The Universal Synod of Ingelheim began on June 7, 948 in the then church of

Saint Remigius Remigius ( or ; – 13 January 533) was the Bishop of Reims and "Apostle of the Franks". On 25 December 496, he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks. The baptism, leading to about 3000 additional converts, was an important event in the Christ ...

Ingelheim Ingelheim (), officially Ingelheim am Rhein (), is a town in the Mainz-Bingen Districts of Germany, district in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany. The town sprawls along the Rhine's left bank. It has been Mainz-Bingen's district seat sin ...

. Being summoned by

Pope Agapetus II Pope Agapetus II (died 8 November 955) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 10 May 946 to his death. A nominee of the princeps of Rome, Alberic II of Spoleto, his pontificate occurred during the period known as the ''Saecul ...

its primary goal was to resolve a long running

Schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

concerning the archiepiscopal see of

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

. 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 presided by

Marinus of Bomarzo Marinus may refer to: *Marinus (crater), a crater on the Moon *Marinus (given name), for people named Marinus *Dr. Marinus, a recurring character in the novels of David Mitchell See also *''The Keys of Marinus ''The Keys of Marinus'' is the ...

, then the Roman Church's librarian. In the run up to the convocation there were two earlier synods, in

Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

in November 947 and in Mouzon in the beginning of 948, both considering the same problem but unable to resolve it.

Topics

Since 931 the archiepiscopal see was claimed by Hugh of Vermandois and

Artald of Reims Artald of Reims (died October 1, 961) was twice Archbishop of Reims. He held the post first 931 to 940, when he was displaced by Hugh of Vermandois (bishop), Hugh of Vermandois. He was restored, with the help of Louis IV of France, in 946. Biograp ...

. Hugh was supported by his uncle,

Hugh the Great Hugh the Great (16 June 956) was the duke of the Franks and count of Paris. He was the most powerful magnate in France. Son of King Robert I of France, Hugh was Margrave of Neustria. He played an active role in bringing King Louis IV of France ...

while Artald was supported by both Louis IV. and

Otto the Great Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), known as Otto the Great ( ) or Otto of Saxony ( ), was East Frankish ( German) king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the eldest son of Henry the Fowler and Matilda ...

. The aforementioned appeared at the synod in person while Hugh the Great was absent and not even substituted for. A clerk of Hugh of Vermandois named Sigbaldus then presented a letter stating that Guy, Bishop of Soissons, Hildegarius of Beauvais, Raoul Iof Laon and the remaining bishops of the province of Reims had sent letters requesting Hugh be restored to the bishopric of Reims and Artald be expelled.''The Annals of Flodoard of Reims, 919–966'', ed. & trans. Steven Fanning; Bernard S. Bachrach (Toronto: University of Toronto Press Inc., 2004), pp. 48-9 Several of the bishops named stood up and protested they had not seen, nor heard, nor authorized such a letter. Sigbaldus was exiled and it was ruled that the see was to be given to Artald. The following day Archbishop Robert of Trier stated that because the diocese of Reims had been restored to Artald, the synod should judge the one who invaded that see.''The Annals of Flodoard of Reims, 919–966'', ed. & trans. Steven Fanning; Bernard S. Bachrach (Toronto: University of Toronto Press Inc., 2004), p. 49 The canons of holy law having been read, they decreed that Hugh of Vermandois was

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...

and removed from the church "until he should do penance and make worthy satisfaction." Other important matters included

consanguineous Consanguinity (from Latin '' consanguinitas'' 'blood relationship') is the characteristic of having a kinship with a relative who is descended from a common ancestor. Many jurisdictions have laws prohibiting people who are closely related by blo ...

marriages. In order to inadvertently avoid marrying someone within the

prohibited degree of kinship In law, a prohibited degree of kinship refers to a degree of consanguinity (blood relatedness), or sometimes affinity (relation by marriage or sexual relationship) between persons that makes sex or marriage between them illegal. An incest taboo ...

all Christians were strongly recommended to keep a list of their ancestors and that nobles compare such lists before contracting a marriage.Constance B. Bouchard, 'Consanguinity and Noble Marriages in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries', Speculum, Vol. 56, No. 2 (Apr., 1981), p. 272 Other subjects included the founding of missionary dioceses in Scandinavia, this fact being the reason for the attendance of the bishops Liopdgad of Ripen,

Oredo Oredo is a Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Its headquarter is in Benin City. Its capital city is Benin City which also is the capital city of Edo State, Nigeria. Benin City is also the capital city of the Benin Empire. The Oba of B ...

of Schleswig and Reginbrand of Aarhus. Another issue was to restrict the Ottonic proprieritary church system.

Importance

Being attained by the two kings of

East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

and

West Francia In medieval historiography, West Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the West Franks () constitutes the initial stage of the Kingdom of France and extends from the year 843, from the Treaty of Verdun, to 987, the beginning of the Capet ...

, 32 archbishops and bishops as well as other clerical dignitaries this synod was one of the most important assemblies being held in Ingelheim and one of the climaxes in Ingelheim's importance as one of the political centres of the empire.

Participants

Apart from Louis, Otto and Marinus

Regesta Imperii Papal regesta are the copies, generally entered in special registry volumes, of the papal letters and official documents that are kept in the papal archives. The name is also used to indicate subsequent publications containing such documents, in c ...

mentions the following participants: #

Frederick of Mainz Frederick (died October 954) was the Archbishop of Mainz from 937, following the late Hildebert, until his death. He was a son of Reginar, Duke of Lorraine. Immediately, Frederick acted as an opponent of Otto the Great, one of the most consist ...

# Ruotbert of Trier, # Wicfrid von Köln, # Artald, Archbishop of Reims, # Adaldag of Hamburg, # Herold of Salzburg, #Richgowo of Worms, #

Ulrich of Augsburg Ulrich of Augsburg (890 – 4 July 973), sometimes spelled ''Uodalric'' or ''Odalrici'', was Prince-Bishop of Augsburg in the Holy Roman Empire. He was the first saint to be canonised not by a local authority but by a Pope. Life Early year ...

, #Bernhard of Halberstadt, #Diethard of Hildesheim, #

Conrad of Constance Conrad of Constance (; ; 900 – 26 November 975) was a German bishop and saint. Life Conrad was a member of the powerful Welf family, son of Count Heinrich of Altdorf. After an education at the cathedral school in Constance, he became provos ...

, #Starcand of Eichstätt, #Dudo of Paderborn, #Reginbald of Speyer, #

Bobbo of Würzburg Robert "Bob" Kelso, M.D., is a fictional character played by Ken Jenkins in the American comedy-drama ''Scrubs''. Bob Kelso is the chief of medicine for Sacred Heart Hospital for the first seven seasons of ''Scrubs'' (a position held since 1984) ...

, #

Adalbero I of Metz Adalbero I (; died ?26 April 962) was the bishop of Metz from 929 till 954. Also known as Adalber of Bar or Adalber of Ardenne, he became Abbot of Sint-Truiden in 944, presiding over a period of overdue rebuilding and expansion of a monastery w ...

, #

Gauzelin of Toul Gauzelin (died 7 September 962) was a French Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Toul from 922 until his death. He has been named as a saint. Life Gauzelin was born to noble Frankish parents. He first served as part of notaries ...

, #Berengar of Verdun, #

Balderic of Utrecht Balderic of Cleves (Oldenzaal, 897 – Utrecht, 27 December 975) was a long-reigning and influential Bishop of Utrecht from 918 to 975. Although his father is only known from one document associating him with Betuwe, and his grave in his son' ...

, #Dodo of Osnabrück, #Eberis of Minden, #Hildbold of Münster, #Varaberd of Tungern, #Fulbert of Cambrai, #Raoul of Laon, #Michael of Regensburg, # Adalbert of Passau, #

Leofdag of Ribe The former Diocese of Ribe () was a Roman Catholic diocese in Southern Jutland, Denmark. The diocese was established in 948, and dissolved in 1536 during the Protestant Reformation. Within the newly established protestant Church of Denmark, the ...

, #Oredo of Schleswig, # Reginbrand of Aarhuus, #Wichard of Basel (questionable)

References

Additional references

* Pertz, G.H. (Hrsg.): ''Monumenta Historica Germaniæ'' (= MGH LL 2), p. 19ff., Hannover, 1837. * Flodoard von Reims, Stratmann, Martina (Hrsg): ''Historia Remensis Ecclesiæ'', (= MGH SS XXXVI), Liber IV cap. XXXV (=S. 428ff.), Hannover 1998 * Hehl, Dieter (Hrsg.): ''Die Konzilien Deutschlands und Reichsitaliens 916-1001'' (= MGH Conc 6/1), p. 135ff., Hannover 1987 * Böhmer, J. F: ''Regesta Imperii II. Sächsisches Haus 919-1024. 5: Papstregesten 911-1024'' Böhmer, Johann Friedrich; Zimmermann, Harald (Bearb.). {{Authority control 10th-century church councils 948 10th century in Germany