Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

, located in the north-east of modern France, hosted several councils or

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word meani ...

s in the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. These councils did not universally represent the

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

and are not counted among the official

ecumenical council An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters in which those entitled to vote ar ...

Early synodal councils of Reims

*The first synod, said to have been held at Reims by Archbishop Sonnatius between 624 and 630, is probably identical with that held at Clichy (Clippiacum) in 626 or 627. * In 813 Archbishop Wulfar presided at a synod of reform (Werminghoff in " Mon. Germ. Hist.: Concilia aevi Carol. I", I,

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

, 1904, 253 sq.).

Council of Reims, 991

A council, usually called the Synod of St-Basle, was convoked at Reims by King Hugues Capet, assisted by

Gerbert of Aurillac Pope Sylvester II ( – 12 May 1003), originally known as Gerbert of Aurillac, was a French-born scholar and teacher who served as the bishop of Rome and ruled the Papal States from 999 to his death. He endorsed and promoted study of Arab and Gre ...

, later Pope Sylvester II, to consider the case of

Arnulf, Archbishop of Reims Arnulf (also Arnulph or Arnoul) was the illegitimate son of King Lothair of France who became archbishop of Reims. Arnulf belonged to the Carolingian dynasty, the rule of which in France ended when Arnulf's half-brother, Louis V, died childle ...

, illegitimate son of the late King Lothair. Arnulf was accused of conspiring with his uncle,

Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine Charles (953 – 22 June 992×995) was the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 977 until his death. Life Born at Reims in the summer of 953, Charles was the son of Louis IV of France and Gerberga of Saxony and the younger brother of King Lothair. He wa ...

, against Hugh Capet. He was duly deposed by the council, and Gerbert appointed in his place. This was done without the approval of

Pope John XV Pope John XV ( la, Ioannes XV; died on 1 April 996) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from August 985 until his death. A Roman by birth, he was the first pope who canonized a saint. The origins of the investiture controversy ...

, who refused to accept either Arnulf's removal or Gerbert's appointment. The matter dragged on until 995 when Arnulf was restored, and was only completely resolved by

Pope Gregory V Pope Gregory V ( la, Gregorius V; c. 972 – 18 February 999), born Bruno of Carinthia, was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 3 May 996 to his death. A member of the Salian dynasty, he was made pope by his cousin, Emperor Ott ...

in 997. In a book written in the 1890s, by Alonzo T Jones, it is stated of the Council of Rheims in 991, the papacy is declared to be "the man of sin, the mystery of iniquity". Taken from The Consecrated Way to Christian Perfection, pp 105 Glad Tidings Publishers; Berrien Springs, MI. Copyright 2003 ISBN 1-931218-68-4 wherein this subject is vastly expounded upon.

Council of Reims, 1049

In 1049

Pope Leo IX Pope Leo IX (21 June 1002 – 19 April 1054), born Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 February 1049 to his death in 1054. Leo IX is considered to be one of the most historically ...

was invited to be present at the consecration of the

Abbey of Saint-Remi An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conce ...

. He accepted the invitation and announced that he would at the same time hold a council. This irritated King

Henry I of France Henry I (4 May 1008 – 4 August 1060) was King of the Franks from 1031 to 1060. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians. Th ...

, since it was generally held that no pope could hold a council in

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...

without first consulting the king, which Leo IX had neglected to do. Consequently, in order to frustrate Leo IX, Henry I ordered all of his

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. ...

s to attend a

feudal levy Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

at the very time that the council was to be held. This placed the

bishops A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

and

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fe ...

s in France in a very difficult position: they were ordered by Leo IX to attend the council; they were ordered by Henry I to attend the levy. Henry I hoped that his action would prevent the holding of the council, but Leo IX went on with his preparations without paying any attention to Henry I's act. The council was held at the appointed time, and in addition to churchmen from other lands about one-third of the bishops and abbots from the king's territory attended. Those who were absent with Henry I were

excommunicate Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

d by Leo IX. Then Leo IX took up cases of

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 im ...

and other

ecclesiastical crime An ecclesiastical crime is a crime ('' delictum'') related to the clergy where the crime is against canon law ''vis-à-vis'' civil law. The crime of simony is the ecclesiastical crime of paying for offices or positions in the hierarchy of a chur ...

s which were reported. Several of those who were present at the council and held high offices in the church were accused of very serious offenses. Leo IX did not push any of them to an extreme, even when the guilt seemed definitely known, but adjourned all of the cases to his own court at Rome. Leo IX acted in the same way with regard to the accusations made against the great nobles. By this policy Leo IX hoped to have the authority of the papacy fully recognized. He was able to accomplish so much because of the weakness of the French monarchy. Leo IX was aided by

Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor Henry III (28 October 1016 – 5 October 1056), called the Black or the Pious, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1046 until his death in 1056. A member of the Salian dynasty, he was the eldest son of Conrad II and Gisela of Swabia. Henry was raised by ...

, in other attempts at reform, with whom he worked apparently in complete concord. Leo IX died in 1054 without having an opportunity to see the full effect of his act which had done so much to strengthen the power of the papacy. Three canons of this council were legislated about

Hugo of Breteuil :''This article is not about Hugh-Rainard of Tonnerre, bishop of Langres from 1065 to 1084'' Hugh of Langres (died 1050) was bishop of Langres. As a theologian, he wrote a work, ''De corpore et sanguine Christi'', against Berengar of Tours. He ha ...

bishop of Langres The Roman Catholic Diocese of Langres (Latin: ''Dioecesis Lingonensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Langres'') is a Roman Catholic diocese comprising the ''département'' of Haute-Marne in France. The diocese is now a suffragan in ecclesiastical ...

, was accused of simony and

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, a ...

, fled the proceedings, was deposed, and excommunicated. According to

Eamon Duffy Eamon Duffy (born 1947) is an Irish historian. He is a professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow and former president of Magdalene College. Early life Duffy was born on 9 February 1947, in Dundalk, I ...

, "In one week, Leo had asserted papal authority, as it had never been asserted before". The Council

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

Geoffrey II, Count of Anjou Geoffrey, Geoffroy, Geoff, etc., may refer to: People * Geoffrey (name), including a list of people with the name * Geoffroy (surname), including a list of people with the name * Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1095–c. 1155), clergyman and one of the ...

, for the imprisonment of

Gervais de Château-du-Loir Gervais de Château-du-Loir (1007–1067) was a French nobleman, bishop, and a powerful figure of his time in Northern France. He was Bishop of Le Mans from 1036 and Archbishop of Reims from 1055. His father was Aimon de Château-du-Loir,Ju ...

bishop of Le Mans The Catholic Diocese of Le Mans (Latin: ''Dioecesis Cenomanensis''; French: ''Diocèse du Mans'') is a Catholic diocese of France. The diocese is now a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo but had previously been suffraga ...

. The Council has a dogmatic declaration about the

primacy of the Bishop of Rome Papal primacy, also known as the primacy of the bishop of Rome, is a Roman Catholic ecclesiological doctrine concerning the respect and authority that is due to the pope from other bishops and their episcopal sees. The doctrine is accepted ...

: "'." See

12th century

* In 1115, a synod was held at which the cardinal legate

Cuno of Praeneste Cuno of Praeneste (died 9 August 1122) was a German Cardinal and papal legate, an influential diplomatic figure of the early 12th century, active in France and Germany. He held numerous synods throughout Europe, and excommunicated the Emperor Henry ...

excommunicated

Emperor Henry V Henry V (german: Heinrich V.; probably 11 August 1081 or 1086 – 23 May 1125, in Utrecht) was King of Germany (from 1099 to 1125) and Holy Roman Emperor (from 1111 to 1125), as the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. He was made co-r ...

. * In 1119, Pope Calistus II convened a synod for the purpose of concluding peace with Henry V. There were present 15 archbishops, over 200 bishops and as many abbots. * In 1131, a Council of Reims met. *

Council of Reims (1148) In 1148, a Council of Reims was called by Pope Eugene III to consider a number of regulations, or canons, for the Church, as well as to debate some other issues. Originally the summons for the council went out in October 1147 and it was supposed ...

Later councils

* In 1164

Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a co ...

presided at a synod which urged the crusade against Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick I Frederick I may refer to: * Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht. * Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978) * Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105) * Frederick I, Count of Zoll ...

. * In 1407 Archbishop Guido III convened a synod to abolish the abuses that had crept into the Church of Reims during the

Western Schism The Western Schism, also known as the Papal Schism, the Vatican Standoff, the Great Occidental Schism, or the Schism of 1378 (), was a split within the Catholic Church lasting from 1378 to 1417 in which bishops residing in Rome and Avignon b ...

. * In 1528 Archbishop Robert III held a synod against

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutheranis ...

. * In 1564 Cardinal Charles of Lorraine convened a reformatory synod to enforce the

Tridentine Council The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described as ...

decrees. * In 1583 Cardinal Francis of Guise held a synod at which 27 reformatory decrees were enacted. * After a lapse of almost three centuries Cardinal Gousset,

Archbishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese a ...

, convoked a synod at

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of ...

in 1849; another, at

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...

in 1853; a third, at

itself in 1857. The acts of the last three synods are printed in "Collectio Lacensis", IV, 91-246.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Council Of Reims

991 1049 in Europe 1040s in France 1140s in France 1148 in Europe Reims 10th century in France