Synod Of Brixen
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The Synod of Brixen was a
church council 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, ...
held on 15 June 1080 in the episcopal city of
Brixen Brixen (; , ; or , ) is a town and communes of Italy, commune in South Tyrol, northern Italy, located about north of Bolzano. Geography Brixen is the third-largest city and oldest town in the province, with a population of nearly twenty-three t ...
. It was convoked by King
Henry IV of Germany Henry IV (; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was the son of Henry III, Holy R ...
at the height of the
Investiture Controversy The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest (, , ) was a conflict between church and state in medieval Europe, the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to choose and install bishops (investiture), abbots of monasteri ...
to pass judgement on Pope Gregory VII. The synod issued a decree condemning the pope, demanding his abdication and authorizing his deposition if he refused. The synod also elected his successor, Wibert of Ravenna. Henry IV was
at war ''At War'' () is a 2018 French drama film directed by Stéphane Brizé. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. The film gained acclaim for its portrayal of working people. Plot After promising 1,100 em ...
with a rival claimant to the kingship,
Rudolf of Rheinfelden Rudolf of Rheinfelden ( – 15 October 1080) was Duke of Swabia from 1057 to 1079. Initially a follower of his brother-in-law, the Salian emperor Henry IV, his election as German anti-king in 1077 marked the outbreak of the Great Saxon Revolt a ...
. At the time of the synod, Rudolf had won a recent victory at the
battle of Flarchheim The Battle of Flarcheim was fought between German king Henry IV and the German anti-king Rudolf of Swabia on January 27, 1080 near Flarchheim. Prelude Rudolf appeared to be vulnerable after losing the support of some of the Saxon princes. Hen ...
on 27 January 1080. In the aftermath of the battle, Henry sent Archbishop Liemar of Bremen and Bishop Rupert of Bamberg to Rome to confer with Gregory at his annual
Lenten synod Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthe ...
. Rudolf too sent envoys to Rome. On 7 March, the synod chose to recognize Rudolf as the legitimate king. On 13 April, Gregory VII pronounced Henry excommunicated and gave him until 1 August to repent, else "he would die or be deposed". In response Henry convoked the
synod of Mainz In the history of the Catholic Church in Germany, there have been many synods (church councils) held in Mainz. Traditionally, the archbishops of Mainz held the title of Primate of Germany. Synod of Mainz (or Council of Mainz, ) may refer to: *, ...
that met on 31 May. It recommended removing the pope and electing another. The main source for the synod of Brixen that followed is the synodal decree, which states that "a meeting of thirty relatesand of secular princes not only of Italy but also of Germany was assembled by royal command". The assembled prelates included 29 bishops from the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
and one priest,
Hugh Candidus Hugh Candidus (c. 1095 – c. 1160) was a monk of the Benedictine monastery at Peterborough, who wrote a Medieval Latin account of its history, from its foundation as Medeshamstede in the mid 7th century up to the mid 12th century. . ...
, representing the
College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals (), also called the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. there are cardinals, of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Appointed by the pope, ...
. All the kingdoms of the empire were represented. There were twenty bishops from
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, eight from
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and one from
Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...
. Henry IV was also present at Brixen with an armed force of Germans and Italians. The precedent for the king calling a council was to be found in the
synod of Sutri The Council of Sutri (or Synod of Sutri) was called by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III and opened on December 20, 1046, in the hilltown of Sutri, at the edge of the Duchy of Rome. The Catholic Church does not list this as an ecumenical council. ...
that Henry's father, Henry III, had held in 1046. The choice of Brixen (Bressanone) was based on the loyalty of its bishop, Altwin, to Henry IV's cause, as well as its geographical location. It lay south of the
Brenner Pass The Brenner Pass ( , shortly ; ) is a mountain pass over the Alps which forms the Austria-Italy border, border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the principal passes of the Alps, major passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has the lowes ...
in the extreme south of the Kingdom of Germany and was easily accessible to the Italians. Henry IV arrived at Brixen directly from the synod of Mainz. Most of the bishops who had convened in Mainz sent letters or envoys to Brixen to join in the condemnation of the pope. As he had at the synod of Worms in 1076, Hugh Candidus gave evidence at Brixen concerning Gregory VII's misdeeds. He accused him of using any means necessary to obtain the papacy, including
simony Simony () is the act of selling church offices and roles or sacred things. It is named after Simon Magus, who is described in the Acts of the Apostles as having offered two disciples of Jesus payment in exchange for their empowering him to imp ...
, violence, heresy,
necromancy Necromancy () is the practice of Magic (paranormal), magic involving communication with the Death, dead by Evocation, summoning their spirits as Ghost, apparitions or Vision (spirituality), visions for the purpose of divination; imparting the ...
and murder. He was specifically accused of poisoning his four predecessors. He had usurped his
archidiaconate An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that of most ...
at Rome. He attended obscene shows. The latest crime was that of the Lenten synod, in which he had approved of the death of the king and lent support to a traitor, Rudolf. Although the most scurrilous accusations are rejected by modern scholarship, not all of the accusations contained in the synodal decree was a fabrication for propaganda purposes. The accusations regarding Gregory's actions at Lent were both serious and true. The synodal decree has some of the character of a
minutes Minutes, also known as minutes of meeting, protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a statement of the activit ...
, since it provides a chronological outline of the synod. The final sentence on Gregory was that he "should be canonically deposed and expelled and condemned in perpetuity, if, having heard this ecree he does not step down." All the prelates attending but two signed the decree. Henry IV signed the decree after the bishops.


Signatories

The following list is derived from , and . #
Hugh Candidus Hugh Candidus (c. 1095 – c. 1160) was a monk of the Benedictine monastery at Peterborough, who wrote a Medieval Latin account of its history, from its foundation as Medeshamstede in the mid 7th century up to the mid 12th century. . ...
, cardinal-priest of
San Clemente al Laterano The Basilica of Saint Clement () is a Latin Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I located in Rome, Italy. Archaeologically speaking, the structure is a three-tiered complex of buildings: (1) the present basilica built just before ...
# Tedald of Milan #Cono of Brescia #Otto of Tortona #William of Pavia #Reginald of Belluno #Sigebod of Verona # Denis of Piacenza #Udo of Asti #Hugh of Fermo #Milo of Padua # Conrad of Utrecht # Henry of Aquileia #Didald of Vicenza #Regenger of Vercelli # Rupert of Bamberg #Norbert of Chur # Everard of Parma # Roland of Treviso #Arnulf of Cremona # Arnulf of Bergamo #Tiedo of Brandenburg # Liemar of Bremen #Werner of Bobbio # Altwin of Brixen # Meginward of Freising # Burchard of Lausanne #Conrad of Genoa #
Henry IV of Germany Henry IV (; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was the son of Henry III, Holy R ...
Archbishop Wibert of Ravenna and Bishop Benno of Osnabrück attended but did not subscribe the decree.


Notes


Sources

* * * * * {{refend 1080 in Europe 1080s in the Holy Roman Empire 11th-century Catholic Church councils Investiture Controversy Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor Pope Gregory VII