Changes

:::Second, to really define the word canon, we have to look at Greek once again. The word kanon, which means rule, is different than the word for law, which is nomos. This does not mean that Orthodoxy has no rules or moral backbone behind it, where everyone is free to interpret the canons and do things willy nilly. To the contrary, we have had two millenniums full of martyrs who have died for what they and the Church believes to be right - spiritually and morally. However, the Church understands that not all people are the same and each circumstance is different. For example, it states in the kanons clearly that a person who has sex outside of marriage should be forbidden to receive from the chalice at Holy Communion for a certain period of time. However, a teenage boy who loses his virginity to a girl one night might be permitted to continue to receive Communion (provided that he repents), so as not to draw suspicion towards himself by other parishioners or even his family members. This not only ensures the security of the confessional and the confidentiality between the penitent and his spiritual father, it also provides the penitent with a way to get over his sin and move on without feeling ashamed to show his face in Church again, which is something good and profitable for his soul. The important thing is that the individual has repented, and turned away from this sinful behavior (The example which I have given is of no known individual, but was discussed by me to my spiritual father regarding penances and confession). :::Let me give you another example. The canons say specifically that the age for ordaining men to the diaconate is twenty-five. However, in the past there have been many exceptions to this rule, especially in monasteries. This does not mean that they are disobeying the canons. They applying economia due to need or individual circumstance (i.e. the person demonstrates extreme maturity to take the position at a younger age than the one specified).