The Councils of Sens were a number of church councils hosted by the

Archdiocese of Sens The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sens and Auxerre (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Senonensis et Antissiodorensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Sens et Auxerre'') is a Latin Rite Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The Archdiocese compri ...

. The first, around 600 or 601, in conformity with the instructions of pope St. Gregory the Great advised against simony. St. Columbanus refused to attend it because the question of the date of Easter (which was to be decided) was dividing

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

and

Bretons The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, mo ...

. A series of councils (most concerned with the privileges of the Abbey of St. Pierre-le-Vif) were held in 657, 669 (or 670), 846, 850, 852, 853, 862, 980, 986, 996, 1048, 1071 and 1080. The council of 1140, according to the letter issued by Archbishop

Henri Sanglier Henri Sanglier (1085''Gallia Christiana''–1142 or 1144) was a French Catholic bishop. He was born in Poitou and was archbishop of Sens from 1122 until his death. He ordered the construction of Sens Cathedral around 1130. He also presided over the ...

, seems to have had no object but to impart solemnity to the exposition of the

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

with which he enriched the cathedral. The chief work of this council (which included representatives from the

Ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...

s of Sens and Reims and at which Saint

Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, O. Cist. ( la, Bernardus Claraevallensis; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templars, and a major leader in the reformation of the Benedictine Order throug ...

assisted) was the condemnation of

Abelard Peter Abelard (; french: link=no, Pierre Abélard; la, Petrus Abaelardus or ''Abailardus''; 21 April 1142) was a Middle Ages, medieval French Scholasticism, scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, poet, composer and musician. This ...

's doctrine. Abelard appealed from the council to Rome, but the bishops of both provinces insisted in two letters to

Innocent II Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...

that the condemnation be confirmed. Martin Deutsch dates this council to 1141 but the Abbé Vacandard attempted to prove by the letter from Peter the Venerable to

Héloïse Héloïse (; c. 1100–01? – 16 May 1163–64?), variously Héloïse d' ArgenteuilCharrier, Charlotte. Heloise Dans L'histoire Et Dans la Legende. Librairie Ancienne Honore Champion Quai Malaquais, VI, Paris, 1933 or Héloïse du Paraclet, w ...

, the "Continuatio Praemonstratensis", the "Continuatio Valcellensis" and the list of the priors of Clairvaux that Baronius' date (1140) is correct. However, Constant Mews has convincingly argued in a revised examination of all the available sources that it did in fact take place in 1141. The council of 1198 was concerned with the Manichaean sect of Poplicani which had spread throughout the

Nivernais Nivernais (, ) was a province of France, around the city of Nevers, which forms the modern department of Nièvre. It roughly coincides with the former Duchy of Nevers.Nevers Nevers ( , ; la, Noviodunum, later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is the prefecture of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France. It was the principal city of the former province of Nivernais. It is sou ...

and the Abbot of St-Martin de Nevers were said to have belonged. After the council,

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 ...

ordered his papal legate Peter of Capua and the Bishop of Paris

Eudes de Sully ] Eudes de Sully (french: Odon de Sully, Odo de Sully; la, Odo de Soliaco) (died 1208) was Bishop of Paris, from 1197 to 1208. He is considered to be the first to have put emphasis on the Elevation liturgy during the Catholic Mass. He worked to ...

to investigate. A council was held in 1224 to condemn a book by Scotus Eriugena. Councils were also held in 1216, 1239, 1252, 1253, 1269, 1280, 1315, 1320, 1460 and 1485 (most for disciplinary reasons). A synod was held in March 1522, called by

Francis I of France Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin on ...

, to discuss the reformation of the church and of the church taxes, also published in the 1520 book ''Taxe cancellarie apostolice''. It had no concrete outcome.

References

{{Authority control Sens