The pseudo-Council of Sinuessa was a purported gathering of bishops in 303 at

Sinuessa Sinuessa ( el, or ) was a city of Latium, in the more extended sense of the name, situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 10 km north of the mouth of the Volturno River (the ancient ''Vulturnus''). It was on the line of the Via Appia, and was t ...

, Italy, the purpose being a

trial In law, a trial is a coming together of Party (law), parties to a :wikt:dispute, dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence (law), evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to Adjudication, adjudicate claims or d ...

of Marcellinus on charges of

apostasy Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that i ...

. It is generally accepted that the gathering never took place and that the purported council documents were

forged Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it ...

for political purposes in the 6th century during the schism between Symmachus and

Laurentius Laurentius is a Latin given name and surname that means "''From Laurentum''" (a city near Rome). It is possible that the place name ''Laurentum'' is derived from the Latin ''laurus'' ("laurel"). People with the name include: In Early Christian ...

, who both claimed the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

. The collection of forgeries, including the ''Council of Sinuessa'', is collectively known as the Symmachian forgeries. The ''

Catholic Encyclopedia The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...

'' describes The Latin phrase "quia prima sedes non judicatur a quoquam" means roughly "for the occupant of the highest

see See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

cannot be judged by anyone", and the anecdote was produced in later centuries as evidence for the doctrine of

papal supremacy Papal supremacy is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that the Pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, the visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful, and as pastor of the ...

Forged account

A primary Latin account of the pseudo-Council of Sinuessa was collected by

Giovanni Domenico Mansi Gian (Giovanni) Domenico Mansi (16 February 1692 – 27 September 1769) was an Italian prelate, theologian, scholar and historian, known for his massive works on the Church councils. Biography He was born at Lucca, of a patrician family, and di ...

in 1759.

Döllinger Dollinger and Döllinger are surnames of German origin. They may refer to: * Günther Dollinger (born 1960), German physicist and professor * Ignaz Döllinger (1770–1841), German physician and university professor * Ignaz von Döllinger (1799–1 ...

summarizes the commonly-received account: Döllinger dates the forgery to the reign of Symmachus, when Symmachus himself was being forced to answer to a synod convened by

Theodoric Theodoric is a Germanic given name. First attested as a Gothic name in the 5th century, it became widespread in the Germanic-speaking world, not least due to its most famous bearer, Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. Overview The name ...

, and himself was being threatened with deposition.

Later uses and criticism

The story of Marcellinus and the Council of Sinuessa has been cited by later writers in support of papal supremacy. Vice versa, one scholar writes that during the reign of

Antipope Alexander V Peter of Candia, also known as Peter Phillarges (c. 1339 – May 3, 1410), named as Alexander V ( la, Alexander PP. V; it, Alessandro V), was an antipope elected by the Council of Pisa during the Western Schism (1378–1417). He reigned briefly ...

Jean Gerson Jean Charlier de Gerson (13 December 1363 – 12 July 1429) was a French scholar, educator, reformer, and poet, Chancellor of the University of Paris, a guiding light of the conciliar movement and one of the most prominent theologians at the Co ...

used the story "to prove the legitimacy of a council assembled without the authority of the pope."

References

"Marcellinum idolis sacrificasse." "There can be no doubt that the account of this council of Sinuessa is spurious." Reprinted in {{cite journal , author=W.T. Townsend , title=The So-Called Symmachian Forgeries , journal=The Journal of Religion , year=1933 , volume=13 , issue=2 , pages=165–174 , publisher=University of Chicago , doi=10.1086/481294 4th-century church councils Christian folklore Pseudohistory Religious hoaxes