The same emperor to Anthemius, most sacred and most blessed archbishop of Constantinople and patriarch of his whole district. We lately wrote a law concerning the measure of ordinations, and that it is fitting that they be not lavished, neither in the most holy Great Church, nor in the others. This indeed we will even now to remain ratified, and to obtain firmness according to its whole tenor.
But since we intend to confine the ordinations within narrow bounds, and thence to reduce the excess of expenses to a moderate and tolerable amount for the most holy Great Church, that the multitude of its costs may be the more diminished, on this account, wandering everywhere through all ways, we have at last come even to this present law—not indeed wholly different from the former, but one which, proceeding from the same purpose, may sometimes be able to profit the most holy Great Church yet more.
For we ordain that, if in any one of the most holy churches—whose administration and expenses the same most holy Great Church together sustains—it happen that a presbyter, or a deacon, or a lector, or a cantor should die, another be not at once brought in from outside; but first let Your Blessedness consider how great is still the number of venerable clerics who minister there. And if indeed the number of clerics has not yet been diminished, but as regards the number defined from the beginning and (as they call it) fixed, certain ones still remain superfluous, let no ordination be instituted in his place, until the number be restored to itself.
But if the multitude has been so diminished that it is necessary for another cleric to be brought in in place of the deceased, lest anything be lacking to the fixed number, let Your Blessedness consider whether, apart from the most holy Great Church, a cleric of the same order be found superfluous in the other churches, and thence choose another in place of the deceased, and not celebrate a new ordination. For by this arrangement, if that which lacks be supplied from that which has superfluity, a certain fair commensuration, and not displeasing to God, will be imposed upon the matter, and the most holy Great Church will little by little be freed from its debt.
Otherwise, if that which lacks be supplied by external introductions, while that which has superfluity be not diminished, a long and infinite span of time will run on, until all that abounds be diminished. Let therefore Your Blessedness be zealous to bring to effect and conclusion the things which have pleased us, fittingly, for the benefit of the most holy churches.
Etsiquidhæccontrafiat, scirenecesseest, eumquicontrahancnostramlegemordinationemsuscipereaususfuerit, quodnullamexindeIutilitatemhabebit, nequevenerabilesoeconomieamimpensam, quæinhancpartemfit, inrationessacrosanctaemajorisecclesiaereferent, seddamnumindeemergensipsiagnoscent, persemetipsoshuncsocordiaesuæfructumrecipientes. Dat. IdibusAugusti, Constantinop. postconsulatumBelisariiv. c. Dat. XVIIKal. Aug. Constant. d. n. Bilis. v. c. cons.
And if anything be done contrary to this, it is necessary to know that he who shall have dared to undertake an ordination contrary to this our law shall thereby have no benefit, nor shall the venerable stewards (oeconomi) refer the expense incurred in this part to the accounts of the most holy Great Church, but they themselves shall acknowledge the loss thence arising, themselves receiving by themselves this fruit of their negligence. Given on the Ides of August, at Constantinople, after the consulship of Belisarius, vir clarissimus. Given on the seventeenth day before the Kalends of August, at Constantinople, our lord Belisarius, vir clarissimus, being consul.