The Synod of Brefi was a church council held at

Llanddewi Brefi Llanddewi Brefi () is a village, parish and Community (Wales), community of approximately 500 people in Ceredigion, Wales. The village is notable for the famous Synod of Brefi held here in the sixth century. A number of miraculous events are sa ...

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, around 545."History of the Diocese", Archdiocese of Cardiff
/ref> The

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

was apparently called in order to condemn the

heretical Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Christianity, Judai ...

teachings of

Pelagius Pelagius (; c. 354–418) was a British (Celtic Britons, Brittonic) theologian known for promoting a system of doctrines (termed Pelagianism by his opponents) which emphasized human choice in salvation and denied original sin. Pelagius was accus ...

. It was an important milestone in the rise of

Saint David David (; ; ) was a Welsh Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Mynyw during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and tradition has preserved a relatively large amount of detail about his life. ...

. It was Paulinus who advised Saint

Dubricius Dubricius or Dubric (; Norman-French: ''Devereux''; c. 465 – c. 550) was a 6th-century British ecclesiastic venerated as a saint. He was the evangelist of Ergyng () (later Archenfield, Herefordshire) and much of south-east Wales. ...

, the senior bishop there, to invite David, a minor abbot, to the synod. David kept aloof from all temporal concerns and was initially reluctant to attend. St David's Church,

is the site associated with St David's best known miracle, when, according to tradition, the ground rose up under his feet as he addressed the large crowd so that he could be heard better. According to legend, David's words were so eloquent that Dubricius retired in David's favour. One of his first duties was to consecrate Saint

Deiniol Saint Deiniol (died 572) was traditionally the first Bishop of Bangor in the Kingdom of Gwynedd, Wales. The present Bangor Cathedral, dedicated to Deiniol, is said to be on the site where his monastery stood. He is veneration, venerated in Bri ...

Bishop of Bangor The Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Diocese of Bangor of the Church in Wales. The Episcopal see, see is based in the city of Bangor where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Bangor Cathedral, Cathedral Church of Sa ...

. It is also said that the synod was called while Saint

Cadoc Saint Cadoc or Cadog (; also Modern Welsh: Catawg or Catwg; born or before) was a 5th–6th-century Abbot of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge in Glamorgan, Wales, a monastery famous from the era of the Celtic church as a centre of learning, wher ...

, Abbot of

Llancarfan Llancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry and near Cowbridge, has a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century clas, famed for its learning. Cainnech ...

, was away in

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

. In disgust, he refused to return for many years.

Saint Cybi Saint Cybi ( Welsh), or Cuby ( Cornish), was a 6th-century Cornish bishop, saint, and, briefly, king, who worked largely in Cornwall and North Wales: his biography is recorded in two slightly variant medieval 'lives'. Life in Cornwall The ''vi ...

is said to have attended the Synod"Cybi", ''The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature''. (James Strong and John McClintock, eds.) Harper and Brothers; NY; 1880
/ref> and advised some pilgrims on their journey to Ynys Enlli ( Bardsey). The Brefi synod was followed by the "

Synod of Victory The Synod of Victory (Synod of the Grove of Victory, Synod of Caerleon) was a church council held in Caerleon, Wales, around AD 569. While some sources say it was a continuation of the Synod of Brefi to condemn the heresy of Pelagianism, others, s ...

" at

Caerleon Caerleon ( ; ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable ...

around 569.

References

560 6th century in Wales History of Ceredigion History of Christianity in Wales Celtic Christianity 6th-century church councils Heresy in Christianity in the Middle Ages {{christianity-hist-stub