1566 (21. Januar)
The council was convoked by Reginald Cardinal Pole for 21 of January 1566 and was celebrated at Lambeth Palace, London.
Participants were Bishops and clergy of northern and southern provinces. The efforts of the synod culminated on February 11, 1556 when the twelve decrees that the synod had created were read before the assembly. A brief overview of the decrees are as follows:
1. Every year on the feast of St. Andrew (November 30) a procession along with a homily should be celebrated to represent the reunion between England and Rome. 2. Regarding parish clergy: Priests must believe and agree to the doctrines that were promulgated during the Council of Florence in 1439. These include papal supremacy, a sacrament being of matter, form of words and minister. Baptism along with confirmation must not be repeated due to the imparting of an indelible mark. All priests must also own a Latin Bible and cannot possess any books deemed heretical. 3. Residence of Bishops: Bishops were to vacate all secular positions they may have held and return to their post immediately. Canonical sanctions were to be enforced upon any bishop who refused. 4. Preaching: Preaching should be of the utmost importance to Bishops who should preach every Sunday and on religious festivals. The synod sanctioned sermons, which were published and given to clergy in order to aid with preaching. 5. Clerical Lifestyle: All clergy including Bishops and parish priests should live a humble lifestyle and any money that could be saved should go towards education. 6. Ordination: All men who were to be ordained needed to be personally examined by their bishop who then made sure the man was of good standing and met all of the necessary qualifications. 7. Benefices: Potential benefice holders should be serious and learned in the Catholic faith. 8. Reaffirmation of the papal position regarding benefices in lay-hands. 9. Simony: The synod condemned Simony and enforced taking an oath against such practices. 10. Inventory: Each office holder was required to have an inventory describing all of the church goods and lands to be completed in duplicate. During visitation, the document was to be examined. 11. Seminaries: The model of a school at every cathedral was drawn up to instruct the youth whom were interested in becoming priests. The decree provides several entry requirements for prospective students. 12. Visitation: Every bishop immediately had to begin visiting cathedrals, hospitals, libraries etc. beginning with the main cities and then the rest of the diocese to make sure everything was in order and to prevent any heresy.
After the decrees were read before the assembly, they moved into the chapel for mass. It was announced that the synod was prorogued until October 10, 1556 however they never met and the synod kept postponing until November 10, 1557. The synod never met after the reading of the decrees on February 11.
The Canterbury Convocation, which opened on January 21, 1558 and dissolved on November 17, 1558 due to the death of the Queen, to some scholars is seen as a continuation of Pole’s London synod. This however cannot be proven. Articles which included ecclesiastical dress, education, doctrine and many more were proposed during this convocation however it is unclear how many were passed.
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QQ: Mansi, vol. 35, cols. 475-504; England’s Sacred Synods; Mayer, Correspondence of Reginald Pole III.
Lit.: Edwards, Archbishop Pole; Haile, Life of Reginald Pole; Lee, Reginald Pole Cardinal; London Synod of Reginald Pole; Mayer, Prince and Prophet.
Atlas, Nicholas
Januar 2019
Empfohlene Zitierweise:
Atlas, Nicholas, “Londinense / London: 1566 (21. Januar)" in: Lexikon der Konzilien [Online-Version], Januar 2019; URL: http://www.konziliengeschichte.org/site/de/publikationen/lexikon/database/3695.html