Council of Orléans (511)

Map showing the dioceses of origin of the bishops present at the Council of Orléans in 511

The First Council of Orléans in July 511 was the first empire Council wished the Frankish Empire and was designed by Clovis I called.

Clovis had invited all the bishops of his kingdom to the synod in Orléans in order to regulate the balance of power between ecclesiastical and secular rulers. After the council, the Franconian rulers had a say in the investiture of the bishops, who subsequently required their confirmation to take office. In addition to the internal political increase in power for Clovis, another focus of the council was the fight against the Arians . The council determined the basic rights of Merovingian churches and initiated church reorganization in the Franconian Empire. The main topic was the practice of religion and related disciplinary punishments. The right of asylum was regulated in churches, with which secular power was contrasted with church power. The ordination of clergy was then only allowed on the orders of the king or with the consent of the judge. The sacrifice of the Mass could only be celebrated at the main festivals of the church in the city cathedrals or in parish churches and no longer in the oratory of rural villas. In the council resolution, fortune-telling was forbidden under threat of excommunication . Clovis had assured the participating bishops that he would protect church property and clerics. The resolutions were signed on July 10, 511 by 32 participants. The Metropolitan of Bordeaux was the first to sign and thus probably chairman of the council . According to Eugen Ewig , the history of the Merovingian imperial church begins with the convened council of Orléans .

Remarks

↑ Detlef Wienecke-Janz (ed.): The great chronicle world history. Volume 7: From the decline of Rome to the age of the Carolingians (313–800). Chronik-Verlag, Gütersloh 2008, ISBN 978-3-577-09067-4 , p. 158.
^ Josef Kremer: Studies on early Christianity in Lower Germany. Dissertation Bonn, 1993, p. 80 ( PDF ).
^ Knut Schäferdiek : Schwellenzeit: Contributions to the history of Christianity in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1996, ISBN 978-3111873978 , p. 341.
^ Eugen Ewig: The Merovingians and the Franconian Empire. 5th updated edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2006, p. 103. See also: Martina Hartmann : Die Merowinger. Beck, Munich 2012, p. 22.

[1] Detlef Wienecke-Janz (ed.): The great chronicle world history. Volume 7: From the decline of Rome to the age of the Carolingians (313–800). Chronik-Verlag, Gütersloh 2008, ISBN 978-3-577-09067-4 , p. 158.

[2] Josef Kremer: Studies on early Christianity in Lower Germany. Dissertation Bonn, 1993, p. 80 ( PDF ).

[3] Knut Schäferdiek : Schwellenzeit: Contributions to the history of Christianity in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1996, ISBN 978-3111873978 , p. 341.

[4] Eugen Ewig: The Merovingians and the Franconian Empire. 5th updated edition. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2006, p. 103. See also: Martina Hartmann : Die Merowinger. Beck, Munich 2012, p. 22.