In the medieval

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church there were several Councils of

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...

, that city being an old seat of Christianity, and considered fairly centrally located in France.

Council of Tours 461

The Council was called by Perpetuus, Bishop of Tours, to address the worldliness and profligacy of the Gallic clergy. Athenius,

Bishop of Rennes The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rhedonensis, Dolensis et Sancti Maclovii''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rennes, Dol et Saint-Malo''; br, Arc'heskopti Roazhon, Dol ha Sant-Maloù) is a dioces ...

, took part in the First Council of Tours in AD 461. The last to sign the canons was Mansuetus, ''episcopus Brittanorum'' ("bishop of the Britons" n_Armorica.html"_;"title="Armorica.html"_;"title="n_Armorica">n_Armorica">Armorica.html"_;"title="n_Armorica">n_Armorica._Also_in_attendance_were_Leo,_Bishop_of_Bourges,_and_Victurius_of_Le_Mans, and_three_others.

_Council_of_Tours_567

_ The_Breton_bishops_declined_to_attend,_as_

n_Armorica.html"_;"title="Armorica.html"_;"title="n_Armorica">n_Armorica">Armorica.html"_;"title="n_Armorica">n_Armorica._Also_in_attendance_were_Leo,_Bishop_of_Bourges,_and_Victurius_of_Le_Mans, and_three_others.

_Council_of_Tours_567

_ The_Breton_bishops_declined_to_attend,_as_Eufronius">Bishop_Eufronius_claimed_authority_over_the_Breton_church._At_the_Second,_it_was_decreed_that_the_sanctuary_gates_were_to_remain_open_so_that_the_faithful_might_at_any_time_go_before_the_altar_for_prayer_(canon_IV);_a_married_bishop_should_treat_his_wife_as_a_sister_(canon_XII)._No_priest_or_monk_was_to_share_his_bed_with_someone_else;_and_monks_were_not_to_have_single_or_double_cells,_but_were_to_have_a_common_dormitory_in_which_two_or_three_were_to_take_turns_in_staying_awake_and_reading_to_the_rest_(canon_XIV)._If_a_monk_married_or_had_familiarity_with_a_woman,_he_was_to_be_excommunicated_from_the_church_until_he_returned_penitent_to_the_monastery_enclosure_and_thereafter_underwent_a_period_of_penance_(canon_XV)._No_woman_was_to_be_allowed_to_enter_the_monastery_enclosure,_and_if_anyone_saw_a_woman_enter_and_did_not_immediately_expel_her,_he_was_to_be_excommunicated_(canon_XVI)._Married_priests,_deacons_and_subdeacons_should_have_their_wives_sleep_together_with_the_maidservants,_while_they_themselves_slept_apart,_and_if_anyone_of_them_were_found_to_be_sleeping_with_his_wife,_he_was_to_be_excommunicated_for_a_year_and_reduced_to_the_lay_state_(canon_XIX). The_council_also_noted_that_some_Gallo-Roman_customs_of_ancestor_worship_were_still_being_observed._Canon_XXII_decreed_that_anyone_known_to_be_participating_in_these_practices_was_barred_from_receiving_communion_and_not_allowed_to_enter_a_church. The_bishops_of_the_Kingdom_of_Paris_were_particularly_concerned_about_the_Merovingian_dynasty.html" "title="Eufronius.html" ;"title="Armorica">n_Armorica.html" ;"title="Armorica.html" ;"title="n Armorica">n Armorica">Armorica.html" ;"title="n Armorica">n Armorica. Also in attendance were Leo, Bishop of Bourges, and Victurius of Le Mans, and three others.

Council of Tours 567

The Breton bishops declined to attend, as Eufronius">Bishop Eufronius claimed authority over the Breton church. At the Second, it was decreed that the sanctuary gates were to remain open so that the faithful might at any time go before the altar for prayer (canon IV); a married bishop should treat his wife as a sister (canon XII). No priest or monk was to share his bed with someone else; and monks were not to have single or double cells, but were to have a common dormitory in which two or three were to take turns in staying awake and reading to the rest (canon XIV). If a monk married or had familiarity with a woman, he was to be excommunicated from the church until he returned penitent to the monastery enclosure and thereafter underwent a period of penance (canon XV). No woman was to be allowed to enter the monastery enclosure, and if anyone saw a woman enter and did not immediately expel her, he was to be excommunicated (canon XVI). Married priests, deacons and subdeacons should have their wives sleep together with the maidservants, while they themselves slept apart, and if anyone of them were found to be sleeping with his wife, he was to be excommunicated for a year and reduced to the lay state (canon XIX). The council also noted that some Gallo-Roman customs of ancestor worship were still being observed. Canon XXII decreed that anyone known to be participating in these practices was barred from receiving communion and not allowed to enter a church. The bishops of the Kingdom of Paris were particularly concerned about the Merovingian dynasty">Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...

practice of seizing ecclesiastical properties in outlying areas in order to fund their internecine wars. The Council proclaimed that the entire period between Christmas and Epiphany should be considered part of the celebration, creating what became known as the twelve days of Christmas, or Christmastide.

Council of Tours 813

A Council of Tours in 813 decided that priests should preach sermons in ''rusticam romanam linguam'' (rustic Romance languages, romance language) or ''Theodiscam'' (German), a mention of

Vulgar Latin Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal Register (sociolinguistics), registers of Latin spoken from the Crisis of the Roman Republic, Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve ...

understood by the people, as distinct from the

classical Latin Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a literary standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was used from 75 BC to the 3rd century AD, when it developed into Late Latin. In some later periods ...

that the common people could no longer understand. This was the first official recognition of an early French language distinct from Latin.

Council of Tours 1054

This council was occasioned by controversy regarding the nature of the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

. It was presided over by the papal legate Hildebrand, later

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...

Berengar of Tours Berengar of Tours (died 6 January 1088), in Latin Berengarius Turonensis, was an 11th-century French Christian theologian and archdeacon of Angers, a scholar whose leadership of the cathedral school at Chartres set an example of intellectual i ...

wrote a profession of faith wherein he confessed that after consecration the bread and wine were truly the body and blood of Christ.

Council of Tours 1060

Those men who marry their kinswomen, or those women who keep an unchaste correspondence with their kinsman, and refuse to leave them, or to do penance, shall be excluded from the community of the faithful, and turned out of the church (canon IX).

Council of Tours 1163

Shortly before the council,

Geoffrey of Clairvaux Geoffrey of Clairvaux, or Geoffrey of Auxerre, was the secretary and biographer of Bernard of Clairvaux and later abbot of a number of monasteries in the Cistercian tradition. Life He was born between the years 1115 and 1120, at Auxerre. At an ear ...

met Pope Alexander in Paris to request the canonization of Geoffrey's predecessor,

Bernard Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brav ...

. The Pope deferred at the time due to the many like requests he had received. At the council,

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

requested that

Anselm of Canterbury Anselm of Canterbury, OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also called ( it, Anselmo d'Aosta, link=no) after his birthplace and (french: Anselme du Bec, link=no) after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and theologian of th ...

, another Archbishop of Canterbury who had had difficulties with a king, be canonized. Although Alexander authorized Becket to hold a provincial council on the matter, upon his return to England, Becket seems not to have pursued the matter. Among the decrees were those addressing

simony Simony () is the act of selling church offices and roles or sacred things. It is named after Simon Magus, who is described in the Acts of the Apostles as having offered two disciples of Jesus payment in exchange for their empowering him to imp ...

, the sale of churches and ecclesiastical goods to laymen, and heretical sects spreading over southern France from Toulouse. Canon IV forbid any priest to accept any gratuity for administering Last Rites or presiding at a burial.Spelman, Henry. ''English Works, Published in His Life-time'', 1727, p. 177
/ref>

References

External links

Concilium Turorense II
in J. Hardouin, ''Acta Conciliorum'' tom. 3 (ed. 1714) coll. 355–368.
Concilium Turorense VI
in J. Hardouin, ''Acta Conciliorum'' tom. 6, part 2, pp. 1589-1604 (ed. 1714–1715). {{DEFAULTSORT:Tours 461 5th century in sub-Roman Gaul 460s in the Roman Empire 567 6th century in Francia 755 8th century in Francia 813 9th century in France 1055 in Europe 1050s in France 1163 in Europe 1160s in France Catholic Church councils held in France 5th-century church councils 6th-century church councils 8th-century church councils 9th-century church councils 11th-century Catholic Church councils 12th-century Catholic Church councils History of Tours, France Clerical celibacy Catharism