Lateran Councils

Lateran Councils. Ecclesiastical councils of the Catholic Church convened at the Lateran Palace in Rome, where numerous councils and synods took place.

Only five of these councils are considered of critical importance to the universal Church.

1. First Lateran Council (Callistus II, AD 1123): The Pope ensured the freedom of the Church from the control of the State. The Concordat of Worms (AD 1122) was officially authenticated, condemning lay investiture. The Council also targeted simony, marriage, and concubinage among clerics.

2. Second Lateran Council (Innocent II, AD 1139): Simony and other economic abuses by priests were condemned. Clerics were prohibited from requiring payment for performing the sacraments or officiating over burials. They were also advised against ostentation and luxury. The laity was prohibited from participating in jousts and other competitions and were threatened with excommunication for avoiding the payment of tithes. The Council required kings and princes to impart justice in consultation with the bishops. Teachings against paedobaptism, Eucharist, or special priesthood were censured. It also required secular authorities to constrain "heretics."

3. Third Lateran Council (Alexander III, AD 1179): The Council invalidated the appointment of rival popes, and set new rules for the election process of the Pope. It required the Cathedral Church to educate clerics. The Conciliar Fathers were assigned to condemn "heretics" at Inquisition tribunals (the Cathars and Waldensians were targeted).

4. Fourth Lateran Council (Innocent III, AD 1215): This was the most influential Christian Council in the Middle Ages. Innocent wanted universal representation in this Council. He invited all the bishops, heads of all religious orders, representatives of the Eastern Church, and secular sovereigns. Seventy decrees were approved. The first decree contained a faith profession similar to the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. A significant addition was a reference to the transubstantiation doctrine. The following two decrees condemned "heresies," such as Abbot Joachim of Fiore's view on the Trinity. The third decree ostracized "heretics" from the social, economic, and religious life. The remaining decrees concentrated on clergy reform, Christian living, pastoral care, and the relation between Christians, Jews, and Muslims. It required Jews and Muslims to dress differently to avoid damnable intermarriage, restricted commerce with Jews, and banned them from public service. To this day, historians wonder to what extent these decrees fueled anti-Semitic prejudices in Europe. Regarding the laymen, the most influential decision was enforced upon them to confess their sins—at least once a year—to a priest under the penalty of excommunication.

5. Fifth Lateran Council (Julius II, between 1512 and 16 March 1517): For the last Council, which took place just before the Protestant Reformation, there were two officiating Popes— Julius II presided over the first five sessions and Leo X over the remaining seven. The Council ruled against simony, especially in the election of the Pope. It also enlisted several reforms for cardinals, monasteries, and priests. However, the decisions taken were ineffective for the apathy of the Pope and bishops to confront corruption. The Council applauded the printing of books for its educational benefits; but it ordered bishops to scrutinize the writings to detect unorthodox teachings before publication. Christian kingdoms were encouraged to set aside their political differences in order to create a unified front against Moslem armies.