The Synod of Rome (732) was a

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 mean ...

held in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in the year 732 under the authority of Pope Gregory III.

Decrees of the synod

Pope Gregory convoked a new synod in 732 to prescribe duties of the monks of the three monasteries, whose duty it was to sing the

Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...

in St. Peter's Basilica. Present were Pope Gregory himself, seven bishops, of whom six were from the east, nineteen priests, eighteen of whom were of eastern origin, and five deacons, all of whom were either Syrian or Greek. The synod decreed that the monks should recite part of the divine office in the oratory of Sancta Maria in Cancellis, which Gregory had just recently constructed.Mann, pgs. 208-209 The synod also prescribed the correct prayers (

rubric A rubric is a word or section of text that is traditionally written or printed in red ink for emphasis. The word derives from the la, rubrica, meaning red ochre or red chalk, and originates in Medieval illuminated manuscripts from the 13th ...

s) for the

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...

that was to be said within the oratory on the

Feast days The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does ...

of each of the saints whose remains were kept in the oratory. Gregory then proceeded to add a few words to the

Canon of the Mass The Canon of the Mass ( la, Canon Missæ), also known as the Canon of the Roman Mass and in the Mass of Paul VI as the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I, is the oldest anaphora used in the Roman Rite of Mass. The name ''Canon Missæ'' was used in ...

itself, with explicit instructions that it was only to be used in the Mass celebrated within the oratory. This restriction was observed as the canon of the Mass had been left untouched since the pontificate of

Pope Gregory I Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...

, and was believed to be against apostolic tradition to modify it in any way The acts of this synod, with the newly prescribed prayers and changes to the Mass were engraved on marble tablets and placed within the oratory.Mann, pgs. 209-210

References

* Mann, Horace K., ''The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Vol. I: The Popes Under the Lombard Rule, Part 2, 657-795'' (1903)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Synod of Rome (732) 732 Rome,731 History of the papacy 8th century in the Papal States