The Sigillion of the Council in Constantinople in 1583

Anathematizing false beliefs about the Dogma of the Procession of = the Holy=20 Spirit, Holy Communion, unleavened bread, the judgment, Purgatory, the = heretical=20 Pope, the Paschalia, and the New Calendar Innovation.

To all the genuine Christian children of the Holy, Catholic, and = Apostolic=20 Church of Christ of the East in Trigovyst and in all places, be grace = and peace=20 and mercy from Almighty God.=20

Not a little distress took possession of that Ark of old, when, = storm-tossed,=20 it was borne upon the waters; and if the Lord God, remembering Noe, had = not in=20 His good will calmed the water, there would have been no hope of = salvation in=20 it. In a like manner with the new Ark of our Church, the heretics have = raised up=20 a relentless war against us, and we have deemed it well to leave behind = the=20 present tome against them so that with the things written in it you may = be able=20 more surely to defend your Orthodoxy. But in order that the document may = not be=20 burdensome to simpler people, we have decided to set forth the entire = subject to=20 you in simple speech as follows:=20

From old Rome have come certain persons who learned there to think = like=20 Latins; and the bad thing is that from being Byzantines (that is, = Greeks) born=20 and bred in our own parts, they not only have changed their faith, but = they also=20 battle the Orthodox and true dogmas of the Eastern church which Christ = Himself=20 delivered to us. Whereupon, having cut them off as rotten members, we = order:=20

1) Whosoever does not confess with heart and mouth that he is a child = of the=20 Eastern Church baptized in an Orthodox manner, and that the Holy Spirit = proceeds=20 only from the father, essentially and hypostatically, as Christ says in = the=20 Gospel, although He proceeds from Father and Son in time, let such a one = be out=20 of our Church and let him be anathematized.=20

II) Whosoever does not confess that in the Mystery of Holy communion = laymen=20 should commune from two kinds, both of the precious Body and Blood, but = says=20 that it is enough to receive only the Body, for the Blood is also there, = even=20 though Christ has spoken and has given each one separately, and they do = not keep=20 it, let such be anathematized.=20

III) Whosoever says that our Lord Jesus Christ at the Mystical Last = Supper=20 used unleavened bread as do the Hebrews and not leavened bread, that is, = raised=20 bread, let him be far from us and under the anathema as one who thinks = like a=20 Jew and as one who introduces the doctrines of Appolinarios and of the = Armenians=20 into our Church, on which account let him be anathematized a second = time.=20

IV) Whosoever says that when our Christ and God comes to judge He = does not=20 come to judge the souls together with the bodies, but comes in order to = decide=20 only for the body, anathema to him.=20

V) Whosoever says that when they die the souls of the Christians who = repented=20 in this life but did not do their penance go to Purgatory - which is a = Greek=20 myth - where fire and torment purify them, and they think that there is = no=20 eternal torment, as did Origen, and give cause by this to sin freely, = let such a=20 one have the anathema.=20

VI) Whosoever says that the Pope is head of the Church and not = Christ, and=20 that he has authority to admit into Paradise with his letters, and can = forgive=20 as many sins as will be committed by one who with money received an = indulgence=20 from him, let such a one have the anathema.=20

VII) Whosoever does not follow the customs of the Church which the = seven Holy=20 Ecumenical Councils have decreed, and the Holy Pascha and calendar which = they=20 enacted well for us to follow, but wants to follow the newly-invented = Paschalion=20 [method of fixing the date of Pascha] and the new calendar of the = atheist=20 astronomers of the Pope; and opposing them, wishes to overthrow and = destroy the=20 doctrines and customs of the Church which we have inherited from our = Fathers,=20 let any such have the anathema and let him be outside of the Church and = the=20 Assembly of the Faithful.=20

VIII) We exhort all pious and Orthodox Christians: remain in those = things=20 which you learned and in which you were born and bred, and when the = times and=20 circumstances call for it, shed your very blood in order both to keep = the Faith=20 given us by our Fathers and to keep your confession. Beware of such = people and=20 take care, that our Lord Jesus Christ help you. May the blessing of our = humility=20 be with you all. Amen.=20

The 1583rd year from the birth of the God-man, Indiction 12, November = 20th.=20

Jeremias, of Constantinople Sylvester, of Alexandria Sophronios, of = Jerusalem=20 (and the rest of the Bishops of the Synod who were present)=20

Taken from=20 http://listserv.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=3Dind9401&L=3Dorthodox&= F=3D&S=3D&P=3D8124=20