Rathbreasail Synod
The Synod of Rathbreasail ( Irish : Sionad Ráth Bhreasail ) took place in Ireland in 1111 . Rathbreasail is near Mountrath, in what is now County Offaly . It was the second of the four major reform synods ( councils ). The other three were Cashel (1101) and (1172) and Kells-Mellifont (1152).
prehistory
The Cashel Synod passed various decrees in 1101 prohibiting clergy from divorce, incest and priestly marriage . A major achievement of the Synod was the assured independence of ecclesiastical property and ecclesiastical offices from secular rulers. Accordingly, the practice of inheriting church offices to laypeople was declared inadmissible.
The synod of 1111
The synods of the 12th century mark the transition from the old Irish Irish Scottish Church without central powers to the Roman Catholic Church , with the incorporation of the 36 Irish dioceses and their monasteries . 50 bishops, 300 priests and over 3,000 lay people took part in the synod of 1111. She founded two church provinces :
- the Armagh with Archbishop Cellach Mac Aodh (1080-1129)
- the Cashel with Archbishop Maol Muire Ua Dunáin (1040–1117), the organizer of the Synod of 1101
Each province consisted of twelve dioceses. The boundaries of the dioceses were only roughly defined. The synod placed Waterford, previously dependent on Canterbury , under the Archbishop of Cashel.
24 dioceses were established by the synod, but some were not confirmed or changed by the following synod. At the so-called "little synod of Uisneach", which was called by the abbot of Clonmacnoise in 1111, some changes were made, concerning Clontard and Duleek, before the diocese of Ardagh was proclaimed. Until 1160 the bishops were appointed in Duleek :
- Ardagh : East Connacht
- Ardstraw : Tír Eoghain (except Inis Eoghain ), today Roman Catholic. Titular bishopric
- Clogher : Kingdom of Uí Chremthainn
- Clonard : West-Meath †, today Roman Catholic. Titular bishopric
- Clonfert : Uí Maine area
- Connor : in Dalriada
- Cong became one of the five dioceses of Connacht, but no bishop was recorded. Today Roman Catholic Titular bishopric
- Cork
- Down : Ulidia area
- Duleek : Ost-Meath †, today Roman Catholic. Titular bishopric
- Elphin : East Connacht
- Emly in Limerick
- TV
- Glendalough in County Wicklow , now the titular bishopric
- Kildare
- Kilkenny (later renamed Ossory ): Osraige area
- Killala : Area of the Uí Fiachrach
- Killaloe : Area of Uí Fiachrach Aidhne
- Leighlin : one of the five dioceses of Leinster
- limerick
- Raphoe : Tír Chonaill and Inis Eoghain
- Ratass: area of the Ciarraighe , the Corca Dhuibhne and the Eoghanacht Locha Léin (moved to Ardfert from 1117)
- Tuam : One of five dioceses in Connacht
- Waterford
The Diocese of Dublin , confirmed by Canterbury until 1096, was not established until 1152 with the Synod of Kells and was united with Glendalough in 1216. The borders of many Roman Catholic and Anglican dioceses are based on decisions made by the four synods in Rathbreasail, Cashel and Kells-Mellifont.