Concordat of Bologna
Encyclopedia
The Concordat of Bologna (1516), marking a stage in the evolution of the Gallican Church
, was an agreement between King Francis I of France
and Pope Leo X
that Francis negotiated in the wake of his victory at Marignano
in September 1515. The groundwork was laid in a series of personal meetings of king and pope in Bologna
, 11-15 December 1515.
The Concordat explicitly superseded the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges
, (1438), which had proved ineffective in guaranteeing the liberties of the Church in France, where bishoprics and abbacies had been wrangled over even before the Parlement of Paris: "hardly anywhere were elections held in due form", R. Aubenas observes, "for the king succeeded in foisting his own candidates upon the electors by every conceivable means, not excluding the most ruthless."
The Concordat stated that the Pope could collect all the income that the Catholic Church made in France, while the King of France was confirmed in his right to tithe
the clerics and to restrict their right of appeal to Rome. The Concordat confirmed the King of France's right to nominate appointments to benefice
s—archbishop
s, bishop
s, abbot
s and prior
s— enabling the Crown, by controlling its personnel, to decide who was to lead the Church in France. Canonical installation of those church officers was reserved to the Pope; in this way the agreement confirmed the papal veto
of any leader the King of France chose who might be deemed truly unqualified. The Concordat confirmed the Apostolic Camera
's right to collect annates, the first year's revenue from each benefice, a right which, when abused, led to shuffling of prelates among dioceses. The fiction of elections to bishopric by canons and to abbacies by monks was discontinued. On Francis's part, it was at last firmly conceded that the Pope's powers were not subject to any council, an affirmation of the papal position in the long-crushed Conciliar Movement, which was in the process of being condemned at the contemporaneous Fifth Lateran Council (1512-17), which confirmed the Concordat.
: the sons of Francis and Catherine de' Medici
saw no advantage to the Crown in any gestures towards Reformation in France. The king of France had enormous powers to direct the Church's wealth and provide sinecure
s in the offices of bishops and abbots in commendam
, for his faithful followers among the powerful aristocracy. The Concordat ended any vestige of the elective principle, in which the monks or cathedral canons chose the abbot or bishop: there were some protests from these disenfranchised communities, whose approval of candidates had for some time devolved into a mere pro forma. It allowed the King to maintain control of the Church as well as the State. For many years to come, the Kings of France would struggle to keep the Catholic Church in power, as it was filled with supporters of their policies. This would lead to persecution of non-Catholics under Francis I, Henry II, Francis II, and Charles IX.
This religious intolerance would lead to the civil wars in France that are called the Wars of Religion
, and finally religious freedom in the form of an Edict of Toleration
, the Edict of Saint-Germain
issued by Charles IX's regent
in 1562 and finally the Edict of Nantes
.
Gallican Church
The Gallican Church was the Catholic Church in France from the time of the Declaration of the Clergy of France to that of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy during the French Revolution....
, was an agreement between King Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
and Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
that Francis negotiated in the wake of his victory at Marignano
Battle of Marignano
The Battle of Marignano was fought during the phase of the Italian Wars called the War of the League of Cambrai, between France and the Old Swiss Confederacy. It took place on September 13 and 15, 1515, near the town today called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan...
in September 1515. The groundwork was laid in a series of personal meetings of king and pope in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, 11-15 December 1515.
The Concordat explicitly superseded the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges
Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges
The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges, issued by King Charles VII of France, on July 7, 1438, required a General Church Council, with authority superior to that of the pope, to be held every ten years, required election rather than appointment to ecclesiastical offices, prohibited the pope from...
, (1438), which had proved ineffective in guaranteeing the liberties of the Church in France, where bishoprics and abbacies had been wrangled over even before the Parlement of Paris: "hardly anywhere were elections held in due form", R. Aubenas observes, "for the king succeeded in foisting his own candidates upon the electors by every conceivable means, not excluding the most ruthless."
The Concordat stated that the Pope could collect all the income that the Catholic Church made in France, while the King of France was confirmed in his right to tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
the clerics and to restrict their right of appeal to Rome. The Concordat confirmed the King of France's right to nominate appointments to benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
s—archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
s, bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s, abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
s and prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
s— enabling the Crown, by controlling its personnel, to decide who was to lead the Church in France. Canonical installation of those church officers was reserved to the Pope; in this way the agreement confirmed the papal veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
of any leader the King of France chose who might be deemed truly unqualified. The Concordat confirmed the Apostolic Camera
Apostolic Camera
The Apostolic Camera, or in Latin Camera Apostolica or Apostolica Camera, is the central board of finance in the Papal administrative system, which at one time was of great importance in the government of the States of the Church, and in the administration of justice, led by the Camerlengo of the...
's right to collect annates, the first year's revenue from each benefice, a right which, when abused, led to shuffling of prelates among dioceses. The fiction of elections to bishopric by canons and to abbacies by monks was discontinued. On Francis's part, it was at last firmly conceded that the Pope's powers were not subject to any council, an affirmation of the papal position in the long-crushed Conciliar Movement, which was in the process of being condemned at the contemporaneous Fifth Lateran Council (1512-17), which confirmed the Concordat.
Results of the Concordat
Though the Concordat of Bologna left many problems unsolved, it provided the ground-rules for the limited Reformation in FranceProtestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
: the sons of Francis and Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
saw no advantage to the Crown in any gestures towards Reformation in France. The king of France had enormous powers to direct the Church's wealth and provide sinecure
Sinecure
A sinecure means an office that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service...
s in the offices of bishops and abbots in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
, for his faithful followers among the powerful aristocracy. The Concordat ended any vestige of the elective principle, in which the monks or cathedral canons chose the abbot or bishop: there were some protests from these disenfranchised communities, whose approval of candidates had for some time devolved into a mere pro forma. It allowed the King to maintain control of the Church as well as the State. For many years to come, the Kings of France would struggle to keep the Catholic Church in power, as it was filled with supporters of their policies. This would lead to persecution of non-Catholics under Francis I, Henry II, Francis II, and Charles IX.
This religious intolerance would lead to the civil wars in France that are called the Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
, and finally religious freedom in the form of an Edict of Toleration
Edict of Toleration
An edict of toleration is a declaration made by a government or ruler and states that members of a given religion will not be persecuted for engaging in their religious practices and traditions...
, the Edict of Saint-Germain
Edict of Saint-Germain
The Edict of Saint-Germain, also known as the Edict of January, was a decree of tolerance promulgated by the regent, Catherine de' Medici, in January 1562. It provided limited tolerance of Protestantism in her Roman Catholic realms, especially in relation to the French Huguenots.It was among...
issued by Charles IX's regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
in 1562 and finally the Edict of Nantes
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes, issued on 13 April 1598, by Henry IV of France, granted the Calvinist Protestants of France substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic. In the Edict, Henry aimed primarily to promote civil unity...
.