diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index c8d8f59..2768fd6 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 {
-    "python.pythonPath": "${workspaceFolder}/venv/bin/python"
+    "python.pythonPath": "${workspaceFolder}/venv/bin/python",
+    "html.format.wrapLineLength": 0,
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/canon_law/__init__.py b/canon_law/__init__.py
index c582d0a..3f227d2 100644
--- a/canon_law/__init__.py
+++ b/canon_law/__init__.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 import os
 import flask
 
-from . import central
+from canon_law import central
 
 
 def create_app(self):
diff --git a/canon_law/api.py b/canon_law/api.py
index 01058a4..15c73b6 100644
--- a/canon_law/api.py
+++ b/canon_law/api.py
@@ -19,11 +19,16 @@
 import flask
 import tinydb
 
-from . import central
+from canon_law import central
 
 bp = flask.Blueprint("api", __name__, url_prefix="/api")
 
 
+@bp.route("/")
+def index():
+    return flask.render_template("api.html")
+
+
 @bp.route("/council/")
 @bp.route("/council/<name>/")
 @bp.route("/council/<name>/<option>/")
diff --git a/canon_law/central.py b/canon_law/central.py
index 091d157..0b1ef10 100644
--- a/canon_law/central.py
+++ b/canon_law/central.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import tinydb
 
 dir_path = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
 
-from .extensions.vylogger import VyLogger
+from canon_law.extensions.vylogger import VyLogger
 
 logger = VyLogger("default")
 
@@ -39,3 +39,28 @@ def log_message(level, sender, source, msg):
         logger.info(message)
     elif level == "debug":
         logger.debug(message)
+
+
+def import_dataset(file_name, history=None):
+    name = file_name
+    dataset = open(f"{dir_path}/datasets/{name}.txt")
+    lines = dataset.readlines()
+    canons = []
+
+    for line in lines:
+        split = line.split(" - ")
+        canon = int(split[0])
+        text = split[1]
+
+        canons.append({"canon": canon, "text": text})
+
+    if history is None:
+        history = ""
+
+    db.insert({"name": name, "history": history, "canons": canons})
+
+    print("Done.")
+
+
+def search_canons(query):
+    return "nope."
diff --git a/canon_law/databases/db b/canon_law/databases/db
index fa5b478..4cf560e 100644
--- a/canon_law/databases/db
+++ b/canon_law/databases/db
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"_default": {"1": {"name": "apostles", "history": "", "canons": [{"canon": 1, "text": "Two or three other bishops are needed to ordain a bishop."}, {"canon": 2, "text": "A priest must be ordained by a single bishop, and so must a deacon and other clergymen."}, {"canon": 3, "text": "If any bishop or priest, contrary to the Lord's ordinance relating to sacrifice, offers anything else at the sacrificial altar, whether it be honey, or milk, or artificial liquor instead of wine, chickens, or any kind of animal, or vegetables, contrary to the ordinance, let him be deposed: except ears of new wheat or bunches of grapes, in due season. Let it not be permissible to bring anything else to the sacrificial altar but oil for the lamp, and incense at the time of the holy oblation."}, {"canon": 4, "text": "Let all other fruit be sent home to the bishop and priests as first fruits, but not to the sacrificial altar. It is understood that the bishop and priests shall distribute a fair share to the deacons and other clergymen."}, {"canon": 5, "text": "No bishop, priest, or deacon shall divorce his own wife under pretext of reverence. If he divorces her, let him be excommunicated; and if he persist in so doing, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 6, "text": "A bishop, or priest, or deacon must not undertake worldly cares. If he does, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 7, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon celebrate the holy day of Pascha before the vernal equinox with the Jews, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 8, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, or anyone else in the clerical list, fail to partake of communion when the oblation has been offered, he must tell the reason; and if it is a good excuse, he shall receive a pardon. But if he refuses to tell it, he shall be excommunicated, on the ground that he has become a cause of harm to the laity and has instilled a suspicion against the one offering of it, that the latter has failed to present it in a sound manner."}, {"canon": 9, "text": "All those faithful who enter and listen to the Scriptures, but do not stay for prayer and Holy Communion must be excommunicated, on the ground that they are causing the Church a breach of order."}, {"canon": 10, "text": "One who prays with the excommunicant, shall himself be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 11, "text": "A clergyman who prays in company with a deposed clergyman shall also be deposed."}, {"canon": 12, "text": "If any clergyman, or laymen, who has been excommunicated, or who has not been admitted to repentance, shall go away and be received in another city, without commendatory letters, both the receiver and the one received shall be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 13, "text": "If he has been excommunicated let his excommunication be augmented, on the grounds that he has lied and that he has deceived the Church of God."}, {"canon": 14, "text": "A bishop shall not abandon his own parish and go outside of it to interlope to another one, even though urged by a number of persons to go there, unless there be a good reason for doing so, on the grounds that he can be of greater help to the inhabitants there, by reason of his piety. And even then he must not do so of his own accord, but in obedience to the judgment of many bishops, and at their urgent request."}, {"canon": 15, "text": "If any priest, or deacon, or anyone at all on the list of clerics, abandoning his own province, departs to another, and after deserting it entirely, sojourns in another, contrary to the mind of his own bishop, we bid him to officiate no longer; especially if his bishop summons him to return, and he has not obeyed and persists in his disorderliness; however, he may commune there as layman."}, {"canon": 16, "text": "On the other hand, if the bishop with whom they are associating, admits them as clergymen in defiance of the deprivation prescribed against them, he shall be excommunicated as a teacher of disorder."}, {"canon": 17, "text": "Whoever has entered into two marriages after baptism, or has possessed himself of a mistress, cannot be a bishop, or a priest, or a deacon, or anything else in the list of clerics."}, {"canon": 18, "text": "No one who has taken a widow, or a divorced woman, or a harlot, or a housemaid, or any actress as his wife, may be a bishop, or a priest, or a deacon, or hold any other position at all in the clerical list."}, {"canon": 19, "text": "Whoever marries two sisters, or a niece, may not be a clergyman."}, {"canon": 20, "text": "Any clergyman that gives himself as security shall be deposed."}, {"canon": 21, "text": "A eunuch, whether he became such by influence of men, or was deprived of his virile parts under persecution, or was born thus, may, if he is worthy, become a bishop."}, {"canon": 22, "text": "Let no one who has mutilated himself become a clergyman; for he is a murderer of himself, and an enemy of God's creation."}, {"canon": 23, "text": "If anyone who is a clergyman should mutilate himself, let him be deposed, for he is a self-murderer."}, {"canon": 24, "text": "Any layman who has mutilated himself shall be excommunicated for three years, for he is a plotter against his own life."}, {"canon": 25, "text": "Any bishop, or priest, or deacon that is taken in the act of committing fornication, or perjury, or theft, shall be deposed, but shall not be excommunicated, for Scripture says: \"You shall not exact revenge twice for the same offense.\" The same rule applies also to the rest of clergymen."}, {"canon": 26, "text": "As to bachelors who have entered the clergy, we allow only readers and chanters to marry if they wish to do so."}, {"canon": 27, "text": "As for a bishop, or priest, or deacon that strikes believers for sinning, or unbelievers for wrong-doing, with the idea of making them afraid, we command that he be deposed. For the Lord has nowhere taught that; on the contrary, He Himself when struck did not strike back; when reviled, He did not revile His revilers; when suffering, He did not threaten."}, {"canon": 28, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, who has been justly deposed for proven crimes, should dare to touch the Liturgy which had once been put in his hands, let him be cut off from the Church altogether."}, {"canon": 29, "text": "If any bishop become the recipient of this office by means of money, or any priest, or any deacon, let him be deposed as well as the one who ordained him, and let him be cut off entirely even from communion, as was Simon the Sorcerer by me, Peter."}, {"canon": 30, "text": "If any bishop comes into possession of a church by employing secular rulers, let him be deposed, and let him be excommunicated, and also all those who communicate with him."}, {"canon": 31, "text": "If any priest, condemning his own bishop, draws people aside, and sets up another altar, without finding anything wrong with the bishop in point of piety and justice, let him be deposed, on the ground that he is desirous of power. For he is a tyrant; and let the rest of the clergymen and all those who abet him be treated in the same manner. But let the laymen be excommunicated. Let these things be done after one, and a second, and a third request of the bishop."}, {"canon": 32, "text": "If any bishop excommunicates any priest or deacon, these men must not be received by anyone except the one who excommunicated them, unless by a coincidence the bishop who excommunicated them should decease."}, {"canon": 33, "text": "None of the foreign bishops, priests or deacons shall be received without commendatory letters. Even when they bear such, they shall be examined. And if they really are preachers of piety, they shall be received; but if they are not, after furnishing them with any necessities, they shall not be admitted to communion. For many things are done with a view toward plunder."}, {"canon": 34, "text": "It befits us bishops of every nation to know the one among them who is the premier or chief, and to recognize him as their head, and to refrain from doing anything superfluous without his advice and approval: but, instead each of them should do only whatever is necessitated by his own parish, and by the territories under him. Let not even such a one do anything without the advice, consent and approval of all. For thus will there be concord, and God will be glorified through the Lord in Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."}, {"canon": 35, "text": "A bishop shall not dare to confer ordinations outside of his own boundaries, in cities and territories not subject to him. If he is proved to have done so against the wishes of those having possession of those cities or territories, let him be deposed, as well as those whom he ordained."}, {"canon": 36, "text": "In case any bishop who has been ordained refuses the office and the care of the laity, which has been entrusted to him, he shall be excommunicated and remain so until such time as he accepts it. This also applies to a priest and deacon. But if upon departing, he fail to accept it, not contrary to his own inclination, but because of the spitefulness of the laity, let him be a bishop, but let the clergy of that city be excommunicated, since no one can correct such an insubordinate laity."}, {"canon": 37, "text": "Twice a year let a synod of bishops be held, and let them examine one another in regards to dogmas of piety, and let incidental ecclesiastical contradictions be eliminated: the first one, in the fourth week of Pentecost; the second one, on the twelfth of Hyperberetaeus (October)."}, {"canon": 38, "text": "Let the bishop have the care of all ecclesiastical matters and let him manage them, with the understanding that God is overseeing and supervising. Let him not be allowed to appropriate anything from this or to give God's things to his relatives. If they be indigent, let him provide for them as indigents, but let him not trade off things of the Church under this pretext."}, {"canon": 39, "text": "Let priests and deacons do nothing without the consent of the bishop. For he is the one entrusted with the Lord's people, and it is from him that an accounting will be demanded with respect to their souls."}, {"canon": 40, "text": "Let the bishop's own property (if indeed he has any) be publicly known, and let the Lord's be publicly known. In order that the bishop may have authority to dispose of his own property when he dies, and leave it to whomever he wishes and as he wishes. And lest, by reason of any pretext of ecclesiastical property, the property of the bishop be mixed and buried therein and that he may have a wife and children, relatives or house servants. For it is only just with God and men that neither the church should suffer any loss owing to ignorance of the bishop's property, nor the bishop, or his relatives, should have their property confiscated on the pretext that it belonged to the church.\n\nOr even to have trouble with those who are quarreling over his property, and to have his death involved in aspersions."}, {"canon": 41, "text": "We command that the bishop have authority over the property of the church. For if the precious souls of men ought to be entrusted to him, there is little need of any special injunction concerning money; so that everything may be entrusted to be governed in accordance with his authority, and he may grant to those in need through the priests and deacons with fear of God and all reverence; while he himself may partake thereof whatever he needs (if he needs anything) for his necessary needs, and for brethren who are his guests, so as not to deprive them of anything, in any manner. For God's law has enjoined that those who serve at the altar are to be maintained at the altar's expense. The more so in view of the fact that not even a soldier ever bears arms against belligerents at his own expense."}, {"canon": 42, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon wastes his time by playing dice, or getting drunk, either let him desist from this or let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 43, "text": "Let any subdeacon, or readers, or psalti, who does similar things either desist or be excommunicated. This applies to any layman."}, {"canon": 44, "text": "Let any bishop or priest or deacon who demands interest on money lent to others either cease doing so or be deposed."}, {"canon": 45, "text": "Let any bishop, or priest, or deacon that only joins in prayer with heretics be suspended, but if he has permitted them to perform any service as clergy let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 46, "text": "We order any bishop or priest, that has accepted any heretic's baptism or sacrifice be deposed; for \"what consonance has Christ with Belial? Or what part has the believer with an unbeliever?\""}, {"canon": 47, "text": "If a bishop or priest baptize anew anyone that has had a true baptism, or fail to baptize anyone that has been polluted by the impious, let him be deposed, on the ground that he is mocking the Cross and Death of the Lord and for failing to distinguish priests from pseudo-priests."}, {"canon": 48, "text": "If any layman who has divorced his wife takes another, or one divorced by another man, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 49, "text": "If any bishop or priest baptize anyone not into the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Lord's ordinance, but into three beginningless beings or into three sons or into three comforters, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 50, "text": "If any bishop or priest does not perform three immersions (baptisms) in making one baptism, but only a single immersion (baptism) that given into the death of the Lord, let him be deposed. For the Lord did not say, Baptize into my death, but, \"Go you and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.\""}, {"canon": 51, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, or anyone at all on the holy list, abstain from marriage, or meat, or wine, not as a matter of mortification, but out of an abhorrence thereof, forgetting that all things are exceedingly good, and that God made man male and female, but blasphemously misrepresenting God's work of creation, either let him correct and purge his ways or let him be excluded from the Church. The same applies to a layman."}, {"canon": 52, "text": "If any bishop or priest shall refuse to welcome back anyone returning from sin, but on the contrary, rejects him, let him be deposed, since he grieves Christ, who said: \"There is joy in heaven over a single sinner who repents.\""}, {"canon": 53, "text": "If any bishop, priest or deacon, on the days of feasts will not partake of meat and wine, because he loathes these things, and not on account of asceticism, let him be deposed, on the ground that he has his own conscience seared and has become a cause of scandal to many."}, {"canon": 54, "text": "If any clergyman be discovered eating in a tavern let him be excommunicated, except only in case it he happens to be at a wayside inn where he puts up out of necessity."}, {"canon": 55, "text": "If any clergyman should insult the bishop let him be deposed. For \"you shall not speak badly about your people's ruler.\""}, {"canon": 56, "text": "If any clergyman should insult a priest or a deacon, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 57, "text": "If any clergyman ridicules the lame, or the deaf or the blind or the crippled, let him be excommunicated. The same applies to a layman."}, {"canon": 58, "text": "If any bishop or priest neglects the clergy or the laity, and neglects to instruct them in piety, let him be excommunicated: but if he persists in his negligence and indolence, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 59, "text": "If any bishop or priest fails to supply necessities when any of the clergy is in want, let him be excommunicated. If he persists, let him be deposed, as having murdered his brother."}, {"canon": 60, "text": "If anyone reads to the public in churches, the books of impious writers bearing false inscriptions and purporting to be holy, to the injury of laity and clergy, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 61, "text": "If a charge of fornication, or of adultery, or of any other forbidden act be brought against one of the faithful, and be proved, let him not be promoted to the clergy."}, {"canon": 62, "text": "If any clergyman, for fear of any man, whether a Jew or a Greek or a heretic, should deny the name of Christ, let him be cast out; or if he deny the name of clergyman, let him be deposed; and if he repent, let him be accepted as a layman."}, {"canon": 63, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, and all on the clerical list, eat meat in the blood of its soul, or that which a wild beast has killed, or that which has died a natural death, let him be deposed. For the Law has forbidden this. But if any layman do this, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 64, "text": "If any clergyman is found to be fasting on the Lord's Day (Sunday), or on Saturday with the exception of one only, let him be deposed. If he is a layman, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 65, "text": "If any clergyman, or layman, enter a synagogue of Jews or of heretics to pray, let him be both deposed and excommunicated."}, {"canon": 66, "text": "If any clergyman strikes anyone in a fight, and kills by a single blow, let him be deposed for his insolence. But if he is a layman, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 67, "text": "If anyone is keeping a virgin whom he has forcibly raped and who is not promised to another, let him be excommunicated. And let it not be permissible for him to take another, but let him be obliged to keep her whom he has made his choice even though she happens to be indigent."}, {"canon": 68, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon accepts a second ordination from anyone, let him and the one who ordained him be deposed, unless it be established that his ordination has been performed by heretics. For those who have been baptized or ordained by such persons cannot possibly be either faithful Christians or clergymen."}, {"canon": 69, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, or subdeacon, readers, or psalti fails to fast throughout the forty days of the Great Fast, or on Wednesday, or on Friday, let him be deposed, unless he has been prevented from doing so by reason of bodily illness. If, on the other hand, any layman fail to do so, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 70, "text": "If any bishop, priest, or deacon, or anyone at all who is on the list of clergymen, fast together with Jews, or celebrates a holiday together with them, or accepts from them holiday gifts or favors, such as unleavened wafers, or anything of the like, let him be deposed. If a layman do likewise, however, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 71, "text": "If any Christian conveys oil to a temple of heathen, or to a synagogue of Jews, in their festivals, or lights lamps for them, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 72, "text": "If any clergyman, or layman, takes a wax candle or any oil from the holy church, let him be excommunicated and be compelled to give back what he took, together with a fifth part of its value as well."}, {"canon": 73, "text": "Let no one appropriate any longer for his own use any golden or silver vessel that has been sanctified, or any cloth: for it is unlawful to do so. If anyone be caught in the act, let him be punished with excommunication."}, {"canon": 74, "text": "When trustworthy men have accused a bishop of something, bishops must summon him; and if he answers and confesses, or is found guilty, let the penalty be fixed. But if when summoned he refuses to obey, let him be summoned a second time by sending two bishops to him. If even then he refuses to obey, let him be summoned a third time, two bishops again being sent to him; but if even then he shows contempt and fails to answer, let the synod decide the matter against him in whatever way seems best, so that it may not seem that he is getting the benefit by evading a trial."}, {"canon": 75, "text": "No heretic shall be accepted as a witness against a bishop, but neither shall one faithful alone: for \"every charge shall be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.\""}, {"canon": 76, "text": "It is decreed that no bishop shall be allowed to ordain whomsoever he wishes to the office of the Episcopate as a matter of concession to a brother, or to a son, or to a relative. For it is not right for heirs to the Episcopate to be created, by subjecting God's things to human passion; for God's Church ought not to be entrusted to heirs. If anyone shall do this, let the ordination remain invalid and void, and let the bishop himself be penalized with excommunication."}, {"canon": 77, "text": "If any cripple, or anyone with a defect in an eye or in a leg, is worthy of the episcopate, let him be made a bishop, for it is not an injury to the body that defiles one, but a pollution of the soul."}, {"canon": 78, "text": "Let no one that is deaf nor anyone that is blind be made a bishop, not on the ground that he is deficient morally, but lest he should be embarrassed in the exercise of ecclesiastical functions."}, {"canon": 79, "text": "If anyone is possessed of a demon, let him not be made a clergyman, nor even be allowed to pray in company with the faithful. But after he has been cleansed from it, let him be received, and if worthy be made one."}, {"canon": 80, "text": "It is not right to ordain a man a bishop immediately after he has joined the Church and been baptized, if he has hitherto been leading a heathenish life, or has been converted from wicked behavior. For it is wrong to let one without experience become the teacher of others, unless in some special case this be allowed as a matter of divine favor and grace."}, {"canon": 81, "text": "We have said that a bishop, or a priest, must not descend himself into public offices, but must attend to ecclesiastical needs. Either let he be persuaded, therefore, not to do so, or let him be deposed. For no one can serve two masters, according to the Lord's injunction."}, {"canon": 82, "text": "We do not permit house servants to be ordained to the clergy without the consent of their masters, to the sorrow of the masters owning them. For such a thing causes an upheaval in the households. But if any house servant should appear to be worthy to be ordained to any rank, as our own Onesimus did, and their masters are willing to permit it, and grant them their freedom (by liberating them from slavery), and allow them to leave home, let him be so ordained."}, {"canon": 83, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon is engaged in military matters, and wishes to hold both a Roman (i.e. civil) and a holy office, let him be deposed. For \"render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.\""}, {"canon": 84, "text": "If anyone insults an emperor or king, or any other ruler, contrary to what is right and just, let him pay the penalty. Accordingly, if he is a clergyman, let him be deposed; but if he is a layman, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 85, "text": "To all you clergymen and laymen let the following books be venerable and holy: Of the Old Covenant, the five of Moses, namely, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; the one of Jesus of Nave (commonly called Joshua in English); the one of Judges; the one of Ruth; the four of the Kingdoms; two Chronicles of the Book of Days; two of Esdras; one of Esther; three of the Maccabees; one of Job; one Psalter (Psalms); three of Solomon, namely, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs; twelve of the Prophets; one of Isaiah; one of Jeremiah; one of Ezekiel; one of Daniel; outside of these it is permissible for you to recount in addition thereto also the Wisdom of very learned Sirach by way of teaching your younger folks.\n\nOur own books, that is to say, those of the New Covenant, comprising four Gospels, namely, that of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke, and of John; fourteen Epistles of Paul; two Epistles of Peter, three Epistles of John; one of James; one of Jude; two Epistles of Clement; and the Injunctions addressed to you bishops through me, Clement, in eight books, which ought not to be divulged to all on account of the secret matters they contain) and the Acts of us Apostles."}]}, "3": {"name": "1nicea", "history": "", "canons": [{"canon": 1, "text": "If anyone has been castrated by surgeons for a disease, or has been castrated by barbarians, let him remain in the clergy. But if anyone has castrated himself when well, he must be dismissed even if he is examined after being in the clergy. And henceforth no such person must be promoted to Holy Orders. But as is self-evident, though such is the case as regards those who affect the matter and dare to castrate themselves, if any persons have become eunuchs by barbarians or their lords, but are otherwise found to be worthy, the canon admits such persons to the clergy."}, {"canon": 2, "text": "Inasmuch as many things, whether of necessity or otherwise are urgently demanded by men or have been demanded by men, have been done contrary to the ecclesiastical canon so that men who have but recently come to the faith from a heathen life and have been catechized for only a short time, have been conducted directly to the spiritual bath; and as soon as baptized have been given an episcopate or the priesthood, it has seemed well henceforth to have no such thing occur. For the catechumen needs more time and a longer trial after baptism. The Apostolic letter is also plain which says, \"not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he falls into the Devil's snare\". If, on the other hand, in the course of time any psychical [Greek psyhikos; pertaining to the soul, that is, the mind, the heart and will] sin is found against the person, and it is exposed by two or three witnesses, let such a person be dismissed from the clergy. As for anyone acting contrary hereto, as having the hardihood to do things opposed to the great Synod, he himself shall be in danger of losing his standing in the clergy."}, {"canon": 3, "text": "The great Synod has generally forbidden any bishop, priest or deacon, or anyone else among those in the clergy, the privilege of having a housekeeper; unless she is either a mother, a sister, an aunt, or a person above suspicion."}, {"canon": 4, "text": "It is most proper that a bishop should be installed by all those in his province. But if such a thing is difficult either because of the urgency of circumstances, or because of the distance to be traveled, at least three should meet together somewhere, and by their votes combined with the votes of those who are absent and join in the election by letter, they should thereafter carry out the ordination. But as for the ratification of the proceedings, let it be entrusted in each province to the metropolitan."}, {"canon": 5, "text": "As regards those who have been denied communion, whether clergy or laity, by the bishops in every eparchy, let the opinion prevail expressed in the canon prescribing that those rejected by some are not to be received by others. But let an investigation be made as to whether or not they have been unchurched on account of smallness of soul or contentiousness or any other such repugnancy of the bishop. In order, therefore, that a proper investigation may be made, it has seemed well that synods be held twice every year. In each eparchy and in a common discussion held by all the bishops of the eparchy assembled together. For this purpose let such questions be considered and decided upon. And thus those who have admittedly clashed with the bishop would seem to be reasonably excluded from communion until such time as by common consent of the bishops it may seem better to let a more philanthropic vote be given in their behalf. As for these synods, let one of them be held before the Great Fast, in order that, with the elimination of all smallness of soul, the gift may be offered to God in all its purity; and let the second one be held sometime in autumn."}, {"canon": 6, "text": "Let the ancient customs prevail which were in practice in Egypt, Libya and Pentapolis, to allow the Bishop of Alexandria to have authority over all these parts, since this is also the treatment usually accorded to the Bishop of Rome. Likewise with reference to Antioch, and in other provinces, let the seniority be preserved to the Churches. In general it is obvious that in the case in which anyone has been made a bishop without the metropolitan's approval, the great Synod has prescribed that such a person must not be a bishop. If however, concerning the common vote of all, though reasonable and in accordance with an ecclesiastical canon, two or three men object on account of contentiousness, let the vote of the majority prevail."}, {"canon": 7, "text": "Inasmuch as a custom has prevailed, and an ancient tradition, for the Bishop in Aelia [Jerusalem] to be honored, let him have the sequence of honor, with the metropolitan having his own dignity preserved."}, {"canon": 8, "text": "As concerning those who call themselves Cathari and who are claiming to be adherents of the catholic and apostolic Church, it has seemed right to the holy and great Synod, when they have had hands laid upon them, to let them remain in the clergy. Above all, that it is fitting for them to confess to this in uniting, to wit, that they will agree to and will adhere to the dogmas of the catholic and apostolic Church. That is, that they will hold communion with persons married a second time, and with those who in time of persecution have lapsed from the faith; regarding whom a length of time has been fixed, and a due season has been set for their repentance.\\n\\nThis is so that they may adhere to the dogmas of the Catholic Church in everything. Wherever they are the only ones found to have been ordained, whether in villages or in cities, they shall remain in the same habit (or order). But wherever there is a bishop of the Catholic Church, where some of them [cathari] are joining it, it is obvious that, as the bishop of the Church will keep the dignity of bishop, the one called a bishop among the so-called Cathari shall have the honor of a priest, unless it should seem better to the bishop that he should share in the honor of the name. But if this does not please him, he shall devise a position either of a chorepiscopus or of a priest, with the object of having him seems to be wholly in the clergy, or else there would then be two bishops in the same city."}, {"canon": 9, "text": "If some persons have been promoted to the priesthood without due examination, or when given a hearing confessed their sins to them, and after they confessed, these men, acting contrary to the canon, laid hands upon such persons, the canon will not admit them. For the Catholic Church insists upon irreproachability."}, {"canon": 10, "text": "As many persons as have been guilty of serious lapses and have been ordained in ignorance thereof or even after the ordainers have become aware thereof, they will not be admitted under the ecclesiastical canon. For when they have become known, they shall be deposed."}, {"canon": 11, "text": "Concerning those who have transgressed without any need, without being deprived of goods, without being in any peril or in any such strait as occurred during the tyranny of Licinius, it has seemed fit to the Synod to be kind to them, even though they did not deserve philanthropic treatment. As many, therefore, as sincerely repent with remorse shall pass three years among listeners as believers, and seven years as kneelers. In addition; for two years without communicating with the offering, they may pray with the people."}, {"canon": 12, "text": "As for those persons who were summoned by grace, and after displaying a preliminary enthusiasm and taking off their [army] belts, they returned like dogs to their vomit, in such a way that some of them even wasted money in an effort to re-establish themselves in the army by means of beneficial (a Latin word meaning gift), let them be kneelers for ten years after devoting three years as listeners. But in addition to all these requirements it is requisite to examine into the will (or inclinations) and the kind of repentance. For as regards all those who with fear, and tears, and patience, and the doing of good to others have displayed proofs of their conversion by actual performance and not by mere pretense, after they have fulfilled the time fixed for their listening period, they shall participate in prayers unrestrictedly, with the further concession of a right to the bishop to devise some more philanthropic treatment regarding them. But as for those who acted unconcernedly, and who thought the pretense of going to church a sufficient proof of their conversion, let them fulfill the time to the utmost limit."}, {"canon": 13, "text": "Concerning those who are exiting [from life, by dying], the old and canonical Law shall be kept even now, so that, if anyone is exiting, he should not be deprived of the necessary support [Divine Mystery]. However, when all hope is gone and he has been given communion, if he again is found among the living, let him stay with those who participate in prayer only. In general, moreover, as concerning anyone at all that is on the verge of making his exit, if he asks to partake of the Eucharist, let the bishop examine him and then impart the oblation."}, {"canon": 14, "text": "Concerning catechumens and lapsers, it has seemed proper to the holy great Synod to let them off with only three years' listening and to allow them thereafter to pray together with catechumens."}, {"canon": 15, "text": "Because of much disturbance and the mutinies which took place, it has seemed best to do away altogether with the custom which obtained contrary to the Apostolic canon in some places, so as not to allow either a bishop or a priest or a deacon to go from one city to another. If after the holy and great Synod's definition, anyone should attempt to do such a thing, or has actually undertaken to do such a thing, let the resulting affair be invalidated by all means, and let him be reinstated in the church in which the bishop or priest in question was ordained."}, {"canon": 16, "text": "Any priests or deacons, or other persons covered by the canon, who take the risk, without having the fear of God before their eyes, or keeping aware of the ecclesiastical canon, of departing from their own church, they must not be admitted at all in another church, but they must be strictly forced to return to their own parish, or, in case they insist, it is proper for them to be excluded from Communion. If on the other hand, anyone should surreptitiously snatch away one belonging to another and ordain him in his own church, without the consent of his bishop, from whom the one covered by the canon departed, let the ordination be invalid."}, {"canon": 17, "text": "Because of the fact that many persons covered by the canon, out of greed and in pursuit of shameful gain (willfully) forgot the divine passage of Holy Scripture saying \"who has not lent out his money at interest,\" and in lending demanded a profit, the holy and great Synod has deemed it just and right that in case anyone is found after the adoption of this definition receiving interest for the use of money, or otherwise exploiting the matter, or demanding commission, or through any other subterfuge contriving to exact shameful profits, he shall be deposed from the clergy and shall be an alien to the canon."}, {"canon": 18, "text": "It has come to the notice of the holy and great Synod that in some regions and cities deacons are giving the Eucharist to priests, which is something that neither the canon nor custom has allowed those who have not the authority to offer, to give the Body of Christ to those offering it. It has also further been learned that already some deacons touch the Eucharist even before the bishops. Let all these things, therefore, be done away with, and let deacons conform to their own standards, well knowing that they are servants of the bishop, and that they are inferior to priests. Let them take the Eucharist in due order after the priests, with either the bishop or the priests administering it to them. But neither let it be permissible for deacons to sit among priests for to do so is contrary to the canon, and is contrary to due order: if in this disregard of these definitions, anyone refuses to obey, let him be dismissed from his diaconate."}, {"canon": 19, "text": "Concerning the Paulianists who afterwards took refuge in the Catholic Church, it is established that they be rebaptized without fail. If in the past any of them have been covered [ordained] in the clergy, if under close examination are shown to be blameless and irreproachable, after rebaptism let them be ordained by a Bishop of the Orthodox Catholic Church. But if the investigation finds them unfit, let them be deposed. Likewise as concerning deaconesses, and all those who are embraced by the canon in any way and are being examined, the same form shall be observed. We have referred to the deaconesses who have been examined under cover of the habit, since they have neither any claim to appointment to any order, so that they are to be examined without fail among the laymen."}, {"canon": 20, "text": "Since there are some persons who kneel in church on the Lord's Day and on the days of Pentecost, with a view to preserving uniformity in all parishes, it has seemed best to the Holy Synod for prayers to be offered to God while standing."}]}}}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"_default": {"1": {"name": "apostles", "history": "", "canons": [{"canon": 1, "text": "Two or three other bishops are needed to ordain a bishop."}, {"canon": 2, "text": "A priest must be ordained by a single bishop, and so must a deacon and other clergymen."}, {"canon": 3, "text": "If any bishop or priest, contrary to the Lord's ordinance relating to sacrifice, offers anything else at the sacrificial altar, whether it be honey, or milk, or artificial liquor instead of wine, chickens, or any kind of animal, or vegetables, contrary to the ordinance, let him be deposed: except ears of new wheat or bunches of grapes, in due season. Let it not be permissible to bring anything else to the sacrificial altar but oil for the lamp, and incense at the time of the holy oblation."}, {"canon": 4, "text": "Let all other fruit be sent home to the bishop and priests as first fruits, but not to the sacrificial altar. It is understood that the bishop and priests shall distribute a fair share to the deacons and other clergymen."}, {"canon": 5, "text": "No bishop, priest, or deacon shall divorce his own wife under pretext of reverence. If he divorces her, let him be excommunicated; and if he persist in so doing, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 6, "text": "A bishop, or priest, or deacon must not undertake worldly cares. If he does, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 7, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon celebrate the holy day of Pascha before the vernal equinox with the Jews, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 8, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, or anyone else in the clerical list, fail to partake of communion when the oblation has been offered, he must tell the reason; and if it is a good excuse, he shall receive a pardon. But if he refuses to tell it, he shall be excommunicated, on the ground that he has become a cause of harm to the laity and has instilled a suspicion against the one offering of it, that the latter has failed to present it in a sound manner."}, {"canon": 9, "text": "All those faithful who enter and listen to the Scriptures, but do not stay for prayer and Holy Communion must be excommunicated, on the ground that they are causing the Church a breach of order."}, {"canon": 10, "text": "One who prays with the excommunicant, shall himself be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 11, "text": "A clergyman who prays in company with a deposed clergyman shall also be deposed."}, {"canon": 12, "text": "If any clergyman, or laymen, who has been excommunicated, or who has not been admitted to repentance, shall go away and be received in another city, without commendatory letters, both the receiver and the one received shall be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 13, "text": "If he has been excommunicated let his excommunication be augmented, on the grounds that he has lied and that he has deceived the Church of God."}, {"canon": 14, "text": "A bishop shall not abandon his own parish and go outside of it to interlope to another one, even though urged by a number of persons to go there, unless there be a good reason for doing so, on the grounds that he can be of greater help to the inhabitants there, by reason of his piety. And even then he must not do so of his own accord, but in obedience to the judgment of many bishops, and at their urgent request."}, {"canon": 15, "text": "If any priest, or deacon, or anyone at all on the list of clerics, abandoning his own province, departs to another, and after deserting it entirely, sojourns in another, contrary to the mind of his own bishop, we bid him to officiate no longer; especially if his bishop summons him to return, and he has not obeyed and persists in his disorderliness; however, he may commune there as layman."}, {"canon": 16, "text": "On the other hand, if the bishop with whom they are associating, admits them as clergymen in defiance of the deprivation prescribed against them, he shall be excommunicated as a teacher of disorder."}, {"canon": 17, "text": "Whoever has entered into two marriages after baptism, or has possessed himself of a mistress, cannot be a bishop, or a priest, or a deacon, or anything else in the list of clerics."}, {"canon": 18, "text": "No one who has taken a widow, or a divorced woman, or a harlot, or a housemaid, or any actress as his wife, may be a bishop, or a priest, or a deacon, or hold any other position at all in the clerical list."}, {"canon": 19, "text": "Whoever marries two sisters, or a niece, may not be a clergyman."}, {"canon": 20, "text": "Any clergyman that gives himself as security shall be deposed."}, {"canon": 21, "text": "A eunuch, whether he became such by influence of men, or was deprived of his virile parts under persecution, or was born thus, may, if he is worthy, become a bishop."}, {"canon": 22, "text": "Let no one who has mutilated himself become a clergyman; for he is a murderer of himself, and an enemy of God's creation."}, {"canon": 23, "text": "If anyone who is a clergyman should mutilate himself, let him be deposed, for he is a self-murderer."}, {"canon": 24, "text": "Any layman who has mutilated himself shall be excommunicated for three years, for he is a plotter against his own life."}, {"canon": 25, "text": "Any bishop, or priest, or deacon that is taken in the act of committing fornication, or perjury, or theft, shall be deposed, but shall not be excommunicated, for Scripture says: \"You shall not exact revenge twice for the same offense.\" The same rule applies also to the rest of clergymen."}, {"canon": 26, "text": "As to bachelors who have entered the clergy, we allow only readers and chanters to marry if they wish to do so."}, {"canon": 27, "text": "As for a bishop, or priest, or deacon that strikes believers for sinning, or unbelievers for wrong-doing, with the idea of making them afraid, we command that he be deposed. For the Lord has nowhere taught that; on the contrary, He Himself when struck did not strike back; when reviled, He did not revile His revilers; when suffering, He did not threaten."}, {"canon": 28, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, who has been justly deposed for proven crimes, should dare to touch the Liturgy which had once been put in his hands, let him be cut off from the Church altogether."}, {"canon": 29, "text": "If any bishop become the recipient of this office by means of money, or any priest, or any deacon, let him be deposed as well as the one who ordained him, and let him be cut off entirely even from communion, as was Simon the Sorcerer by me, Peter."}, {"canon": 30, "text": "If any bishop comes into possession of a church by employing secular rulers, let him be deposed, and let him be excommunicated, and also all those who communicate with him."}, {"canon": 31, "text": "If any priest, condemning his own bishop, draws people aside, and sets up another altar, without finding anything wrong with the bishop in point of piety and justice, let him be deposed, on the ground that he is desirous of power. For he is a tyrant; and let the rest of the clergymen and all those who abet him be treated in the same manner. But let the laymen be excommunicated. Let these things be done after one, and a second, and a third request of the bishop."}, {"canon": 32, "text": "If any bishop excommunicates any priest or deacon, these men must not be received by anyone except the one who excommunicated them, unless by a coincidence the bishop who excommunicated them should decease."}, {"canon": 33, "text": "None of the foreign bishops, priests or deacons shall be received without commendatory letters. Even when they bear such, they shall be examined. And if they really are preachers of piety, they shall be received; but if they are not, after furnishing them with any necessities, they shall not be admitted to communion. For many things are done with a view toward plunder."}, {"canon": 34, "text": "It befits us bishops of every nation to know the one among them who is the premier or chief, and to recognize him as their head, and to refrain from doing anything superfluous without his advice and approval: but, instead each of them should do only whatever is necessitated by his own parish, and by the territories under him. Let not even such a one do anything without the advice, consent and approval of all. For thus will there be concord, and God will be glorified through the Lord in Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."}, {"canon": 35, "text": "A bishop shall not dare to confer ordinations outside of his own boundaries, in cities and territories not subject to him. If he is proved to have done so against the wishes of those having possession of those cities or territories, let him be deposed, as well as those whom he ordained."}, {"canon": 36, "text": "In case any bishop who has been ordained refuses the office and the care of the laity, which has been entrusted to him, he shall be excommunicated and remain so until such time as he accepts it. This also applies to a priest and deacon. But if upon departing, he fail to accept it, not contrary to his own inclination, but because of the spitefulness of the laity, let him be a bishop, but let the clergy of that city be excommunicated, since no one can correct such an insubordinate laity."}, {"canon": 37, "text": "Twice a year let a synod of bishops be held, and let them examine one another in regards to dogmas of piety, and let incidental ecclesiastical contradictions be eliminated: the first one, in the fourth week of Pentecost; the second one, on the twelfth of Hyperberetaeus (October)."}, {"canon": 38, "text": "Let the bishop have the care of all ecclesiastical matters and let him manage them, with the understanding that God is overseeing and supervising. Let him not be allowed to appropriate anything from this or to give God's things to his relatives. If they be indigent, let him provide for them as indigents, but let him not trade off things of the Church under this pretext."}, {"canon": 39, "text": "Let priests and deacons do nothing without the consent of the bishop. For he is the one entrusted with the Lord's people, and it is from him that an accounting will be demanded with respect to their souls."}, {"canon": 40, "text": "Let the bishop's own property (if indeed he has any) be publicly known, and let the Lord's be publicly known. In order that the bishop may have authority to dispose of his own property when he dies, and leave it to whomever he wishes and as he wishes. And lest, by reason of any pretext of ecclesiastical property, the property of the bishop be mixed and buried therein and that he may have a wife and children, relatives or house servants. For it is only just with God and men that neither the church should suffer any loss owing to ignorance of the bishop's property, nor the bishop, or his relatives, should have their property confiscated on the pretext that it belonged to the church.\n\nOr even to have trouble with those who are quarreling over his property, and to have his death involved in aspersions."}, {"canon": 41, "text": "We command that the bishop have authority over the property of the church. For if the precious souls of men ought to be entrusted to him, there is little need of any special injunction concerning money; so that everything may be entrusted to be governed in accordance with his authority, and he may grant to those in need through the priests and deacons with fear of God and all reverence; while he himself may partake thereof whatever he needs (if he needs anything) for his necessary needs, and for brethren who are his guests, so as not to deprive them of anything, in any manner. For God's law has enjoined that those who serve at the altar are to be maintained at the altar's expense. The more so in view of the fact that not even a soldier ever bears arms against belligerents at his own expense."}, {"canon": 42, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon wastes his time by playing dice, or getting drunk, either let him desist from this or let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 43, "text": "Let any subdeacon, or readers, or psalti, who does similar things either desist or be excommunicated. This applies to any layman."}, {"canon": 44, "text": "Let any bishop or priest or deacon who demands interest on money lent to others either cease doing so or be deposed."}, {"canon": 45, "text": "Let any bishop, or priest, or deacon that only joins in prayer with heretics be suspended, but if he has permitted them to perform any service as clergy let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 46, "text": "We order any bishop or priest, that has accepted any heretic's baptism or sacrifice be deposed; for \"what consonance has Christ with Belial? Or what part has the believer with an unbeliever?\""}, {"canon": 47, "text": "If a bishop or priest baptize anew anyone that has had a true baptism, or fail to baptize anyone that has been polluted by the impious, let him be deposed, on the ground that he is mocking the Cross and Death of the Lord and for failing to distinguish priests from pseudo-priests."}, {"canon": 48, "text": "If any layman who has divorced his wife takes another, or one divorced by another man, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 49, "text": "If any bishop or priest baptize anyone not into the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Lord's ordinance, but into three beginningless beings or into three sons or into three comforters, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 50, "text": "If any bishop or priest does not perform three immersions (baptisms) in making one baptism, but only a single immersion (baptism) that given into the death of the Lord, let him be deposed. For the Lord did not say, Baptize into my death, but, \"Go you and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.\""}, {"canon": 51, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, or anyone at all on the holy list, abstain from marriage, or meat, or wine, not as a matter of mortification, but out of an abhorrence thereof, forgetting that all things are exceedingly good, and that God made man male and female, but blasphemously misrepresenting God's work of creation, either let him correct and purge his ways or let him be excluded from the Church. The same applies to a layman."}, {"canon": 52, "text": "If any bishop or priest shall refuse to welcome back anyone returning from sin, but on the contrary, rejects him, let him be deposed, since he grieves Christ, who said: \"There is joy in heaven over a single sinner who repents.\""}, {"canon": 53, "text": "If any bishop, priest or deacon, on the days of feasts will not partake of meat and wine, because he loathes these things, and not on account of asceticism, let him be deposed, on the ground that he has his own conscience seared and has become a cause of scandal to many."}, {"canon": 54, "text": "If any clergyman be discovered eating in a tavern let him be excommunicated, except only in case it he happens to be at a wayside inn where he puts up out of necessity."}, {"canon": 55, "text": "If any clergyman should insult the bishop let him be deposed. For \"you shall not speak badly about your people's ruler.\""}, {"canon": 56, "text": "If any clergyman should insult a priest or a deacon, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 57, "text": "If any clergyman ridicules the lame, or the deaf or the blind or the crippled, let him be excommunicated. The same applies to a layman."}, {"canon": 58, "text": "If any bishop or priest neglects the clergy or the laity, and neglects to instruct them in piety, let him be excommunicated: but if he persists in his negligence and indolence, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 59, "text": "If any bishop or priest fails to supply necessities when any of the clergy is in want, let him be excommunicated. If he persists, let him be deposed, as having murdered his brother."}, {"canon": 60, "text": "If anyone reads to the public in churches, the books of impious writers bearing false inscriptions and purporting to be holy, to the injury of laity and clergy, let him be deposed."}, {"canon": 61, "text": "If a charge of fornication, or of adultery, or of any other forbidden act be brought against one of the faithful, and be proved, let him not be promoted to the clergy."}, {"canon": 62, "text": "If any clergyman, for fear of any man, whether a Jew or a Greek or a heretic, should deny the name of Christ, let him be cast out; or if he deny the name of clergyman, let him be deposed; and if he repent, let him be accepted as a layman."}, {"canon": 63, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, and all on the clerical list, eat meat in the blood of its soul, or that which a wild beast has killed, or that which has died a natural death, let him be deposed. For the Law has forbidden this. But if any layman do this, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 64, "text": "If any clergyman is found to be fasting on the Lord's Day (Sunday), or on Saturday with the exception of one only, let him be deposed. If he is a layman, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 65, "text": "If any clergyman, or layman, enter a synagogue of Jews or of heretics to pray, let him be both deposed and excommunicated."}, {"canon": 66, "text": "If any clergyman strikes anyone in a fight, and kills by a single blow, let him be deposed for his insolence. But if he is a layman, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 67, "text": "If anyone is keeping a virgin whom he has forcibly raped and who is not promised to another, let him be excommunicated. And let it not be permissible for him to take another, but let him be obliged to keep her whom he has made his choice even though she happens to be indigent."}, {"canon": 68, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon accepts a second ordination from anyone, let him and the one who ordained him be deposed, unless it be established that his ordination has been performed by heretics. For those who have been baptized or ordained by such persons cannot possibly be either faithful Christians or clergymen."}, {"canon": 69, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon, or subdeacon, readers, or psalti fails to fast throughout the forty days of the Great Fast, or on Wednesday, or on Friday, let him be deposed, unless he has been prevented from doing so by reason of bodily illness. If, on the other hand, any layman fail to do so, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 70, "text": "If any bishop, priest, or deacon, or anyone at all who is on the list of clergymen, fast together with Jews, or celebrates a holiday together with them, or accepts from them holiday gifts or favors, such as unleavened wafers, or anything of the like, let him be deposed. If a layman do likewise, however, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 71, "text": "If any Christian conveys oil to a temple of heathen, or to a synagogue of Jews, in their festivals, or lights lamps for them, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 72, "text": "If any clergyman, or layman, takes a wax candle or any oil from the holy church, let him be excommunicated and be compelled to give back what he took, together with a fifth part of its value as well."}, {"canon": 73, "text": "Let no one appropriate any longer for his own use any golden or silver vessel that has been sanctified, or any cloth: for it is unlawful to do so. If anyone be caught in the act, let him be punished with excommunication."}, {"canon": 74, "text": "When trustworthy men have accused a bishop of something, bishops must summon him; and if he answers and confesses, or is found guilty, let the penalty be fixed. But if when summoned he refuses to obey, let him be summoned a second time by sending two bishops to him. If even then he refuses to obey, let him be summoned a third time, two bishops again being sent to him; but if even then he shows contempt and fails to answer, let the synod decide the matter against him in whatever way seems best, so that it may not seem that he is getting the benefit by evading a trial."}, {"canon": 75, "text": "No heretic shall be accepted as a witness against a bishop, but neither shall one faithful alone: for \"every charge shall be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.\""}, {"canon": 76, "text": "It is decreed that no bishop shall be allowed to ordain whomsoever he wishes to the office of the Episcopate as a matter of concession to a brother, or to a son, or to a relative. For it is not right for heirs to the Episcopate to be created, by subjecting God's things to human passion; for God's Church ought not to be entrusted to heirs. If anyone shall do this, let the ordination remain invalid and void, and let the bishop himself be penalized with excommunication."}, {"canon": 77, "text": "If any cripple, or anyone with a defect in an eye or in a leg, is worthy of the episcopate, let him be made a bishop, for it is not an injury to the body that defiles one, but a pollution of the soul."}, {"canon": 78, "text": "Let no one that is deaf nor anyone that is blind be made a bishop, not on the ground that he is deficient morally, but lest he should be embarrassed in the exercise of ecclesiastical functions."}, {"canon": 79, "text": "If anyone is possessed of a demon, let him not be made a clergyman, nor even be allowed to pray in company with the faithful. But after he has been cleansed from it, let him be received, and if worthy be made one."}, {"canon": 80, "text": "It is not right to ordain a man a bishop immediately after he has joined the Church and been baptized, if he has hitherto been leading a heathenish life, or has been converted from wicked behavior. For it is wrong to let one without experience become the teacher of others, unless in some special case this be allowed as a matter of divine favor and grace."}, {"canon": 81, "text": "We have said that a bishop, or a priest, must not descend himself into public offices, but must attend to ecclesiastical needs. Either let he be persuaded, therefore, not to do so, or let him be deposed. For no one can serve two masters, according to the Lord's injunction."}, {"canon": 82, "text": "We do not permit house servants to be ordained to the clergy without the consent of their masters, to the sorrow of the masters owning them. For such a thing causes an upheaval in the households. But if any house servant should appear to be worthy to be ordained to any rank, as our own Onesimus did, and their masters are willing to permit it, and grant them their freedom (by liberating them from slavery), and allow them to leave home, let him be so ordained."}, {"canon": 83, "text": "If any bishop, or priest, or deacon is engaged in military matters, and wishes to hold both a Roman (i.e. civil) and a holy office, let him be deposed. For \"render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.\""}, {"canon": 84, "text": "If anyone insults an emperor or king, or any other ruler, contrary to what is right and just, let him pay the penalty. Accordingly, if he is a clergyman, let him be deposed; but if he is a layman, let him be excommunicated."}, {"canon": 85, "text": "To all you clergymen and laymen let the following books be venerable and holy: Of the Old Covenant, the five of Moses, namely, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; the one of Jesus of Nave (commonly called Joshua in English); the one of Judges; the one of Ruth; the four of the Kingdoms; two Chronicles of the Book of Days; two of Esdras; one of Esther; three of the Maccabees; one of Job; one Psalter (Psalms); three of Solomon, namely, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs; twelve of the Prophets; one of Isaiah; one of Jeremiah; one of Ezekiel; one of Daniel; outside of these it is permissible for you to recount in addition thereto also the Wisdom of very learned Sirach by way of teaching your younger folks.\n\nOur own books, that is to say, those of the New Covenant, comprising four Gospels, namely, that of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke, and of John; fourteen Epistles of Paul; two Epistles of Peter, three Epistles of John; one of James; one of Jude; two Epistles of Clement; and the Injunctions addressed to you bishops through me, Clement, in eight books, which ought not to be divulged to all on account of the secret matters they contain) and the Acts of us Apostles."}]}, "3": {"name": "1nicea", "history": "", "canons": [{"canon": 1, "text": "If anyone has been castrated by surgeons for a disease, or has been castrated by barbarians, let him remain in the clergy. But if anyone has castrated himself when well, he must be dismissed even if he is examined after being in the clergy. And henceforth no such person must be promoted to Holy Orders. But as is self-evident, though such is the case as regards those who affect the matter and dare to castrate themselves, if any persons have become eunuchs by barbarians or their lords, but are otherwise found to be worthy, the canon admits such persons to the clergy."}, {"canon": 2, "text": "Inasmuch as many things, whether of necessity or otherwise are urgently demanded by men or have been demanded by men, have been done contrary to the ecclesiastical canon so that men who have but recently come to the faith from a heathen life and have been catechized for only a short time, have been conducted directly to the spiritual bath; and as soon as baptized have been given an episcopate or the priesthood, it has seemed well henceforth to have no such thing occur. For the catechumen needs more time and a longer trial after baptism. The Apostolic letter is also plain which says, \"not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he falls into the Devil's snare\". If, on the other hand, in the course of time any psychical [Greek psyhikos; pertaining to the soul, that is, the mind, the heart and will] sin is found against the person, and it is exposed by two or three witnesses, let such a person be dismissed from the clergy. As for anyone acting contrary hereto, as having the hardihood to do things opposed to the great Synod, he himself shall be in danger of losing his standing in the clergy."}, {"canon": 3, "text": "The great Synod has generally forbidden any bishop, priest or deacon, or anyone else among those in the clergy, the privilege of having a housekeeper; unless she is either a mother, a sister, an aunt, or a person above suspicion."}, {"canon": 4, "text": "It is most proper that a bishop should be installed by all those in his province. But if such a thing is difficult either because of the urgency of circumstances, or because of the distance to be traveled, at least three should meet together somewhere, and by their votes combined with the votes of those who are absent and join in the election by letter, they should thereafter carry out the ordination. But as for the ratification of the proceedings, let it be entrusted in each province to the metropolitan."}, {"canon": 5, "text": "As regards those who have been denied communion, whether clergy or laity, by the bishops in every eparchy, let the opinion prevail expressed in the canon prescribing that those rejected by some are not to be received by others. But let an investigation be made as to whether or not they have been unchurched on account of smallness of soul or contentiousness or any other such repugnancy of the bishop. In order, therefore, that a proper investigation may be made, it has seemed well that synods be held twice every year. In each eparchy and in a common discussion held by all the bishops of the eparchy assembled together. For this purpose let such questions be considered and decided upon. And thus those who have admittedly clashed with the bishop would seem to be reasonably excluded from communion until such time as by common consent of the bishops it may seem better to let a more philanthropic vote be given in their behalf. As for these synods, let one of them be held before the Great Fast, in order that, with the elimination of all smallness of soul, the gift may be offered to God in all its purity; and let the second one be held sometime in autumn."}, {"canon": 6, "text": "Let the ancient customs prevail which were in practice in Egypt, Libya and Pentapolis, to allow the Bishop of Alexandria to have authority over all these parts, since this is also the treatment usually accorded to the Bishop of Rome. Likewise with reference to Antioch, and in other provinces, let the seniority be preserved to the Churches. In general it is obvious that in the case in which anyone has been made a bishop without the metropolitan's approval, the great Synod has prescribed that such a person must not be a bishop. If however, concerning the common vote of all, though reasonable and in accordance with an ecclesiastical canon, two or three men object on account of contentiousness, let the vote of the majority prevail."}, {"canon": 7, "text": "Inasmuch as a custom has prevailed, and an ancient tradition, for the Bishop in Aelia [Jerusalem] to be honored, let him have the sequence of honor, with the metropolitan having his own dignity preserved."}, {"canon": 8, "text": "As concerning those who call themselves Cathari and who are claiming to be adherents of the catholic and apostolic Church, it has seemed right to the holy and great Synod, when they have had hands laid upon them, to let them remain in the clergy. Above all, that it is fitting for them to confess to this in uniting, to wit, that they will agree to and will adhere to the dogmas of the catholic and apostolic Church. That is, that they will hold communion with persons married a second time, and with those who in time of persecution have lapsed from the faith; regarding whom a length of time has been fixed, and a due season has been set for their repentance.\\n\\nThis is so that they may adhere to the dogmas of the Catholic Church in everything. Wherever they are the only ones found to have been ordained, whether in villages or in cities, they shall remain in the same habit (or order). But wherever there is a bishop of the Catholic Church, where some of them [cathari] are joining it, it is obvious that, as the bishop of the Church will keep the dignity of bishop, the one called a bishop among the so-called Cathari shall have the honor of a priest, unless it should seem better to the bishop that he should share in the honor of the name. But if this does not please him, he shall devise a position either of a chorepiscopus or of a priest, with the object of having him seems to be wholly in the clergy, or else there would then be two bishops in the same city."}, {"canon": 9, "text": "If some persons have been promoted to the priesthood without due examination, or when given a hearing confessed their sins to them, and after they confessed, these men, acting contrary to the canon, laid hands upon such persons, the canon will not admit them. For the Catholic Church insists upon irreproachability."}, {"canon": 10, "text": "As many persons as have been guilty of serious lapses and have been ordained in ignorance thereof or even after the ordainers have become aware thereof, they will not be admitted under the ecclesiastical canon. For when they have become known, they shall be deposed."}, {"canon": 11, "text": "Concerning those who have transgressed without any need, without being deprived of goods, without being in any peril or in any such strait as occurred during the tyranny of Licinius, it has seemed fit to the Synod to be kind to them, even though they did not deserve philanthropic treatment. As many, therefore, as sincerely repent with remorse shall pass three years among listeners as believers, and seven years as kneelers. In addition; for two years without communicating with the offering, they may pray with the people."}, {"canon": 12, "text": "As for those persons who were summoned by grace, and after displaying a preliminary enthusiasm and taking off their [army] belts, they returned like dogs to their vomit, in such a way that some of them even wasted money in an effort to re-establish themselves in the army by means of beneficial (a Latin word meaning gift), let them be kneelers for ten years after devoting three years as listeners. But in addition to all these requirements it is requisite to examine into the will (or inclinations) and the kind of repentance. For as regards all those who with fear, and tears, and patience, and the doing of good to others have displayed proofs of their conversion by actual performance and not by mere pretense, after they have fulfilled the time fixed for their listening period, they shall participate in prayers unrestrictedly, with the further concession of a right to the bishop to devise some more philanthropic treatment regarding them. But as for those who acted unconcernedly, and who thought the pretense of going to church a sufficient proof of their conversion, let them fulfill the time to the utmost limit."}, {"canon": 13, "text": "Concerning those who are exiting [from life, by dying], the old and canonical Law shall be kept even now, so that, if anyone is exiting, he should not be deprived of the necessary support [Divine Mystery]. However, when all hope is gone and he has been given communion, if he again is found among the living, let him stay with those who participate in prayer only. In general, moreover, as concerning anyone at all that is on the verge of making his exit, if he asks to partake of the Eucharist, let the bishop examine him and then impart the oblation."}, {"canon": 14, "text": "Concerning catechumens and lapsers, it has seemed proper to the holy great Synod to let them off with only three years' listening and to allow them thereafter to pray together with catechumens."}, {"canon": 15, "text": "Because of much disturbance and the mutinies which took place, it has seemed best to do away altogether with the custom which obtained contrary to the Apostolic canon in some places, so as not to allow either a bishop or a priest or a deacon to go from one city to another. If after the holy and great Synod's definition, anyone should attempt to do such a thing, or has actually undertaken to do such a thing, let the resulting affair be invalidated by all means, and let him be reinstated in the church in which the bishop or priest in question was ordained."}, {"canon": 16, "text": "Any priests or deacons, or other persons covered by the canon, who take the risk, without having the fear of God before their eyes, or keeping aware of the ecclesiastical canon, of departing from their own church, they must not be admitted at all in another church, but they must be strictly forced to return to their own parish, or, in case they insist, it is proper for them to be excluded from Communion. If on the other hand, anyone should surreptitiously snatch away one belonging to another and ordain him in his own church, without the consent of his bishop, from whom the one covered by the canon departed, let the ordination be invalid."}, {"canon": 17, "text": "Because of the fact that many persons covered by the canon, out of greed and in pursuit of shameful gain (willfully) forgot the divine passage of Holy Scripture saying \"who has not lent out his money at interest,\" and in lending demanded a profit, the holy and great Synod has deemed it just and right that in case anyone is found after the adoption of this definition receiving interest for the use of money, or otherwise exploiting the matter, or demanding commission, or through any other subterfuge contriving to exact shameful profits, he shall be deposed from the clergy and shall be an alien to the canon."}, {"canon": 18, "text": "It has come to the notice of the holy and great Synod that in some regions and cities deacons are giving the Eucharist to priests, which is something that neither the canon nor custom has allowed those who have not the authority to offer, to give the Body of Christ to those offering it. It has also further been learned that already some deacons touch the Eucharist even before the bishops. Let all these things, therefore, be done away with, and let deacons conform to their own standards, well knowing that they are servants of the bishop, and that they are inferior to priests. Let them take the Eucharist in due order after the priests, with either the bishop or the priests administering it to them. But neither let it be permissible for deacons to sit among priests for to do so is contrary to the canon, and is contrary to due order: if in this disregard of these definitions, anyone refuses to obey, let him be dismissed from his diaconate."}, {"canon": 19, "text": "Concerning the Paulianists who afterwards took refuge in the Catholic Church, it is established that they be rebaptized without fail. If in the past any of them have been covered [ordained] in the clergy, if under close examination are shown to be blameless and irreproachable, after rebaptism let them be ordained by a Bishop of the Orthodox Catholic Church. But if the investigation finds them unfit, let them be deposed. Likewise as concerning deaconesses, and all those who are embraced by the canon in any way and are being examined, the same form shall be observed. We have referred to the deaconesses who have been examined under cover of the habit, since they have neither any claim to appointment to any order, so that they are to be examined without fail among the laymen."}, {"canon": 20, "text": "Since there are some persons who kneel in church on the Lord's Day and on the days of Pentecost, with a view to preserving uniformity in all parishes, it has seemed best to the Holy Synod for prayers to be offered to God while standing."}]}, "4": {"name": "1const", "history": "", "canons": [{"canon": 1, "text": "The Holy Fathers assembled in Constantinople have decided not to set aside the faith of the three hundred and eighteen Fathers who met in Nicaea, Bithynia, but to let it remain sovereign, and that every heresy be anathematized, and especially and specifically that of the Eunomians, including that of the Adhesions, and that of the Semi-Arians, including that of the Pneumatomachs, and that of the Sabellians, and that of the Marcellians, and that of the Photinians, and that of the Apollinarians.\n"}, {"canon": 2, "text": "Bishops must not leave their own diocese and go over to churches beyond its boundaries; but, on the contrary, in accordance with the Canons, let the Bishop of Alexandria administer the affairs of Egypt only, let the bishops of the East govern the Eastern Church only, the priorities granted to the church of the Antiochians in the Nicene canons being kept inviolate, and let the bishops of the Asian diocese administer only the affairs of the Asian church, and let those of the Pontic diocese look after the diocese of Pontus only, and let those of the Thracian diocese manage the affairs of the Thracian diocese only. Let bishops not go beyond their own province to carry out an ordination or any other ecclesiastical services unless summoned there. When the canon prescribed in regard to dioceses is duly kept; it is evident that the synod of each province will confine itself to the affairs of that particular province, in accordance with the regulations decreed in Nicaea. But the churches of God that are situated in territories belonging to barbarian nations must be administered in accordance with the customary practice of the Fathers.\n"}, {"canon": 3, "text": "Let the Bishop of Constantinople, however, have the priorities of honor after the Bishop of Rome, because of its being New Rome.\n"}, {"canon": 4, "text": "As concerning Maximus the Cynic, and the disturbance caused by him in Constantinople, it is hereby decreed that Maximus neither became nor is a bishop, and that neither are those ordained by him entitled to hold any clerical rank whatsoever. Let everything connected with him or done by him be annulled.\n"}, {"canon": 5, "text": "As concerning the Tome of the Westerners, we have accepted also those in Antioch who confess a single divinity of Father and of Son and of Holy Spirit.\n"}, {"canon": 6, "text": "Because many men, in a spirit of enmity and for purposes of slander being desirous to confound and subvert ecclesiastical discipline, connive to fabricate certain charges against Orthodox bishops managing the churches, in an attempt designing nothing else but to sully the reputation of the priests, and to raise disturbances among peoples who are at peace; on this account it has pleased the holy Synod of the bishops who have convened in Constantinople to decree that informers are not to be admitted without examination, nor are all men to be allowed to bring accusations against those managing the churches, nor yet are all to be excluded. But if anyone lay a personal grievance, that is, a private complaint, against a bishop, on the ground that he has been a victim of the bishop's greed or other unjust treatment, in the case of such accusations neither the personality nor the religion of the accuser is to be inquired into. For then the conscience of the bishop must be clear in every respect, and the man who claims to have been wronged should receive justice whatever be his religion. But if the indictment brought against the bishop be of an ecclesiastical nature, then the personality of the informers must be considered, in order, first of all, not to allow heretics to make charges against Orthodox bishops in regard to ecclesiastical matters. We call heretics those who have of old been proscribed from the Church and those who have thereafter been anathematized by us; and in addition those who though pretending to confess the sound faith, have schismatically separated and have gathered congregations in opposition to our canonical bishops. Further, as regarding those who have previously been condemned by the Church on certain charges and have been ousted from this or excluded from Communion, whether they belong to the clergy or to the ranks of laymen, neither shall these persons be allowed to accuse a bishop until they have first cleared themselves of their own indictment. Likewise as regarding those who themselves previously been accused, they are not to be permitted to accuse a bishop, or other clergymen, until they have first proved themselves innocent of the charges placed against them. If however, certain persons are neither heretics nor excluded from Communion, nor condemned, nor previously charged with any offenses, should declare that they have an accusation of an ecclesiastical nature against a bishop, the holy Synod bids these persons to lodge their accusations before all the bishops of the province and before them to prove the charges against the bishop involved in the case. But if it so happen that the provincial Bishops are unable or incompetent to decide the case against the bishop and make the correction due, then they are to go to a greater synod of the bishops of this diocese summoned to try this case. And they are not to lodge the accusation until they themselves have in writing agreed to incur the same penalty if in the course of the trial it be proved that they have been slandering the accused bishop. But if anyone, scorning what has been decreed in the foregoing statements, should dare either to annoy the emperor's ears or to trouble courts of secular authorities or an ecumenical synod to the disturbance of all the bishops of the diocese, let no such person be allowed to present any information whatever, because of his having thus roundly insulted the canons and ecclesiastical discipline.\n"}, {"canon": 7, "text": "As for those heretics who proceed to embrace Orthodoxy, and join the portion of the saved, we accept them in accordance with the subjoined sequence and custom; Arians, and Macedoniacs, and Sabbatians, and Novatians, those calling themselves Cathari, and the Aristeri and Apollinarians we accept when they offer Orthodox documents and anathematize every heresy that does not hold the same beliefs as the catholic and apostolic Church of God, and are sealed first with holy myron (chrism) on their forehead and their eyes, and the nose and mouth, and ears; and in sealing them we say: \"The seal of a gift of Holy Spirit.\" As for Eunomians, however, who are baptized with a single immersion, and Montanists, who are here called Phrygians, and the Sabellians, who teach that Father and Son are the same person, and some other errors, and (those belonging to) other heresies (for there are many heretics here, especially such as come from the country of the Galatians): all of them that want to adhere to Orthodoxy we are willing to accept as Greeks. Accordingly, on the first day we treat them as Christians; on the second day, catechumens; then, on the third day, we exorcize them with the act of blowing thrice into their face and into their ears; and thus do we catechize them, and we make them stay a time in the church and listen to the Scriptures; and then we baptize them."}]}, "5": {"name": "ephesus", "history": "", "canons": [{"canon": 1, "text": "Since those who for any reason, whether of an ecclesiastical or of physical nature, are absent from the Holy Synod and have remained in their own town or district, ought not to be left in ignorance of the Synod's regulations regarding them, we make known to your holiness and love, that if any metropolitan of the province has apostatized from the holy and ecumenical Synod and joined the assembly of the apostasy, or has joined it thereafter, or has adopted the sentiments of Celestius or intends to adopt them, he shall have no power whatsoever to perpetrate anything against the bishops of the province, being already expelled and stripped of every function and of all ecclesiastical communion by the present Synod. Moreover, he shall be liable in any case, to be expelled from the rank of the episcopate by those very bishops of the province and by surrounding metropolitans who adhere to the beliefs of Orthodoxy.\n"}, {"canon": 2, "text": "If, on the other hand, any provincial bishops have failed to attend the Holy Synod and have joined the apostasy, or should attempt to do so, or even after subscribing to the deposition of Nestorius have again gone to the synods of apostasy, all such persons, in the judgment that has seemed best to the Holy Synod, have alienated themselves from Holy Orders and have forfeited their rank.\n"}, {"canon": 3, "text": "If some of the clergymen in any city or district have been shorn of Holy Orders by Nestorius and his party on account of their believing rightly, we have adjudged it right and just that they be restored to their own rank. We collectively bid the clergymen who agree in their beliefs with the Orthodox and the Ecumenical Synod not to submit in any way whatever to the bishops who have apostatized or have deserted us.\n"}, {"canon": 4, "text": "If any of the clergymen should apostatize and dare, either publicly or privately, to hold the beliefs of Nestorius or of Celestius, the Holy Synod has deemed it just and right that these men too should be deposed.\n"}, {"canon": 5, "text": "As for all those who have been condemned by the Holy Synod, or by their own bishops for improper acts, and to whom Nestorius and those sharing his views and beliefs have sought, or should seek, to give back communion or rank, uncanonically and in accordance with the indifference shown by Nestorius in all matters, we have deemed it right and just that they too remain without benefit and that they be left nevertheless deposed.\n"}, {"canon": 6, "text": "Likewise in regard to any persons who should wish to alter in any way whatsoever anything that has been enacted by the Holy Synod in Ephesus, concerning anyone, the holy Synod has prescribed that if they be bishops or clergymen, they are to lose their own rank entirely, while if they be laymen, they are to be excluded from communion.\n"}, {"canon": 7, "text": "These things having been read aloud, the Holy Synod then decreed that no one should be permitted to offer any different belief or faith, or in any case to write or formulate any other than the one defined by the Holy Fathers assembled with the Holy Spirit in the city of Nicaea. As for those who dare either to formulate a different belief or faith, or to present one, or to offer one to those who wish to turn to acknowledgment of the truth, whether they are Greeks or Jews, or they are members of any heresy whatever; if bishops or clergymen, they shall be deposed as bishops of their episcopate, and as clergymen of their clericate; but if they are laymen, they shall be anathematized. In the same manner, if any persons be discovered or discovered, whether bishops, clergymen or laymen, in the act of believing or teaching the things embodied in the exposition presented by Charisius the Priest concerning the incarnation of the Only-begotten Son of God, or by any chance, the unholy and perverse dogmas of Nestorius which have even been subjoined, let them stand liable to the judgment of this holy and Ecumenical Synod. As a consequence, that is to say, the bishop shall be deprived of his episcopate, and be left deposed, while the clergyman shall likewise forfeit his clericate. If on the other hand any such person is a layman, let him also be anathematized, as aforesaid.\n"}, {"canon": 8, "text": "Our fellow Bishop Reginus, most beloved by God, and with him the most God-beloved bishops of the province of the Cypriotes Zeno and Evagrios, have announced an innovation, a thing whichis contrary to the ecclesiastical laws and the Canons of the Holy Apostles, and one which affects the freedom of all. Hence, since common ailments require more drastic treatment, on the ground that they do greater damage, and especially in view of the fact that the Bishop of Antioch, far from following the ancient custom, has been performing the ordinations in Cyprus, according to information given in the Book of Orthodox Documents and by oral statements made by most pious gentlemen who have approached the Holy Synod. Therefore those who preside over the churches in Cyprus shall retain their privilege unaffected and inviolate, according to the Canons of the Holy Fathers and ancient custom, whereby they shall themselves perform the ordinations of the most reverent bishops. The same rule shall hold good also with regard to the other dioceses and churches everywhere, so that none of the bishops most beloved by God shall take hold of any other province that was not formerly and from the beginning in his jurisdiction or was not held by his predecessors. But if anyone has taken possession of any, and has forcibly subjected it to his authority, he shall return it to its rightful possessor, in order that the Canons of the Fathers not be transgressed, nor the secular be introduced, under the pretext of divine services; lest imperceptibly and little by little we lose the freedom which our Lord Jesus Christ, the Liberator of all men, has given us as a free gift by His own Blood. For this reason, it seemed best to the holy and Ecumenical Synod that the rights of every province, formerly and from the beginning belonging to it, be preserved clear and inviolable, in accordance with the custom which prevailed of old, each metropolitan having permission to take copies of the proceedings for his own security. If, on the other hand, anyone introduce any form conflicting with the decrees that have now been sanctioned, it has seemed best to the entire holy and Ecumenical Synod that it shall be of no effect."}]}}}
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+1 - The Holy Fathers assembled in Constantinople have decided not to set aside the faith of the three hundred and eighteen Fathers who met in Nicaea, Bithynia, but to let it remain sovereign, and that every heresy be anathematized, and especially and specifically that of the Eunomians, including that of the Adhesions, and that of the Semi-Arians, including that of the Pneumatomachs, and that of the Sabellians, and that of the Marcellians, and that of the Photinians, and that of the Apollinarians.
+2 - Bishops must not leave their own diocese and go over to churches beyond its boundaries; but, on the contrary, in accordance with the Canons, let the Bishop of Alexandria administer the affairs of Egypt only, let the bishops of the East govern the Eastern Church only, the priorities granted to the church of the Antiochians in the Nicene canons being kept inviolate, and let the bishops of the Asian diocese administer only the affairs of the Asian church, and let those of the Pontic diocese look after the diocese of Pontus only, and let those of the Thracian diocese manage the affairs of the Thracian diocese only. Let bishops not go beyond their own province to carry out an ordination or any other ecclesiastical services unless summoned there. When the canon prescribed in regard to dioceses is duly kept; it is evident that the synod of each province will confine itself to the affairs of that particular province, in accordance with the regulations decreed in Nicaea. But the churches of God that are situated in territories belonging to barbarian nations must be administered in accordance with the customary practice of the Fathers.
+3 - Let the Bishop of Constantinople, however, have the priorities of honor after the Bishop of Rome, because of its being New Rome.
+4 - As concerning Maximus the Cynic, and the disturbance caused by him in Constantinople, it is hereby decreed that Maximus neither became nor is a bishop, and that neither are those ordained by him entitled to hold any clerical rank whatsoever. Let everything connected with him or done by him be annulled.
+5 - As concerning the Tome of the Westerners, we have accepted also those in Antioch who confess a single divinity of Father and of Son and of Holy Spirit.
+6 - Because many men, in a spirit of enmity and for purposes of slander being desirous to confound and subvert ecclesiastical discipline, connive to fabricate certain charges against Orthodox bishops managing the churches, in an attempt designing nothing else but to sully the reputation of the priests, and to raise disturbances among peoples who are at peace; on this account it has pleased the holy Synod of the bishops who have convened in Constantinople to decree that informers are not to be admitted without examination, nor are all men to be allowed to bring accusations against those managing the churches, nor yet are all to be excluded. But if anyone lay a personal grievance, that is, a private complaint, against a bishop, on the ground that he has been a victim of the bishop's greed or other unjust treatment, in the case of such accusations neither the personality nor the religion of the accuser is to be inquired into. For then the conscience of the bishop must be clear in every respect, and the man who claims to have been wronged should receive justice whatever be his religion. But if the indictment brought against the bishop be of an ecclesiastical nature, then the personality of the informers must be considered, in order, first of all, not to allow heretics to make charges against Orthodox bishops in regard to ecclesiastical matters. We call heretics those who have of old been proscribed from the Church and those who have thereafter been anathematized by us; and in addition those who though pretending to confess the sound faith, have schismatically separated and have gathered congregations in opposition to our canonical bishops. Further, as regarding those who have previously been condemned by the Church on certain charges and have been ousted from this or excluded from Communion, whether they belong to the clergy or to the ranks of laymen, neither shall these persons be allowed to accuse a bishop until they have first cleared themselves of their own indictment. Likewise as regarding those who themselves previously been accused, they are not to be permitted to accuse a bishop, or other clergymen, until they have first proved themselves innocent of the charges placed against them. If however, certain persons are neither heretics nor excluded from Communion, nor condemned, nor previously charged with any offenses, should declare that they have an accusation of an ecclesiastical nature against a bishop, the holy Synod bids these persons to lodge their accusations before all the bishops of the province and before them to prove the charges against the bishop involved in the case. But if it so happen that the provincial Bishops are unable or incompetent to decide the case against the bishop and make the correction due, then they are to go to a greater synod of the bishops of this diocese summoned to try this case. And they are not to lodge the accusation until they themselves have in writing agreed to incur the same penalty if in the course of the trial it be proved that they have been slandering the accused bishop. But if anyone, scorning what has been decreed in the foregoing statements, should dare either to annoy the emperor's ears or to trouble courts of secular authorities or an ecumenical synod to the disturbance of all the bishops of the diocese, let no such person be allowed to present any information whatever, because of his having thus roundly insulted the canons and ecclesiastical discipline.
+7 - As for those heretics who proceed to embrace Orthodoxy, and join the portion of the saved, we accept them in accordance with the subjoined sequence and custom; Arians, and Macedoniacs, and Sabbatians, and Novatians, those calling themselves Cathari, and the Aristeri and Apollinarians we accept when they offer Orthodox documents and anathematize every heresy that does not hold the same beliefs as the catholic and apostolic Church of God, and are sealed first with holy myron (chrism) on their forehead and their eyes, and the nose and mouth, and ears; and in sealing them we say: "The seal of a gift of Holy Spirit." As for Eunomians, however, who are baptized with a single immersion, and Montanists, who are here called Phrygians, and the Sabellians, who teach that Father and Son are the same person, and some other errors, and (those belonging to) other heresies (for there are many heretics here, especially such as come from the country of the Galatians): all of them that want to adhere to Orthodoxy we are willing to accept as Greeks. Accordingly, on the first day we treat them as Christians; on the second day, catechumens; then, on the third day, we exorcize them with the act of blowing thrice into their face and into their ears; and thus do we catechize them, and we make them stay a time in the church and listen to the Scriptures; and then we baptize them.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/canon_law/datasets/ephesus.txt b/canon_law/datasets/ephesus.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d460997
--- /dev/null
+++ b/canon_law/datasets/ephesus.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+1 - Since those who for any reason, whether of an ecclesiastical or of physical nature, are absent from the Holy Synod and have remained in their own town or district, ought not to be left in ignorance of the Synod's regulations regarding them, we make known to your holiness and love, that if any metropolitan of the province has apostatized from the holy and ecumenical Synod and joined the assembly of the apostasy, or has joined it thereafter, or has adopted the sentiments of Celestius or intends to adopt them, he shall have no power whatsoever to perpetrate anything against the bishops of the province, being already expelled and stripped of every function and of all ecclesiastical communion by the present Synod. Moreover, he shall be liable in any case, to be expelled from the rank of the episcopate by those very bishops of the province and by surrounding metropolitans who adhere to the beliefs of Orthodoxy.
+2 - If, on the other hand, any provincial bishops have failed to attend the Holy Synod and have joined the apostasy, or should attempt to do so, or even after subscribing to the deposition of Nestorius have again gone to the synods of apostasy, all such persons, in the judgment that has seemed best to the Holy Synod, have alienated themselves from Holy Orders and have forfeited their rank.
+3 - If some of the clergymen in any city or district have been shorn of Holy Orders by Nestorius and his party on account of their believing rightly, we have adjudged it right and just that they be restored to their own rank. We collectively bid the clergymen who agree in their beliefs with the Orthodox and the Ecumenical Synod not to submit in any way whatever to the bishops who have apostatized or have deserted us.
+4 - If any of the clergymen should apostatize and dare, either publicly or privately, to hold the beliefs of Nestorius or of Celestius, the Holy Synod has deemed it just and right that these men too should be deposed.
+5 - As for all those who have been condemned by the Holy Synod, or by their own bishops for improper acts, and to whom Nestorius and those sharing his views and beliefs have sought, or should seek, to give back communion or rank, uncanonically and in accordance with the indifference shown by Nestorius in all matters, we have deemed it right and just that they too remain without benefit and that they be left nevertheless deposed.
+6 - Likewise in regard to any persons who should wish to alter in any way whatsoever anything that has been enacted by the Holy Synod in Ephesus, concerning anyone, the holy Synod has prescribed that if they be bishops or clergymen, they are to lose their own rank entirely, while if they be laymen, they are to be excluded from communion.
+7 - These things having been read aloud, the Holy Synod then decreed that no one should be permitted to offer any different belief or faith, or in any case to write or formulate any other than the one defined by the Holy Fathers assembled with the Holy Spirit in the city of Nicaea. As for those who dare either to formulate a different belief or faith, or to present one, or to offer one to those who wish to turn to acknowledgment of the truth, whether they are Greeks or Jews, or they are members of any heresy whatever; if bishops or clergymen, they shall be deposed as bishops of their episcopate, and as clergymen of their clericate; but if they are laymen, they shall be anathematized. In the same manner, if any persons be discovered or discovered, whether bishops, clergymen or laymen, in the act of believing or teaching the things embodied in the exposition presented by Charisius the Priest concerning the incarnation of the Only-begotten Son of God, or by any chance, the unholy and perverse dogmas of Nestorius which have even been subjoined, let them stand liable to the judgment of this holy and Ecumenical Synod. As a consequence, that is to say, the bishop shall be deprived of his episcopate, and be left deposed, while the clergyman shall likewise forfeit his clericate. If on the other hand any such person is a layman, let him also be anathematized, as aforesaid.
+8 - Our fellow Bishop Reginus, most beloved by God, and with him the most God-beloved bishops of the province of the Cypriotes Zeno and Evagrios, have announced an innovation, a thing whichis contrary to the ecclesiastical laws and the Canons of the Holy Apostles, and one which affects the freedom of all. Hence, since common ailments require more drastic treatment, on the ground that they do greater damage, and especially in view of the fact that the Bishop of Antioch, far from following the ancient custom, has been performing the ordinations in Cyprus, according to information given in the Book of Orthodox Documents and by oral statements made by most pious gentlemen who have approached the Holy Synod. Therefore those who preside over the churches in Cyprus shall retain their privilege unaffected and inviolate, according to the Canons of the Holy Fathers and ancient custom, whereby they shall themselves perform the ordinations of the most reverent bishops. The same rule shall hold good also with regard to the other dioceses and churches everywhere, so that none of the bishops most beloved by God shall take hold of any other province that was not formerly and from the beginning in his jurisdiction or was not held by his predecessors. But if anyone has taken possession of any, and has forcibly subjected it to his authority, he shall return it to its rightful possessor, in order that the Canons of the Fathers not be transgressed, nor the secular be introduced, under the pretext of divine services; lest imperceptibly and little by little we lose the freedom which our Lord Jesus Christ, the Liberator of all men, has given us as a free gift by His own Blood. For this reason, it seemed best to the holy and Ecumenical Synod that the rights of every province, formerly and from the beginning belonging to it, be preserved clear and inviolable, in accordance with the custom which prevailed of old, each metropolitan having permission to take copies of the proceedings for his own security. If, on the other hand, anyone introduce any form conflicting with the decrees that have now been sanctioned, it has seemed best to the entire holy and Ecumenical Synod that it shall be of no effect.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/canon_law/frontend.py b/canon_law/frontend.py
index cc633ca..f4d43fd 100644
--- a/canon_law/frontend.py
+++ b/canon_law/frontend.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 import flask
 import tinydb
 
-from . import central
+from canon_law import central
 
 bp = flask.Blueprint("frontend", __name__)
 
@@ -27,3 +27,65 @@ bp = flask.Blueprint("frontend", __name__)
 @bp.route("/")
 def index():
     return flask.render_template("index.html")
+
+
+@bp.route("/apostles/")
+def apostles():
+    title = "canons of the apostles"
+
+    query = tinydb.Query()
+
+    obj = central.db.search(query.name == "apostles")[0]
+
+    return flask.render_template("council.html", title=title, name=title, obj=obj)
+
+
+@bp.route("/1nicea/")
+def f_nicea():
+    title = "first council of nicea (325)"
+
+    query = tinydb.Query()
+
+    obj = central.db.search(query.name == "1nicea")[0]
+
+    return flask.render_template("council.html", title=title, name=title, obj=obj)
+
+
+@bp.route("/1const/")
+def f_const():
+    title = "first council of constantinople (381)"
+
+    query = tinydb.Query()
+
+    obj = central.db.search(query.name == "1const")[0]
+
+    return flask.render_template("council.html", title=title, name=title, obj=obj)
+
+
+@bp.route("/ephesus/")
+def ephesus():
+    title = "council of ephesus (431)"
+
+    query = tinydb.Query()
+
+    obj = central.db.search(query.name == "ephesus")[0]
+
+    return flask.render_template("council.html", title=title, name=title, obj=obj)
+
+
+@bp.route("/search/", methods=["GET", "POST"])
+def search():
+    query = flask.request.form["query"]
+    results = central.search_canons(query)
+
+    return flask.render_template("search.html", query=query, results=results)
+
+
+@bp.route("/about/")
+def about():
+    return flask.render_template("about.html")
+
+
+@bp.route("/disclaimer/")
+def disclaimer():
+    return flask.render_template("disclaimer.html")
diff --git a/static/logo.png b/static/logo.png
index bfb5118..e462b2b 100644
Binary files a/static/logo.png and b/static/logo.png differ
diff --git a/static/style.css b/static/style.css
index 8790013..0022ed0 100644
--- a/static/style.css
+++ b/static/style.css
@@ -1,3 +1,148 @@
-ol { font-style:italic; font-family:Georgia, Times, serif; font-size:24px; color:#bfe1f1;  }
-ol li p { padding:8px; font-style:normal; font-family:Arial; font-size:13px; color:#eee; border-left: 1px solid #999; }
-ol li p em { display:block; }
\ No newline at end of file
+* {
+    font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;
+}
+
+body { margin: 0 auto; }
+
+header h1 { text-align: center; }
+header h1 a { color: black !important; }
+header h1 a:hover { color: black !important; }
+header h1 a:focus { color: black !important; }
+
+header ul {
+    list-style-type: none;
+    margin: 0;
+    padding: 0;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    background-color: #333;
+}
+
+header li { float: left; }
+
+header li a, .dropbtn {
+    display: block;
+    color: white !important;
+    text-align: center;
+    padding: 14px 16px;
+    text-decoration: none;
+}
+
+header li a:hover {
+    background-color: #111;
+    color: white !important;
+}
+
+header li a:focus {
+    background-color: #111;
+    color: white !important;
+}
+
+header li .dropbtn { cursor: default; }
+header li .dropdown { display: inline-block; }
+
+header li form {
+    margin-top: 1px;
+    margin-right: 14px;
+}
+
+button {
+    display: inline-block;
+    height: 100%;
+    border: none;
+    background: none;
+    color: white !important;
+    text-align: center;
+    padding: 14px 16px;
+    margin-top: -2px;
+    text-decoration: none;
+    font-size: 16px;
+    font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;
+}
+
+button:hover {
+    background-color: #111;
+    color: white !important;
+    cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+button:focus {
+    background-color: #111;
+    color: white !important;
+}
+
+input { padding: 10px; }
+
+header .dropdown-content {
+    display: none;
+    position: absolute;
+    background-color: #f9f9f9;
+    min-width: 160px;
+    box-shadow: 0px 8px 16px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
+    z-index: 1;
+}
+
+header .dropdown-content a {
+    color: black !important;
+    padding: 12px 16px;
+    text-decoration: none;
+    display: block;
+    text-align: left;
+}
+
+header .dropdown-content a:hover { color: black !important; }
+header .dropdown-content a:hover { background-color: #f1f1f1; }
+header .dropdown:hover .dropdown-content { display: block; }
+
+header .separator:hover {
+    background-color: #f9f9f9 !important;
+    cursor: default;
+}
+
+.main {
+    margin-top: 10px;
+    margin-left: 25%;
+    margin-right: 25%;
+    margin-bottom: 50px;
+}
+
+.main h1 { text-align: center; }
+
+.main img {
+    display: block;
+    margin: 0 auto;
+}
+
+.main li { padding-bottom: 15px; }
+
+footer {
+    padding: 10px;
+    background-color: #e0e0e0;
+    text-align: center;
+    line-height: 2em;
+    font-size: 11px;
+}
+
+table {
+    display: block;
+    margin: 0 auto;
+}
+
+table, th, td {
+    border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
+    border-collapse: collapse;
+}
+
+th, td { padding: 15px; }
+tr:nth-child(even) { background-color: #fcfcfc; }
+
+small { font-size: 11px; }
+
+a { color: #009400; }
+a:hover { color: #006400 !important; text-decoration: none; }
+a:focus { color: #006400 !important; text-decoration: none; }
+a:visited { color: #009400; }
+
+a { color: #009400; text-decoration: none; }
+a:hover { color: #006400 !important;  }
+a:focus { color: #006400 !important;  }
+a:visited { color: #009400; }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/about.html b/templates/about.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f630a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/about.html
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block title %}about{% endblock %}
+
+{% block main %}
+<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='logo.png') }}" height="200px">
+<h1>about</h1>
+<p>
+    canonlaw@oikonomia is a open-source endeavor by <a href="https://oikonomia.faith">Oikonomia, an Orthodox Christian
+        community</a> to provide a way to reference canon law quickly.
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    <h3>Personnel</h3>
+    <h6 style="margin-top: -10px;">(Title: Name, Jurisdiction - Email)</h6>
+    Project Lead: Seraphim Pardee, OCA - <a href="mailto:vypr@oikonomia.faith">vypr@oikonomia.faith</a>
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    <h3>Technology</h3>
+    canonlaw@oikonomia is developed and ran on Python 3.7.0 using the Flask web framework. It utilizes TinyDB as a
+    database library and a few custom extensions for things like logging. The source code for canonlaw@oikonomia can be
+    found <a href="https://github.com/Oikonomia/canon_law">here</a>. The source code, like most of Oikonomia's
+    open-source projects, is freely available under the GPLv3.
+
+    <h3>Sources</h3>
+    canonlaw@oikonomia utilizes an English translation of The Rudder (Pedalion) by Hieromonk Agapios and Monk
+    Nicodemos, translated by Ralph J. Masterjohn (may his memory be eternal) and The Orthodox Christian Educational
+    Society. Copyright &copy; 2005 Ralph J. Masterjohn and The Orthodox Christian Educational Society.
+</p>
+{% endblock %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/api.html b/templates/api.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfc1eab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/api.html
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block title %}api{% endblock %}
+
+{% block main %}
+<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='logo.png') }}" height="200px">
+<h1>coming soon</h1>
+<p>
+    This page will be the future documentation of our API, but it isn't quite ready yet.
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    Check back soon for updates.
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    Here's a cat/shaq gif for wasting your time:
+    <br><br>
+    <iframe style="display: block;margin: 0 auto;" src="https://giphy.com/embed/nNxT5qXR02FOM" width="480" height="399"
+        frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>
+</p>
+{% endblock %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/base.html b/templates/base.html
index 796f888..4a1843a 100644
--- a/templates/base.html
+++ b/templates/base.html
@@ -1,6 +1,44 @@
 <!DOCTYPE html>
 <html>
 
+<!--
+                     ▄▓█∩              ▄▓               ║█▄,    ,               
+               █▌  ▄███▌            '▀█▓╓█▀²            ░███▓  ╓█▄              
+              ╟██U▐███▀∩         ,    ██╟█¬   ▄          ╚████ ███              
+              ███▌█▀▀▒▄         ,▀▓▓▓▓██╟██▓▓▓█▌         ╔▄▒▀█║███░             
+            ▄ ███▌▄▓██▌         ▀▀▄▓▓▓▓▓(▓▓▓▓▓▄▀^        ▐███▓░███∩             
+           ]█▌╙▀▒▓████∩          ▀▌   ██╟█─   ▀^          ╚████░▀░╓█▌           
+           ╟██▌ ▐███▒                 ██╟█                 ░▀███ ╒███∩          
+           ╟███ ╙▒▓▌    ┌█            ██▐█¬           ▐▄    ┌▓▓░ ████∩          
+         . ╙███░▓██▌   ▄▄▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀╙▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▄▓⌐  ⌡███▄╟██░ ,         
+         ╟█▓░╚░████∩    ╓█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀██╟█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█▓`    ╟███▌▀░▄██         
+         ░███▌▐███▒µ     ^            ██▐█            ╘'     ▓▒██▌╓███▌         
+          ║███▌░░▓█▌                  ██▐█                  ]██▌░░████∩         
+         ,,╚▀█▌ ███▌             ╓L   ██▐█                  ▐███µ⌡██▒░,,        
+        "▀███▓∩]███░,            ▀█▄, ██▐█                  '███▌ ▄▓███░        
+         └╠████▌██▒▓█           ▀▀▄█▀███╟█                 ╫█░▀█░█████░         
+          ,▒▒▀█▀░ ███U           ╟██▓▄▀█╟█▄                ███⌐"╟█▀▀▒Q,         
+          ║███▓▓ ▐███▌╟█          ^ `▀█▓╓▀█▓▄▐▓         á█ ███▌ ▄▓████░         
+           ░█████░███░██▌             ██▐█▓▄▀██▄       ]██▌║██▌▓████▒∩          
+             ░▒██░╚▒░╟███░█▌          ██▐█¬▀██▄▀^   ▄█▌╫███∩░▀░██▒▒░            
+             ╚██████▄║███░███         ██▐█   ⌠█    ▓██▌║██▌,▓█████▀∩            
+              └╚▀████░╠▀░└████▐▓▄▄    ██▐█    ╓▄▄▓▐███░ ╠▀░████▀▒░              
+                 .▓▓▓██▓▓Q╚███░▀████  ██▐█  ▄████░║██▀ ▄▓███▓▓▄                 
+                  ░▀██████░░▒░  ╠████ ██▐█ ╫███▀░ '█░ ██████▀▒░                 
+                     ╙╙░▒▓█████▓ ╙▒▀▀░████ ▀▀▒░ f█████▓▓▒╙╙                     
+                       ░▀▀███▀▒▒▓████▓████4████▓▄▒▀████▀▀                       
+                           ' «███████▓██╙█▄███████▌ '                           
+                              "╙╙╙╙'  `▀█~'  ╙╙╙╙"                              
+
+Well, aren't you inquisitive?
+
+If code's your thing, consider helping us out on GitHub: https://github.com/Oikonomia/canon_law
+
+There's a little easter egg in the website. Here's a riddle on how to find it:
+Sometimes a man must look for nothing to find everything.
+
+-->
+
 <head>
     <meta charset="utf-8">
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
@@ -9,30 +47,55 @@
     <title>{% block title %}{% endblock %} - canonlaw@oikonomia</title>
 
     <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" href="{{ url_for('static', filename='style.css') }}" />
+    <link rel="shortcut icon" href="{{ url_for('static', filename='logo.png') }}" />
     <!--<script src="main.js"></script>-->
 </head>
 
 <body>
-    <nav>
-        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='logo.png') }}" height="150px">
-    </nav>
+    <header>
+        <h1><a href="{{ url_for('frontend.index') }}">canonlaw@oikonomia</a></h1>
+        <ul>
+            <li><a href="{{ url_for('frontend.index') }}">home</a></li>
+            <li><a href="{{ url_for('frontend.apostles') }}">canons of the apostles</a></li>
+            <li class="dropdown">
+                <a class="dropbtn">ecumenical councils</a>
+                <div class="dropdown-content">
+                    <a href="{{ url_for('frontend.f_nicea') }}">first council of nicea (325)</a>
+                    <a href="{{ url_for('frontend.f_const') }}">first council of constantinople (381)</a>
+                    <a href="{{ url_for('frontend.ephesus') }}">council of ephesus (431)</a>
+                    <a href="#">council of chalcedon (451)</a>
+                    <a href="#">second council of constantinople (553)</a>
+                    <a href="#">third council of constantinople (680-681)</a>
+                    <a href="#">council of trullo (quinisext) (692)</a>
+                    <a href="#">second council of nicea (787)</a>
+                    <a href="#" class="separator">
+                        <hr>
+                    </a>
+                    <a href="#">fourth council of constantinople (879-880)</a>
+                    <a href="#">fifth council of constantinople (1341-1351)</a>
+                </div>
+            </li>
+            <li><a href="#">local councils</a></li>
+            <li><a href="#">church fathers</a></li>
+            <li><a href="{{ url_for('api.index') }}">api</a></li>
+            <li style="float: right;">
+                <form role="search" method="POST" action="{{ url_for('frontend.search') }}">
+                    <input type="search" id="canon-search" name="query" placeholder="search query">
+                    <button>search</button>
+                </form>
+            </li>
+        </ul>
+    </header>
 
-    <div id="list2">
-        <ol>
-            <li>
-                <p><em>The Netherlands</em> is a country in ...</p>
-            </li>
-            <li>
-                <p><em>The United States of America</em> is a federal constitutional ...</p>
-            </li>
-            <li>
-                <p><em>The Philippines</em> officially known as the Republic ...</p>
-            </li>
-            <li>
-                <p><em>The United Kingdom</em> of Great Britain and ...</p>
-            </li>
-        </ol>
+    <div class="main">
+        {% block main %}{% endblock %}
     </div>
+
+    <footer>
+        canonlaw@oikonomia is made with ❤️ by <a href="https://oikonomia.faith">Oikonomia, an Orthodox Christian community</a>.
+        <br>
+        <a href="{{ url_for('frontend.about') }}">about</a> &middot; <a href="{{ url_for('frontend.disclaimer') }}">disclaimer</a> &middot; <a href="https://github.com/Oikonomia/canon_law">source code</a> &middot; <a href="#">additional resources</a>
+    </footer>
 </body>
 
 </html>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/council.html b/templates/council.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4d7401
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/council.html
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block title %}{{ title }}{% endblock %}
+
+{% block main %}
+<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='logo.png') }}" height="200px">
+<h1>{{ name }}</h1>
+<p>
+    {% if obj.history %}
+    {{ obj.history }}
+    {% endif %}
+
+    <table>
+        <tr>
+            <th>canon</th>
+            <th>text</th>
+        </tr>
+        {% for canon in obj.canons %}
+        <tr>
+            <td style="text-align: center"><a href="#{{ canon.canon }}">{{ canon.canon }}</a></td>
+            <td id="{{ canon.canon }}">{{ canon.text }}</td>
+        </tr>
+        {% endfor %}
+    </table>
+</p>
+{% endblock %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/disclaimer.html b/templates/disclaimer.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7208740
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/disclaimer.html
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block title %}disclaimer{% endblock %}
+
+{% block main %}
+<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='logo.png') }}" height="200px">
+<h1>disclaimer</h1>
+<p>
+    canonlaw@oikonomia is not officially endorsed by any canonical Orthodox body or member of clergy and is not meant
+    to be a substitute for official canon law sources.
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    Oikonomia does not endorse using this website or the API to criticize others, and Oikonomia especially does not
+    endorse using this website to criticize clergy. If you have a concern with your priest or bishop or any other
+    member of clergy, contact the appropriate parties (such as your bishop or other bishops).
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    If you have questions, concerns, or feedback about this website or would simply like to contact us, email <a href="mailto:vypr@oikonomia.faith?subject=canonlaw@oikonomia">vypr@oikonomia.faith</a>
+    with the subject "canonlaw@oikonomia." Your email will be answered promptly.
+</p>
+{% endblock %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/index.html b/templates/index.html
index 63913c1..15b1cd2 100644
--- a/templates/index.html
+++ b/templates/index.html
@@ -1 +1,17 @@
-{% extends "base.html" %}
\ No newline at end of file
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block title %}home{% endblock %}
+
+{% block main %}
+<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='logo.png') }}" height="200px">
+<h1>welcome.</h1>
+<p>By making an intuitive website, as well as a <a href="#">open, fully-featured API</a>, we hope to make Orthodox
+    canon law more accessible to everyone.</p>
+<p>There are many things we hope to achieve or provide the means for by making canon law accessible:</p>
+<ul>
+    <li>Allowing Orthodox Christians to become more informed on canon law.</li>
+    <li>Making referencing canon law easier for laity and clergy alike.</li>
+    <li>Providing more transparency to some of the ways our clergy may operate.</li>
+    <li>Encouraging Orthodox Christians to create more open-source and developer-friendly resources.</li>
+</ul>
+{% endblock %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/search.html b/templates/search.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2760c0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/search.html
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block title %}{% if query %}search results for "{{ query }}"{% else %}search results for literally nothing{% endif %}{% endblock %}
+
+{% block main %}
+<img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='logo.png') }}" height="200px">
+{% if query %}
+<h1>search results for "{{ query }}"</h1>
+<p>
+    Search isn't quite ready yet. Check back soon for updates.
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    Here's a cat/shaq gif for wasting your time:
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    <iframe style="display: block;margin: 0 auto;" src="https://giphy.com/embed/nNxT5qXR02FOM" width="480" height="399" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>
+</p>
+{% else %}
+<h1>why would you search for nothing?</h1>
+<p style="text-align: center">
+    well, since you're here, have a cat gif:
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    <iframe style="display: block;margin: 0 auto;" src="https://giphy.com/embed/33OrjzUFwkwEg" width="480" height="399" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>
+
+    <br><br>
+
+    <small>if you're here because of the easter egg riddle, then congratulations.</small>
+</p>
+{% endif %}
+{% endblock %}
\ No newline at end of file