τελοῦντι, ἔνδον ἱεροῦ εἰσιέναι θυσιαστηρίου· μηδαμῶς ἐπὶ τοῦτο τῆς βασιλικῆς εἰργομένης ἐξουσίας καὶ αὐθεντίας, ἡνίκα ἂν βουληθείη προσάξαι δῶρα τῷ πλάσαντι, κατά τινα ἀρχαιοτάτην παράδοσιν.

The Council in Trullo, 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.