First Council of Orléans
Encyclopedia
The First Council of Orléans was convoked by Clovis I
in 511
. Shortly before his death, Clovis called a synod of Gallic bishops to meet at Orléans
to reform the church and create a strong link between the crown and the Catholic episcopate. 33 bishops assisted and passed thirty-one decrees on the duties and obligations of individuals, the right of sanctuary, and ecclesiastical discipline. These decrees, equally applicable to Franks
and Romans, first established equality between conquerors and conquered.
The council claimed the right of sanctuary
in favor of churches and ecclesiastical residences. It stipulated that ecclesiastics need not produce a culprit, unless the pursuer would swear on the Gospels to do him no injury. It settled the conditions of freedom for a slave upon whom Holy orders had been conferred; ruled that freemen should not be ordained without the king's or the judge's consent; determined the immunities of ecclesiastics and church property and committed to bishops the welfare of the sick and the poor; settled relations of monks with their abbots and of abbots with the bishops. The practice of divination
was forbidden. Clovis approved the decrees of the council, which thus appears as the first treaty between the Frankish State and the Church.
Among those known to be present were the following:
Clovis I
Clovis Leuthwig was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings, ensuring that the kingship was held by his heirs. He was also the first Catholic King to rule over Gaul . He was the son...
in 511
511
Year 511 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Felix and Secundinus...
. Shortly before his death, Clovis called a synod of Gallic bishops to meet at Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
to reform the church and create a strong link between the crown and the Catholic episcopate. 33 bishops assisted and passed thirty-one decrees on the duties and obligations of individuals, the right of sanctuary, and ecclesiastical discipline. These decrees, equally applicable to Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
and Romans, first established equality between conquerors and conquered.
The council claimed the right of sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
in favor of churches and ecclesiastical residences. It stipulated that ecclesiastics need not produce a culprit, unless the pursuer would swear on the Gospels to do him no injury. It settled the conditions of freedom for a slave upon whom Holy orders had been conferred; ruled that freemen should not be ordained without the king's or the judge's consent; determined the immunities of ecclesiastics and church property and committed to bishops the welfare of the sick and the poor; settled relations of monks with their abbots and of abbots with the bishops. The practice of divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
was forbidden. Clovis approved the decrees of the council, which thus appears as the first treaty between the Frankish State and the Church.
Among those known to be present were the following:
- Leontianus, the first bishop of Coutances historically known.
- Nepos, the first bishop of Avranches known to history.
- Quintian, bishop of Rodez
External links
- Council of Orléans at the Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...