Near kin mourning allowed; no Greek cuttings; priest marriage bans begin

Cyril: …will be polluted.’ For the one not declining to cling would share also very easily another’s baseness. And the law allows those sanctified, upon father and mother, children and brothers, and indeed also near-kin, to be defiled unreproachably; through also going upon soulless bodies, by shame toward nature, and neglecting the injustices unto type, so that those known to God may not seem to be some untearable and haughty and unsympathetic; and indeed with the law saying clearly: ‘Honor your father and your mother, in order that it may become well for you.’ (Sirach 13:1) And according to another manner and word, we say those sanctified have been barred from the needing to mourn; for being sacred-workers of life, and bringing forward the sacred things to God unto the loosing of death (for loosing of death is the death of Christ, being typed through sheep and calves), how was it consistent to be weighed down by griefs upon death? Thus also all-divine Paul writes clearly to those baptized unto Christ unto hope of life and resurrection: ‘And this I say, in order that you may not grieve, just as also the rest who do not have hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, thus also God will lead those having slept through Jesus with him, and will raise with us.’ (Exodus 20:12) So then the law allowed those sanctified to go upon those very near dead. And he measures the matter, and does not allow to loosen what is most fitting them by the excess and beyond need, so that the solemn prize of priesthood may not be wronged. For he sets them out from being made bare the heads according to likeness of the others, and from being scraped the beard upon insolence of face; and the unholy-works of Greek madness, I mean the cuttings unto flesh, he orders not even so much as to take into mind. For to be disposed-together with the household ones unto griefs is nothing unfitting; yet to be altogether unseemly would be unbeautiful and thoroughly struck. ‘For all things,’ (Leviticus 21:5–7) he says, ‘let them become seemly and according to order.’ (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14) And having prized the things of God before; and of the unto parents themselves, according to the ancient law, the Savior himself also has ordered us to lead, saying thus: ‘The one loving father or mother over me is not worthy of me.’ (1 Corinthians 14:40)

Palladius: You spoke well.

Cyril: So then least does he order the priests to need to be defiled upon dead. And showing forth also according to other manners for us that the holy is irreconcilable and unclear with the profane, he was setting for us the laws upon marriages, at once adding: ‘Upon every priest, a prostituted and profaned woman they will not take, and a woman cast out by her husband they will not take; because he is holy to Lord his God, and you will sanctify him; the gifts of Lord your God, this one offers; he will be holy, because holy am I Lord the one sanctifying them.’ (Matthew 10:37) So then the truly prostituted and polluted woman is sick the charge clothed upon shameful things, and has undisputed