Avignon, Councils of
Avignon, Councils of
Nothing is known of the council held here in 1060. In 1080 a council was held under the presidency of Hugues de Dié, papal legate, in which Achard, usurper of the See of Arles, was deposed, and Gibelin put in his place. Three bishops elect (Lautelin of Embrun, Hugues of Grenoble, Didier of Cavaillon) accompanied the legate to Rome and were consecrated there by Pope Gregory VII. In the year 1209 the inhabitants of Toulouse were excommunicated by a Council of Avignon (two papal legates, four archbishops, and twenty bishops) for failing to expel the Albigensian heretics from their city. The Count of Toulouse was forbidden, under threat of excommunication, to impose exorbitant burdens on his subjects and, as he persisted, was finally excommunicated. In the Council of 1270, presided overby Bertrand de Malferrat, Archbishop of Arles, the usurpers of ecclesiastical property were severely threatened; unclaimed legacies were allotted to pious uses; the bishops were urged to mutual support; the individual churches were taxed for the support of the papal legate; and ecclesiastics were forbidden to convoke the civil courts against their bishops. The Council of 1279 was concerned with the protection of the rights, privileges, and immunities of the clergy. Provision was made also for the protection of those who had promised to join the Crusade ordered by Gregory X, but had failed to go. It was also decreed that to hear confessions, besides the permission of his ordinary or bishop, a monk must also have that of his superior. In the Council of 1282 ten canons were published, amongthem one urging the people to frequent more regularly the parochial churches, and to be present in their own parish churches at least on Sundays and feast days. The temporalities of the Church and ecclesiastical jurisdiction occupied the attention of the Council of 1327. The seventy-nine canons of the Council of 1337 are renewed from earlier councils, and emphasize the duty of Easter Communion in one’s own parish church, and of abstinence on Saturday for beneficed persons and ecclesiastics, in honour of the Blessed Virgin, a practice begun three centuries earlier on the occasion of the Truce of God, but no longer universal. The Council of 1457 was held by Cardinal de Foix, Archbishop of Arles and legate of Avignon, a Franciscan. His principal purpose was to promote the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, in the sense of the declaration of the Council of Basle. It was forbidden to preach the contrary doctrine. Sixty-four disciplinary decrees were also published, in keeping with the legislation of other councils. A similar number of decrees were published in 1497 by a council presided over by the Archbishop Francesco Tarpugi (afterwards Cardinal). The sponsors of the newly confirmed, it was decreed, were not obliged to make presents to them or to their parents. Before the relics of the saints two candles were to be kept lighted at all times. Disciplinary measures occupied the attention of the Council of 1509. The Council of1596 was called for the purpose of furthering the observance of the decrees of the Council of Trent (1545-63), and for a similar purpose the Council of 1609. The Councils of 1664 and 1725 formulated disciplinary decrees; the latter proclaimed the duty of adhering to the Bull of Clement XI against the “Reflexions morales” of Quesnel. The Council of 1849 published, in ten chapters, a number of decrees concerning faith and discipline.
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MANSI, Coll. Conc., XIX, 929; XX, 533, and passim; Coll. Lacensis Conc., I, 467; IV, 315; GRANJET, Hist. du diocèse d’Avignon (Avignon, 1862).
THOMAS J. SHAHAN Transcribed by Rev. Richard Giroux
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IICopyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Avignon, Councils of
(Concilium Avenionense). Of these there were several.:
I. Held in 1060, by .the cardinal Hugo, abbot of Cluny, legate. Achard, who had usurped, the see of Aries, was deposed, and Gibelin elected to his place. Lantelme was also elected to the see of Embrun, Hugo to that of Grenoble, and Desiderius to that .of Cavaillon. See Labbe, Concil. 10:390.’
II. This council was held Sept. 6, 1209, by Hugo,’ archbishop of Riez, and published twenty-one canons. The first recommends to bishops to preach more frequently in their dioceses ; the second relates to the extermination of heresies; and the preface to the acts of the council laments the general – prevalence of wickedness. In this council, or in one held the following year, the inhabitants of Toulouse were excommunicated for not driving out the Albigenses, according to order. The count of Toulouse was conditionally excommunicated. See Labbe, Concil. 11:41.
III. Held May 27, 1279, by Pierre (or, according to some, Bernard) de Languissel, archbishop of Arles. They drew up a decree containing fifteen articles, for the most part setting forth the usurpations and invasions of ecclesiastical property which were made, the violence committed upon the clergy, and the disregard of excommunications. However, they provided no other means of opposing these evils than the passing of fresh censures. See Labbe ,Concil. 11:1050.
IV. Held in 1282, by Bertrand Amauri, archbishop of Arles, together with his suffragans. Of the canons published ten only are extant, which, among other things, enjoined the faithful to attend their own parish churches- which in many places were disregarded-and to go there, at least, on every Sunday and holyday. See Labbe, Concil. 11:1174.
V. Held June 18, 1326. Three archbishops, eleven bishops, and the deputies of several others who were absent attended. They drew up a rule containing fifty-nine articles, chiefly relating to the temporalities of the Church and its jurisdiction. They assume, generally, as an incontrovertible maxim that the laity have no authority over persons or property ecclesiastical; a maxim evidently false, if it is to be extended to every possible case. Moreover, they complain bitterly of various abuses proceeding from the hatred which the laity bore towards the clergy; but it does not appear that they took any steps to lessen the grounds of this hatred, unless it were by an accumulation of censures and penalties.
1. Orders that the mass of the Blessed Virgin be celebrated once a week.
3. Grants an indulgence to those who pray to God for the pope.
4. Grants an indulgence of ten days to those who devoutly bow the head at the name of Jesus.
14. Orders the secular powers to. forward a captured Clerk to his own judge free of expense.
17,
18. Against administering poisonous drugs.
19. Of proceedings against the exempt.
44. Forbids, under pain of excommunication, all abusive conversations in. the houses of bishops, or in the presence of their officials.
46. Permits both archbishops and bishops travelling in dioceses not their own to bless the-people.
51. Relates to the condition in which benefices ought to be left by those leaving them. See Labbe, Concil. 11:1717, 2476.
VI. Held Sept. 3, 1337, by three archbishops and seventeen bishops. They published a decree containing sixty-nine articles, being chiefly a repetition of those drawn up in. the preceding -council. Among other things, it is enacted that parishioners shall receive the eucharist at Easter only at the hands of their proper curate. By canon five it is ordered that incumbents and all persons in holy orders shall abstain from eating meat on. Saturdays in honor of the Virgin, that by so doing: they may set a good example to the laity.’ ‘This injunction to fast on Saturdays had been made three hundred. years before upon occasion of the Trenie de Dieu, but had not yet, it seems, been universally established; the other regulations of the council relate chiefly to the usurpations of Church property and acts of violence committed on the persons of the clergy. See Gall. Christ. i, 322; Labbe, Concil. 11:1850.
VII. Held Sept. 7, 1457,, by the cardinal Pierre de Foix, archbishop of Aries and legate The chief purpose of this council was to confirm the acts of that of Basle relating to the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin. It was forbidden, under pain of excommunication, to preach. anything contrary to this doctrine or to dispute concerning it in public. All curates were enjoined to make. known this decree that no one might plead ignorance. See Labbe, Concil. iii, 1403.
VIII Held in 1594, by Francis Marin, archbishop of Avignon. Sixty-four canons were published, relating chiefly to the same subjects treated of in the synods held in various parts of France, etc., after the Counci’ of Trent:
8. Provides for teaching the rudiments of the faith to adults as well as children.
9. Orders, sermons on all Sundays, and every day in Lent and Advent.
11-21. Of the sacraments.
14. Orders that the baptismal water be renewed only on Holy Saturday and the eve of Whitsunday, unless need require; and that a silver vessel be used to pour it into the font.
25, 26. Of relics and images.
28. Of behavior in church.
44. Of Lent.
46. Of processions.
56. Of legacies, wills, etc.
57. Of medical men.
60. Against duelling.
62. Of Jews orders them to keep in their houses on Easter-eve and Easter- day. See Labb, Concil. 15:1434.