The Canons of Patriarch Gabriel Ibn Turaik

Patriarch Gabriel the 2nd was the 70th Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church. He was a deacon at the church of St. Macarius in Cairo. He was of a noble Cairene family; was an able scribe, and was well versed in reading scriptures and in their interpretation. He was known for his love of the offices, liturgies, and services of the church, and as one who delighted to visit the widows and orphans and those in prison. At the age of 47 he was elected to the see of St. Mark, and was consecrated patriarch on Feb 3rd 1131. Soon afterwards he visited the monastery of St. Macarius in the Wadi el-Natrun, and during his stay there he introduced into the prayer which is said at the elevation of the Host in the Liturgy, the addition 'without mingling and without confusion, and without alteration'. With the help of the monks of the same monastery he complied the lectionary for Holy Week, and he also arranged a special form for the consecration of the Chrism, and forbade the interment of the dead inside the churches of Cairo and Old Cairo.

Furthermore, he had Arabic versions made of the Old and New Testaments and of the liturgical books of the church, and he also compiled canons and laws of inheritance. Of these canons there are two series, the first consisting of thirty-two canon, and the second, of ten canons. It is the following canons that I am making available to all to see how the liturgical practice was done during the 12th century in the Coptic Church and to see how this practice is the 12th century carried some recension into our modern time. The canons in question are mainly concerned with regulating the duties of the various ranks of the clergy, and with their conduct in civil life. Enjoy and I hope you find these canons helpful!

Canons: 

1:

It is obligatory for the priests of every church to keep their ranks, and each of them shall serve the turn which is appointed to him each day. Each of them shall serve his day, and if it shall be weekly, both shall serve a week; and it one of them be absent, the other shall take his place; if both of them be absent, then the office shall be served by him who is after them. And no one shall be absent from the church on the day of his celebration, except for an evident excuse, and none of them shall bestow his rank on his son or on a near relative without the consent of him who is present with him and who is higher than he is in the priesthood, because this raises discords and hatred but as to the gospel of the Morning Prayer and the books and the diptychs, a near relative or a son shall read them, and none but they.

2:

The liturgy shall not be celebrated until after there have been read the Apostle, the Katholicon, and the Acts, and the Gospel proper to the day, if there are the books, and if there are not, then there shall be read all what is appointed from the lessons of these books. And the deacon shall not officiate, except that he shall read the Holy Gospel, unless a Bishop is present and desire to honour him. As regards the rest of the lessons and the Gospel of the Morning Prayer, those of the priests who are present shall assist in the reading of them, and he who does not know how to read the Gospel shall not be allowed to officiate. As regards the deacons who have not officiated until now, none of them shall officiate until he reads well; but he shall study the writings and the gospel of the Morning Prayer; and when he is skilled in reading and is proficient in what he reads, there shall be prepared for him a letter in which there shall be the signatures of a priest and of the chief of the priests, that he is already experienced in the reading of the books; and when it shall have been sent to the cell, it shall be signed, giving him the permission to officiate; and he shall take the rank in conformity with what is stated by the writings of the priests. And the deacon who officiates shall not go away until he shall have finished communicating the people, and shall have dismissed them. And the priest shall communicate him with the Despotikon, and the priest shall raise the chalice; and it is not allowed to him who officiates to raise the chalice at all, until he shall have finished communicating the people. And he who has not reached his majority shall not carry the Chalice, lest some of it be spilled, and this is a great sin; but he shall carry it who has the ability to take care of it.

3:

Decorum is obligatory in the churches on the eves of Sundays, and of Festivals and at christenings and crownings (marriages), and abstinence from intoxicating drinks. And every priest who drinks intoxicating drink at them shall not celebrate at all on the morning of that eve.

4: 

Priests shall not at all be present at banquets or wedding feasts where there are jestings and amusements; but if a man invite them to be present with him, they must eat and drink with moderation and with psalmody, and depart in peace before there is any jesting at all. Whosoever takes a priest to his house to a banquet where there are musicians and players, and associates him (the priest) with him in his sin, is under suspension together with him (the priest).

5: 

The Liturgy shall not be celebrated until after the Altar has been covered with a cloth other than the covering which is upon it, and when the Liturgy is finished, it shall be folded up and removed, and the pieces of cloth which are upon it shall not be separated from it.

6: 

None of the priests shall go forward to read anything from the books, nor shall any of them go up to the Haikal (alter) without the sticharion (stole), and none of them shall communicate at the altar with his head covered, and likewise, none of them shall pray with a priest or read the Gospel with his head covered.

7: 

The Liturgies of the feats are reserved for the priests in every church as follows: For the archpriest and chief archdeacon in every church there shall be the liturgies which are set forth as follows: at Christmas, Epiphany, Palm Sunday, Thursday 'over the water', the feast of Easter, the third (day) of the feast of Easter, the feast of the fortieth, the day of the fiftieth, the day of the feast of the Disciples 'over the water'. For the second in rank, the eve of Christmas, except in the church of Abu Sergius (main church of the patriarch during the 12th century in old Cairo) where it is reserved for the archdeacon, the second day of Christmas, the eve of Epiphany, the second day of Epiphany, the Great Thursday 'at the liturgy', the second day following Easter, the feat of the disciples 'at the liturgy', the Great Saturday, the third day of Christmas, and the third day of Epiphany. The Gospels which are read at Easter are reserved for the chief priests according to their ranks in every church, and the six Sundays of the Fast are reserved for the chief  priests in every church according to their rank. On the rest of the days the liturgy shall be performed by those who are not of the rank of chief priests. With regard to hi who does not undertake the reading of the Gospel or who is late in attendance, he who is after him in rank shall celebrate instead of him.

8: 

The Liturgy shall not be celebrated without two candles around the altar; either two small ones or two large ones according to whichever there maybe.

9: 

If the priests of Jerusalem agree to mix with the priests of Abu Sergius each of them shall take the rank which is legally his, with love and peace during the fast etc, and then there will be no controversy. Otherwise, they shall bring him whom they have chosen to be appointed to them as priest ad Jerusalem to celebrate with them. And if they remain without a priest, then they shall not serve alone.

10: 

May God the exalted strengthen the love between them, and may peace abide with them, and may He deliver them from the Adversary Satan, and may He render my heart favourable towards them, and may He inform me of their news concerning that which is agreeable, if it so please god the Exalted; and praise be to God for ever and ever eternally!