8/10/2019 Concerning Conversations and Contact Between Monks and Nuns (St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite)

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CONCERNING CONVERSATIONS AND CONTACT BETWEEN MONKS AND NUNS

St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

Footnote 31 of the 7 th  Ecumenical Synod, The Rudder, pp. 949-50

This same Basil the Great in his Definitions in Extenso, No. 33, says that “in the conversations whichmonks have to have with nuns, the persons who are to hold the conversation ought to be chosen, as well

as a suitable time and place; and it is necessary that everything be decent and modest, and above

suspicion. So the persons who are to speak together, so far as respects the monks, ought to be the oldest

ones and modest, and reverent, and sage enough to ask every question and to give a reply; as respects the

nuns, on the other hand, likewise the oldest and most prudent of them ought to be chosen. But when they

are conversing two or three monks as well as two or three nuns ought to be together. For two are better

than one, and more credible as witnesses. One person representing one side, and one person representing

the other side must not hold a conversation alone, both on account of the suspicion that may arise from

there, and because neither one is credible as a witness to what was said, or even to corroborate each other.

As for any other brethren that may need to converse with any nun, let them not converse with her directly

themselves, but only through the medium of the more aged ones; and let chosen monks offer those things

which they wish to speak about to those chosen and more aged nuns, and let these in turn tell the things to

the sisters with whom they sought communication.

Moreover, even those monks who take the necessities to the nuns and perform services, ought to be tried

and tested men and modest and well advanced in age, so as not to rouse any bad suspicion whatever. He

decrees this same thing also in his Epitomized Definitions, No. 220.

In his Epitomized Def. No. 281, on the other hand, he decrees that if two monasteries are closely adjacent

to each other, and one of them is poor while the other has the means, the one having the means of

managing to help the poor one, as having an obligation, ought to lay down or risk its soul in behalf of the

other, in accordance with commandment. But if, nevertheless, it fails to do so, the one which is poor

ought to be longsuffering, and, imitating Lazarus, it ought to rejoice in the hope which lies in the future

age, on account of this poverty, as the sole comfort and joy remaining available to them. In agreement

with what was said above by Basil the Great with reference to the more aged monks who have to render

services to the nuns, St. Nicephoros also decrees something. For he says in his Canon. XXII that if a

 priest-monk-that is to say, a monk-priest, or hieromonk –  who is young performs services for nuns, one

ought not to partake of the Mysteries from him, in order, as it appears, to be shamed by this and be

corrected. And see also the three Canons of John the Faster found later, and the Footnote to the same

Canon XXII of Nicephoros.