Avranches, Council of
Avranches, Council of
In 1172 (September 27-28) a Council was held at Avranches in France, apropos of the troubles caused in the English Church by the murder of St. Thomas Becket. Henry II, King of England after due penance, was absolved from the censures incurred by the assassination of the holy prelate and swore fidelity to Alexander III in the person of his legate. It was forbidden to confer on children benefice that carry with him the cure of souls, or the children of priests the churches of their fathers. Each parish was required to have an assistant (vicarius) and the Advent fast was commended to all who could observe it, especially to ecclesiastics.
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THOMAS J. SHAHAN Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas
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
Avranches, Council of
(Concilium Avrincatense), was held May 22, 1172, the cardinal legates Theodinus and Albert presiding. Henry II of England, having taken the oath which the pope’s legates required of him, and annulled all the unlawful customs which had been established in his time, and done penance, was absolved on account of the assassination of Becket. Among other things, Henry engaged (1.) not to withdraw from the obedience of the pope Alexander III or of his successors so long as they continued to acknowledge him as Catholic king of England;
(2.) That he would not hinder appeals to Rome;
(3.) He promised, at the coming Christmas, to take the cross for three years, and in the year following to set out for Jerusalem, unless the pope should grant a dispensation, and unless he were obliged to go to Spain to oppose the Saracens. This was rather an assembly than a council. The real Council of Avranches, in this year, was not held until Sept. 27 or 28. The king then renewed his oath, adding to it some expressions of attachment and obedience to Alexander. Twelve canons were then drawn up, enacting, among other matters, that it should not be lawful to appoint infants to benefices with cure of souls; that the incumbents of parishes who could afford. it should be compelled to have an assisting priest, that it should not be lawful for a husband or wife to enter upon a monastic life while the other continued in the world. Abstinence and fasting during Advent were recommended to all who could bear it, and especially to the clergy, See Labbe, Concil. 10:1457.