Canon 6 of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) provides crucial insight into how authority was structured in the early Church—offering a view quite distinct from later Roman claims of a universal authority under Rome. When we read the canon in its historical context, it tells a very clear story. The canon states:
“Let the ancient customs in Egypt, Libya and Pentapolis prevail, that the Bishop of Alexandria have jurisdiction over all these, since the like is customary for the Bishop of Rome also. Likewise, in Antioch and in the other provinces, let the Churches retain their privileges.” — Canon 6, Nicaea (325 AD)
What Problem Was Canon 6 Solving?
The canon was written to resolve a jurisdictional dispute in Egypt. A bishop named Meletius of Lycopolis tried to break away from the authority of the Bishop of Alexandria, creating a schism. The Council needed to affirm that Alexandria had always had authority over Egypt, Libya, and Pentapolis.
So how did the bishops solve it? By affirming “ancient customs” — specifically, that Alexandria had always governed those regions. To strengthen the point, the canon adds: “since the like is customary for the Bishop of Rome also.”
What That Line Actually Means
Rome is mentioned not as an overarching authority, but as a parallel example of regional custom. The idea is simple: Alexandria should be respected in Egypt just like Rome is respected in its own region. Rome is used to justify Alexandria’s jurisdiction, not to claim superiority over it.
If Rome really had universal authority, this would have been the perfect place to say so, in order to avoid future conflicts over jurisdictional authority. But it doesn’t. There is no language about Rome delegating authority, presiding invisibly, or holding global jurisdiction.
Given the canon’s purpose — to resolve disputes over territorial authority — it is especially telling that no mention is made of any universal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome. If Rome had such authority at the time, Canon 6 would surely have articulated it, or at least qualified Alexandria’s jurisdiction as being subordinate to it. Instead, it presents Alexandria’s authority as analogous to Rome’s — not derived from it — and gives no indication that Rome’s influence extended beyond its own region. Canon 6 would have been worded very differently, or supplemented with an explicit clause affirming Rome’s universal authority, if such a belief existed at the time. Canon 6 would have said something like: “Let Alexandria rule these regions as Rome rules the whole Church.” But it doesn’t.
What Else Canon 6 Says
The canon also affirms:
- Antioch and other provinces should retain their traditional rights
- No bishop should be ordained without the approval of their local metropolitan
This tells us that Church authority was regional and conciliar, not centralized under one bishop in Rome.
Why This Matters
Canon 6 shows that in 325 AD:
- Rome was not seen as head of all churches
- Authority was rooted in local tradition, not a papal supremacy in Rome
- The Church operated by conciliar unity, not Roman monarchy
Scholars vs. Apologists: How Canon 6 Has Been Reinterpreted
Canon 6 is sometimes strategically reinterpreted by Roman apologists. Historical and scholarly interpretations paint a very different picture:
| Interpretation | Summary | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Original (325 AD) | Affirms regional authority of Alexandria based on longstanding local custom, with Rome used as a parallel case. | Emphasizes conciliar, regional governance. No universal authority under Rome implied. |
| Medieval Roman Catholic | Retroactively reads Rome’s mention as proof of its supremacy and jurisdiction over Alexandria. | Implies global Roman jurisdiction, reinterpreting the canon out of historical context. |
| Modern Critical Scholarship | Recognizes the canon as an effort to maintain order among major sees based on ancient usage — not hierarchical supremacy. | Supports distributed ecclesiology and weakens Roman supremacy claims. |
These comparisons illustrate that the claim of universal authority under Rome—was a later development asserted by Rome itself – foreign to the early Church. In the early Church, ecclesial authority was jurisdictional and conciliar: each patriarch or metropolitan had genuine governing authority within their region, not derived from another see. Canon 6 reflects this model clearly, affirming that such jurisdictional boundaries were based on ancient custom, not Roman delegation or authority.
Final Thought
Canon 6 is clear: it upholds ancient regional customs, not Roman domination. It confirms that in the early Church, being “Catholic” meant being united in faith and tradition, not defined by allegiance to any one jurisdiction.