Apostolic Constitutions

The Apostolic Constitutions are a team of eight volumes collection of independent but closely related treatises from the late fourth century. They treat worship, church order and doctrine of the early church. They are supposedly the work of the Twelve Apostles, whose instructions are to be collected and narrated by Clement of Rome.

It is a kind of manual for clergy and to some extent also for the laity. The last two books of the Constitutions are based on the Didache ( " Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" ). Where known, they were generally very highly valued and often served as the basis for ecclesiastical legislation.

Today, they are as historical documents of the highest value as a source of moral and religious circumstances and the liturgical customs of the third and fourth century. Since the writings offer a glimpse into the life of the early church, they were significant for the liturgical reform in the context of the Second Vatican Council.