When was the first synod of Catholic bishops?
Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
On 15 September 1965, as the Council was drawing to a close, Pope Paul VI established the Synod of Bishops, noting that "the Ecumenical Council ... gave Us the idea of permanently establishing a special Council of bishops, with the aim of providing for a continuance after the Council of the great abundance of benefits that We have been so happy to see flow to the Christian people during the time of the Council as a result of Our close collaboration with the bishops." The Pope sought "to make ever greater use of the bishops' assistance in providing for the good of the universal Church" and to enjoy "the consolation of their presence, the help of their wisdom and experience, the support of their counsel, and the voice of their authority." This preempted action by the Council and made the Synod "immediately and directly" subject to papal authority, ensuring that it would be strictly an advisory body. The Synod of the Bishops does not constitute collegial governance of the Church, but represents a collaboration with the Pope: it discusses topics proposed to it and makes recommendations, but does not settle questions or issue decrees, unless the Pope grants it deliberative power in certain cases.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Kotor
The first documented bishop of Cattaro was Paulus, who participated in the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The next mention of the Diocese of Cattaro was 530, when it is mentioned as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Salona (Solin). The late Antiquity era, relatively the early Christian origin of the bishopric of Cattaro, is testified by an early Christian baptistery from the late 5th or early 6th centuries, discovered in an archeological examination of the Church of Saint Maria of Rijeka (Crkva sv. Marije od Rijeke) following the 1979 earthquake where the probable foundations of the first cathedral in Cattaro was discovered with remains, such as the cathedra and ciborium from the 6th century.
First Council of Constantinople
It has been asserted by many that a synod was held by Pope Damasus I in the following year (382) which opposed the disciplinary canons of the Council of Constantinople, especially the third canon which placed Constantinople above Alexandria and Antioch. The synod protested against this raising of the bishop of the new imperial capital, just fifty years old, to a status higher than that of the bishops of Alexandria and Antioch, and stated that the primacy of the Roman see had not been established by a gathering of bishops but rather by Christ himself. Thomas Shahan says that, according to Photius too, Pope Damasus approved the council, but he adds that, if any part of the council were approved by this pope, it could have been only its revision of the Nicene Creed, as was the case also when Gregory the Great recognized it as one of the four general councils, but only in its dogmatic utterances.
Canon law of the Catholic Church
The word "canon" comes from the Greek "kanon", which in its original usage denoted a straight rod, was later used for a measuring stick, and eventually came to mean a rule or norm. In 325, when the first ecumenical council, Nicaea I, was held, "kanon" started to obtain the restricted juridical denotation of a law promulgated by a synod or ecumenical council, as well as that of an individual bishop.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pavia
In 1518 a diocesan synod was held, though the Administrator of the diocese, Cardinal Antonio Maria Ciocchi del Monte (1511–1521) did not attend. He did send a letter of thanks to his Vicar, Giovanni Luchini Curzio, who presided and gave the opening address. Among other matters, the synod legislated on the sons of priests, the cohabitation of clerics and women, and clerical non-residence (the clergy of the Cathedral being exempted). A diocesan synod was held by Cardinal Ippolito Rossi (1564–1591) on 14 November 1566.
Equal Future 2018
On 13 January 2017 the Catholic Church released its Preparatory Document for its Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, whose theme was to be ‘Young people, faith, and vocational discernment’. In it, the Vatican stated that their aim was to address issues facing “all young people, without exception” – i.e. not just Catholics - and to consult directly with them in preparation for the Synod itself, rather than solely via episcopal conferences. This was unprecedented, as while the Vatican's preparation for a synod generally includes developing a questionnaire and soliciting input from bishops' conferences, dioceses and religious orders, for the first time the Vatican's synod organizing body sought direct input from the public, even going so far as to put a questionnaire online.
Synod of Constantinople (1484)
The Synod of Constantinople was convened by Patriarch Symeon I and lasted from September 1483 until August 1484. It was held in the patriarchal Pammakaristos Church, in the presence of representatives of the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem (the latter sees then being under the Mamluk Sultanate of Cairo). The main issue of the synod was the need to define a ritual for the admission to the Orthodox Church of the converted from the Catholic Church. This issue was quite relevant in such years due to the conquests by the Ottomans of areas previously subjected to Western rule (e.g. the Duchy of Athens) and to the Ottoman system of government of the minorities (the millet system) which subjected the Catholics to the civil authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople, causing numerous conversions to Orthodoxy.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Parma
In 1564 Bishop Alessandro Sforza (1560-1573) presided over the first diocesan synod following the close of the Council of Trent. In 1568 he took part in the provincial synod of the ecclesiastical province of Ravenna, presided over by Cardinal Giulio della Rovere. Bishop Ferrante Farnese (1573-1606) held a diocesan synod in 1575, another on 11 May 1581, and a third in 1583.
Diocesan Synod Nivariense
Diocesan Synod Nivariense (in Spanish: "Sínodo Diocesano Nivariense", in Latin: "Synodus Dioecesani Nivariensis") was an important meeting of the clergy and laity of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Canary Islands, Spain). It was the first diocesan synod in the history of this Diocese created in 1819 by Pope Pius VII and also called "Diocese of Tenerife" or "Diocese Nivariense", hence the name of the Synod.
Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
In compliance with the Pope's directive, the CBCI in its general meeting in April 1988 decided that all the three ritual churches could have their own episcopal bodies. Accordingly, the bishops of the Latin Church started their own episcopal conference in the same meeting and named it “Conference of Catholic Bishops of India – Latin Rite” (CCBI-LR). In January 1994, the Holy See approved its statutes. Hence, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India is an organization having its legal foundation in Canon law, which applies to the Catholic church of the Roman rite throughout the world. Therefore, according to canons 447-459, the CCBI is the central church body of the bishops in India and its purpose is to deliberate on matters of concern for the whole Latin church and encourage activities in accordance with the needs of the times. The members of the CCBI are: 1) The diocesan bishops, their coadjutors, and auxiliaries, 2) The administrators of the dioceses when the Episcopal See is vacant, 3) The retired bishops and, 4) those honorary bishops appointed by the Holy See or the bishops' conference for particular tasks.
Plenary council
After the establishment of the empire, Napoleon I held a great convention of bishops at Paris (1811), and is said to have been much incensed because Pius VII did not designate it a national council. Similarly, mere congresses of bishops, even of a whole nation, who meet to discuss common ecclesiastical affairs, without adhering to synodal forms, are not to be called national or plenary Councils, because no one having the proper jurisdiction has formally summoned them to a canonical synod. Such episcopal conventions have been praised by the Holy See, because they showed unity among the bishops, and zeal for asserting the rights of the Church and the progress of the Catholic cause in their midst, in accordance with the sacred canons, but, as the requisite legal forms and proper hierarchical authority are wanting, these congresses of bishops do not constitute a plenary council, no matter how full the representation of episcopal dignitaries may be. For example, in current usage plenary assemblies though in all other ways identical to plenary councils do not meet those requirements.
Second Council of Constantinople
The Second Council of Constantinople is the fifth of the first seven ecumenical councils recognized by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. It is also recognized by the Old Catholics and others. Protestant opinions and recognition of it are varied. Some Protestants, such as Calvinists and Lutherans, recognize the first four councils, whereas most Anglo-Catholics accept all seven. Constantinople II was convoked by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I under the presidency of Patriarch Eutychius of Constantinople. It was held from 5 May to 2 June 553. Participants were overwhelmingly Eastern bishops—only sixteen Western bishops were present, including nine from Illyricum and seven from Africa, but none from Italy—out of the 152 total.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos
In June and July 1987, Bishop Cirilo Almario convened the First Diocesan Synod of Malolos. It had for its theme: "To Prepare for the Lord a Perfect People." Together with the priests and the Christian faithful of the province the Synod formulated its own vision-mission statement. To fulfill its mission, a restructuring of the diocesan organization was called for in line with the spirit of Vatican II.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bologna
In 1586, Cardinal Paleotti held the first provincial synod of the ecclesiastical province of Bologna.
Canon law of the Catholic Church
In the Early Church, the first canons were decreed by bishops united in "Ecumenical" councils (the Emperor summoning all of the known world's bishops to attend with at least the acknowledgement of the Bishop of Rome) or "local" councils (bishops of a region or territory). Over time, these canons were supplemented with decretals of the Bishops of Rome, which were responses to doubts or problems according to the maxim, ""Roma locuta est, causa finita est"" ("Rome has spoken, the case is closed"). A common misconception, the Catholic Encyclopedia links this saying to St Augustine who actually said something quite different: ""jam enim de hac causa duo concilia missa sunt ad sedem apostolicam; inde etiam rescripta venerunt; causa finita est"" (which roughly translate to: "there are two councils, for now this matter as brought to the Apostolic See, whence also letters are come to pass, the case was finished") in response to the heretical Pelagianism of the time.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Imola
Cardinal Ridolfi also ordered the convocation of a diocesan synod, for the reform of the clergy. The synod took place in the Cathedral of Imola on 14 June 1538, under the presidency of Canon Girolamo Ferri, the Cardinal's Vicar General. Bishop Alessandro Musotti (1579–1607) held a diocesan synod on 22 August 1584; its Constitutions were published by order of Cardinal Donghi in 1659. Bishop Rodolfo Paleotti (1611–1619) held a diocesan synod on 22 May 1614, and published its decrees. Bishop Ferdinando Millini (1619–1644) held three diocesan synods, in 1622, 1628, and 1638, whose Constitutions were also published by Cardinal Donghi. Donghi himself held a synod on 29 and 30 April 1659. Bishop Costanzo Zani, O.S.B. (1672–1694) held a diocesan synod in the Cathedral of Saint Cassianus on 29–31 March 1693.
Carloman (mayor of the palace)
Carloman was instrumental in convening the "" in 742, the first major synod of the Catholic Church to be held in the eastern regions of the Frankish kingdom. Chaired jointly by him and Boniface, the synod ruled that priests were not allowed to bear arms or to host females in their houses and that it was one of their primary tasks to eradicate pagan beliefs. His father had frequently confiscated church property to reward his followers and to pay for the standing army that had brought him victory at Tours (a policy supported by Boniface as necessary to defend Christianity). By 742 the Carolingians were wealthy enough to pay their military retainers and support the Church. For Carloman, a deeply religious man, it was a duty of love; for Pippin a practical duty. Both saw the necessity of strengthening the ties between their house and the Church. Carloman donated the land for one of Boniface's most important foundations, the monastery of Fulda.
Historiography of early Christianity
Bishops still had a freedom of interpretation. The competing versions of Christianity led many bishops who subscribed to what is now the mainstream version of Christianity to rally more closely together. Bishops would call synods to discuss problems or doctrinal differences in certain regions; the first of these to be documented occurred in Roman Asia in about 160. Some bishops began to take on a more authoritative role for a region; in many cases, the bishop of the church located in the capital city of a province became the central authority for all churches in that province. These more centralized authorities were known as "metropolitan churches" headed by a Metropolitan bishop. The churches in Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome exerted authority over groups of these metropolitan churches.
First Synod of Tyre
The First Synod of Tyre or the Council of Tyre (335 AD) was a gathering of bishops called together by Emperor Constantine I for the primary purpose of evaluating charges brought against Athanasius, the Patriarch of Alexandria.
Catholic ecumenical councils
The council continued debate on conciliarism. The papal delegate opened the Council in Basel on July 23, 1431 without a single bishop present. When he tried to close it later, bishops insisted of citing the pope to the Council, which he refused. The Council continued on its own and issued several decrees on Church reform. Most of the participants were theologians, bishops made only ten percent of the eligible voters. The Pope moved the council to Ferrara, where he achieved a major success, when the Greek Orthodox Church agreed to unity with Rome. But conciliarism continued to be the politically correct trend, as “reform” and “council” were seen as inseparable. Formally, the Council of Basel was never closed. The council decreed in 1439 (a short-lived) union with Greek, Armenian, and Jacobite Churches (1442). The Council had 25 sessions from July 1431 until April 1442 It met under Pope Eugene IV in Basel, Germany, and Ferrara and Florence Italy. It was moved to Rome in 1442.
Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
From the beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis expressed his desire to strengthen the collegial aspects of the Church's governance, and he argued for more recognition of charismatic gifts in the Church. On September 15, 2018, Pope Francis approved a new apostolic constitution titled "Episcopalis communio" (Episcopal Communion). The constitution, which was made public on September 18, states that the Synod's final document, if approved by the members with "moral unanimity" and expressly approved by the Pope, becomes part of the Ordinary Magisterium of Catholic teaching.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ventimiglia-San Remo
A diocesan synod was held by Bishop Domenico Vaccari (1502–1511), in which the subject of witches and the procurement of abortions figured prominently. Bishop Stefano Spinola presided over his first diocesan synod in 1608. A synod, his second, was held by Bishop Mauro Promontorio (1654–1685) on 5–6 July 1683. In 1784 Bishop Domenico Maria Clavarini, O.P. (1775–1797) presided over a diocesan synod.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bergamo
Bishop Giambattista Milani (1592–1611) presided at three diocesan synods, his third on 4 September 1603. In 1613 Bishop Giovanni Emo (1611–1622) held his first diocesan synod, at which he promulgated a number of decrees. On 4 May 1628, Bishop Agostino Priuli (1627–1632) presided at a diocesan synod, and issued a set of constitutions and decrees, to which were added a number of papal bulls and decrees of Vatican congregations. Bishop Luigi Grimani (1633–1656) held his first diocesan synod on 4 June 1636. His second took place on 15 June 1648.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pavia
A diocesan synod was held in the Cathedral Chapter house in Pavia on 16 February 1317, during the Administratorship of Giovanni Beccaria, O.Min. (1320–1324), Latin Patriarch of Antioch (Syria). The Patriarch was not present, but was rather serving at the Papal Court in Avignon, "dicto domino patriarcha administratore apud sedem apostolicam existente." The synod was therefore presided over by the Patriarch's two Vicars, the Archdeacon Bonifazio de Frascarolo, and Zonfredus de Castana, Canon of Monza. The decisions of the synod had mostly to do with legal matters, oaths, thieves, punishments, and with the collection of the "decima". Bishop Giovanni Fulgesi (1328–1342) held another synod c. 1343, with exhortations and regulations concerning the seven sacraments, burials, the preaching of indulgences, and the "decima" and clerical debtors.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fidenza
The first diocesan synod was held by Bishop Giovanni Linati (1606–1620) on 14 October 1608. He held the second diocesan synod on 15 October 1615. The third diocesan synod was held by Bishop Alfonso Pozzi (Puteo) on 20 May 1624. Bishop Antonio Pallavicini presided over the diocesan synod of 4–6 June 1663. Bishop Gaetano Garimberti (1675–1684) presided over the diocesan synod of 5 December 1678. Bishop Nicolò Caranza (1686–1697) held a diocesan synod on 20–22 May 1697. He ordered the minutes of the meetings published, to which he had appended thirteen enactments of popes or Roman curial offices. His own decrees included regulations for the Cathedral Chapter (Caput XXIII–XXVI).
Roman Catholic Diocese of Como
The Fifth Diocesan Synod was held by Bishop Lazzaro Carafino (1626–1665) on 18–20 September 1633. The Sixth Diocesan Synod was held by Bishop Ambrogio Torriano (1680–1694) on 13–15 September 1672. It issued particularly strong regulations against the use of snuff by the clergy, following the decree of Pope Innocent X, and prescribed a fine of two aurei for any priest who used snuff before the Mass. The Seventh Diocesan Synod was held on 10–12 September 1682 by Cardinal Carlo Cicero, Bishop of Como.
Synod of Constantinople (1484)
The 1484 Synod of Constantinople was the first synod to condemn the Council of Florence, as the so-called "1450 Synod of Saint Sophia" never took place and its documents are a forgery of the early 17th century. However the decrees of the 1484 synod were not universally implemented and cases of inter-communion between Catholics and Orthodox went on in the regions subjected to the Venetian Republic until the 18th century.
Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
In 1959, Cardinal Silvio Oddi proposed a permanent consultative body of priests drawn from many parts of the world to discuss major concerns of the Church. The same year Cardinal Bernardus Johannes Alfrink proposed a permanent council of specialized bishops to legislate for the Church in union with the Pope and the cardinals. In 1963, during the third session of the Second Vatican Council, Patriarch Maximos IV proposed that the church should be governed by the Pope and the bishops as successors of Peter and the apostles respectively, not by the Pope and the "Roman clergy", that is, the College of Cardinals. Maximos proposed that the Council establish a rotating body of bishops in continuous residence in Rome to assist the Pope.
St. Paul's Church Rectory
The Hopkins residence also was adjoining the previous site in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries of "the Roman Catholic Congregation of Baltimore Town", founded 1770 and incorporated 1795 as St. Peter's Church and the first organized group of Catholics in the city. After the 1789 appointment of Father John Carroll as the first Roman Catholic bishop in America, and his subsequent return home after his ordination in England, he was installed in August 1790 in the now "St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral" as "the ordinary" (bishop) of what became known as "The Premier See", the Diocese of Baltimore. Later that year, St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral saw the meeting of the first synod of priests of the new national American diocese (along with a western diocese in Bardstown, Kentucky - now the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville) and opening ceremonies for the newly established St. Mary's Seminary located further to the northwest on the Hookstown Road (later Pennsylvania Avenue) and its movement to and later establishment on North Paca Street of its adjoining secular St. Mary's College. After the construction of Benjamin Henry Latrobe's "Old Baltimore Cathedral" (later the Basilica of the Assumption of Mary), constructed one block further north at Cathedral Street, between West Mulberry and Franklin Streets during 1806-1821; old, but important and historic St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral was razed in 1841 along with its adjoining red-brick rectory, school and cemetery along West Saratoga and North Charles Streets on the northwest corner, on the opposite corner of the third parish structure (1814/17-1854) of the four buildings of Old St. Paul's Parish. It was at old St. Peter's Church and Pro-Cathedral, that notable events during 1790 to 1821 occurred in the history of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Church in America, such as the first ordination of a bishop, the convening of a synod of priests, and the offices and ministry of the first American bishop.
Pope John XXIII
Far from being a mere "stopgap" pope, to great excitement, John XXIII called for an ecumenical council fewer than ninety years after the First Vatican Council (Vatican I's predecessor, the Council of Trent, had been held in the 16th century). This decision was announced on 25 January 1959 at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini, who later became Pope Paul VI, remarked to Giulio Bevilacqua that "this holy old boy doesn't realise what a hornet's nest he's stirring up". From the Second Vatican Council came changes that reshaped the face of Catholicism: a comprehensively revised liturgy, a stronger emphasis on ecumenism, and a new approach to the world.
Catholic Convention
In 1757 the Catholic Committee was formed by Charles O'Conor; others involved included the historian, doctor, and activist John Curry and Thomas Wyse of Waterford. The committee met in Essex Street, Dublin, in 1760.
The French Revolution and the rise of the more militant United Irishmen saw a number of the landed gentry and aristocrats leave the committee.
In 1792 Theobald Wolfe Tone was appointed assistant secretary of the Catholic Committee. The businessman John Keogh served as chairman of the committee.
Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
The Synod of the Bishops has its own permanent general secretariat, composed of the General Secretary and a fifteen-member council, twelve of whom are elected by each general assembly and three are appointed by the Pope. The secretariat assists in preparing the apostolic exhortation which the Pope publishes on the basis of the recommendations of each general assembly, and it prepares the next assembly. Their function ceases with the start of a new general assembly. A similar function is performed by specific special councils elected by the special assemblies.It is for the Pope to
Catholic ecumenical councils
In 730, the emperor outlawed pictorial presentations of Christ and the saints and created thus the first iconoclasm. The Pope argued against it and convened in 731 a local council in Rome to no avail. The council discussed and restored the veneration of icons using the Bible and tradition of the Church as arguments. Pictures of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints were used to stimulate piety and imitation. The Council met in eight sessions from September 24, 787 until October 23, 787 during the pontificate of Pope Hadrian I. It issued twenty canons. This was the last Ecumenical Council to be accepted by both Eastern and Western churches.
History of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Several doctrinal disputes from the 4th century onwards led to the calling of ecumenical councils which from a traditional perspective, are the culmination and also a continuation of previous church synods. These Pre Ecumenical councils include the Council of Jerusalem c. 50, Council of Rome (155), Second Council of Rome 193 AD, Council of Ephesus 193 AD, Council of Carthage (251), Council of Iconium 258 AD, Council of Antioch (264), Councils of Arabia 246–247 AD, Council of Elvira 306 AD, Council of Carthage (311), Synod of Neo-Caesarea c.314 AD Council of Ancyra 314 AD, Council of Arles (314). The first ecumenical council in part was a continuation of Trinitarian doctrinal issues addressed in pre-legalization of Christianity councils or synods (for examples see Synods of Antioch between 264–269AD and Synod of Elvira). These ecumenical councils with their doctrinal formulations are pivotal in the history of Christianity in general and to the history of the Orthodox Church in particular. Specifically, these assemblies were responsible for the formulation of Christian doctrine. As such, they constitute a permanent standard for an Orthodox understanding of the Trinity, the person or hypostasis of Christ, the incarnation.
Synod
Synods in Eastern Rite Catholic Churches are similar to synods in Orthodox churches in that they are the primary vehicle for election of bishops and establishment of inter-diocesan ecclesiastical laws. The term "synod" in Latin Rite canon law, however, refers to meetings of a representative, thematic, non-legislative (advisory) or mixed nature or in some other way do not meet the qualifications of a "council." Examples include:National Episcopal Conferences are another development of the Second Vatican Council. They are permanent bodies consisting of all the Latin rite bishops of a nation and those equivalent to diocesan bishops in law (i.e. territorial abbots). Bishops of other "sui juris" churches and papal nuncios are not members of episcopal conferences by law, though the conference itself may invite them in an advisory or voting capacity (can. 450).
History of Christian theology
The First Council of Nicaea, held in Nicaea in Bithynia (in present-day Turkey), convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 325, was the first ecumenical conference of bishops of the Catholic Church (Catholic as in 'universal', not just Roman) and most significantly resulted in the first declaration of a uniform Christian doctrine, called the Nicene Creed. With the creation of the creed, a precedent was established for subsequent 'general (ecumenical) councils of Bishops' (Synods) to create statements of belief and canons of doctrinal orthodoxy—the intent being to define unity of beliefs for the whole of Christendom.
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
The enthronement of the Major Archbishop as the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church took place on May 14, 2005. The Malankara Major Archiepiscopal Curia (Catholicate Centre) started functioning at the St. Mary's Campus, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram. On May 20, 2005, Cyril Baselios blessed the Curia building. Baselios soon constituted the first Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, convened from 16 to 18 August 2005 at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia, Thiruvananthapuram. It constituted the Permanent Synod and the various Synodal Commissions headed by Bishops to take care of various apostolates of the Church. The official bulletin, "Malankara" is published from the Major Archiepiscopal Curia, to communicate the Synodal acts and voice of the Syro-Malankara Major Archiepiscopal Church.
Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference
In the Catholic Church, an episcopal conference is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities, but were first established as formal bodies by the Second Vatican Council ("Christus Dominus", 38), and implemented by Pope Paul VI's 1966 "motu proprio" "Ecclesiae sanctae". The operation, authority, and responsibilities of episcopal conferences are currently governed by the 1983 Code of Canon Law (see especially canons 447–459). The nature of episcopal conferences, and their magisterial authority in particular, was subsequently clarified by Pope John Paul II's 1998 "motu proprio" "Apostolos suos".
Hippo Regius
The synods of the Ancient (North) African church were held, with but few exceptions (e.g. Hippo, 393; Milevum, 402) at Carthage. We know from the letters of Saint Cyprian that, except in time of persecution, the African bishops met at least once a year, in the springtime, and sometimes again in the autumn. Six or seven synods, for instance, were held under St. Cyprian's presidency during the decade of his administration (249–258), and more than fifteen under Aurelius (391–429). The Synod of Hippo of 393 ordered a general meeting yearly, but this was found too onerous for the bishops, and in the Synod of Carthage (407) it was decided to hold a general synod only when necessary for the needs of all Africa, and it was to be held at a place most convenient for the purpose. Not all the bishops of the country were required to assist at the general synod. At the Synod of Hippo (393) it was ordered that "dignities" should be sent from each ecclesiastical province. Only one was required from Tripoli (in Libya), because of the poverty of the bishops of that province. At the Synod of Hippo (393), and again at the Synod of 397 at Carthage, a list of the books of Holy Scripture was drawn up, and these books (including some considered apocryphal by Protestants) are still regarded as the constituents of the Catholic canon.
Francis Carroll
He was also the first Australian bishop to call a diocesan synod since the Second Vatican Council. It was held in Canberra during 1989 with a subsequent synod in 2004. The synod's recommendations accepted by the archbishop were the formation of a commission for women, a commitment to resource and support the Catholic youth ministry team for a period of five years, the embracing of the concept of encouraging parishes to implement family-based sacramental programs and calling on parishes to consider the employment of pastoral associates possibly in conjunction with neighbouring parishes. However, the synod's proposals were not without their detractors.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Parma
A diocesan synod was held in September 1602 under the presidency of Msgr. Giovanni Mozanega, Protonotary Apostolic and Vicar General of the diocese of Parma. Bishop Pompeo Cornazzano, O.Cist. (1615–1647) held a diocesan synod in November 1621. Bishop Carlo Nembrini (1652–1677) presided over his first diocesan synod on 5–7 June 1659; he held his second diocesan synod on 26–27 April 1674. A synod was held on 7 May 1691 by Bishop Tommaso Saladino (1681–1694).
Latin Catholic Diocese of Acre
The first Bishop known is Claro, who in 190 attended a Council meeting of some bishops of Phoenicia and Palestine to deal with the issue of the date of the Paschal feast. But we must go to the fourth century to find the next Bishop, Enea, who took part at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and at the Synod held in Antioch in 341. Nectabo was one of the fathers of the first Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in 381. Between the 4th and 5th centuries lived Bishop Antiochus, opponent of Giovanni Crisostomo. Helladius participated in the first Council of Ephesus in 431. Paul took part in the Council held at Antioch of 445 to judge the work of Athanasius of Perre and at the Council of Chalcedon of 451. In 518 Bishop Giovanni signed a Synodal letter against Severus of Antioch and the Monophysite party. Finally, the last known Bishop is Giorgio, who attended the second Council of Constantinople in 553.
Synod
A synod () is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word "synod" comes from the Greek σύνοδος ("sýnodos") meaning "assembly" or "meeting", and it is synonymous with the Latin word "concilium" meaning "council". Originally, synods were meetings of bishops, and the word is still used in that sense in Catholicism, Oriental Orthodoxy and Eastern Orthodoxy. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not. It is also sometimes used to refer to a church that is governed by a synod.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola
During the episcopate of Cardinal Ercole Rangoni (1520–1527), a synod was held by his Vicar General, Giandomenico Sigibaldi in 1521. A diocesan synod was held in Modena on 4–5 September 1565 during the Administratorship of Cardinal Giovanni Morone (1564–1571), in accordance with the decrees of the Council of Trent. Morone was particularly eager to have the laity attend the synod, so that they could be better informed about the decrees of the Council. The Constitutions of the synod of Modena were also published. Bishop Sisto Visdomini (1571–1590) presided over a diocesan synod on 23 September 1572, and again on 25 October 1575. A synod was held by Bishop Gaspare Sillingardi (1593–1607) on 15 June 1594.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio
Cardinal Leni held a diocesan synod in 1612. Cardinal Magalotti held a synod in 1637. Cardinal Stefano Donghi held his first synod in Ferrara in 1666.
Stephen Alathara
Hence in compliance with the above directive of the Pope, the CBCI in its General meeting in April 1988 decided that all the three ritual Churches could have their own Episcopal bodies. Accordingly, the Bishops of the Latin Church started their own Episcopal Conference in the same meeting and named it "Conference of Catholic Bishops of India – Latin Rite" (CCBI-LR). In January 1994, the Holy See approved its statutes. Hence, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India is an organization having its legal foundation in the Canon Law, which applies to the Catholic Church of the Roman Rite throughout the world. Therefore, according to Canons 447-459, the CCBI is the Central Church body of the Bishops in India and its purpose is to deliberate on matters of concern for the whole Latin Church in India and encourage activities in accordance with the needs of the times. The members of the CCBI are: 1) The diocesan Bishops, their coadjutors, and auxiliaries, 2) The administrators of the dioceses when the Episcopal See is vacant, 3) The retired Bishops and, 4) those honorary bishops appointed by the Holy See or the Bishops' Conference for particular tasks.
Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
In view of the greater urgency that justify their convocation, the preparation of extraordinary general assemblies of the Synod of the Bishops is shorter. The participants also are fewer, consisting of the heads of Eastern Catholic Churches, the presidents (only) of episcopal conferences, three members (not ten) of religious institutes and the cardinals who head dicasteries of the Roman Curia.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Città di Castello
Bishop Giovanni Battista Lattanzi (1750–1782) held his first diocesan synod on 23–25 September 1766.
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) () is the national assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in Canada. It was founded in 1943, and was officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948. Since the Second Vatican Council, it became part of a worldwide network of episcopal conferences, established in 1965. Until 1977, it was called the Canadian Catholic Conference, when the present name was adopted.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pinerolo
The first diocesan synod was held by Bishop d'Orlié on 14—16 September 1762, and dealt with all the usual topics, especially the administration of the sacraments (ordering specially that the Blessed Sacrament be kept at the high altar of each church) and the conduct of the clergy (who were specially forbidden to play the high-stakes gambling card game called "bassetta"). Sixty-seven synodal examiners were appointed. The statutes of the synod remained in force until 1842.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Genoa
On 1 September 1588, under Cardinal Antonio Sauli (1586–1591), the Perpetual Administrator of the diocese of Genoa, a diocesan synod was held. The Cardinal ordered the rectors and curates of the churches to read one chapter of the Constitutions to the people on every feast day. Archbishop Orazio Spínola (1600–1616) held his first diocesan synod on 6 October 1604. The proceedings were published. Archbishop Domenico de' Marini (1616–1635) held his first diocesan synod on 16 February 1619. Cardinal Stefano Durazzo (1635–1664) held a diocesan synod on 21 April 1643.
Catholic ecumenical councils
The First Council of Constantinople defined in four canons the Nicene Creed, which is still used in the Catholic Church. Most importantly, it defined the divinity of the Holy Spirit, which is derived but not defined in the Bible. Thus the Council built on the Apostolic Tradition. The council met from May until July 381 during the pontificate of Pope Damasus I and issued four canons.
Catholic Church and ecumenism
The Catholic Church recognizes 21 Ecumenical or General Councils: Nicaea I (325), Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), Constantinople II (553), Constantinople III (680–681), Nicaea II (787), Constantinople IV (869–870), Lateran I (1123), Lateran II (1139), Lateran III (1179), Lateran IV (1215), Lyons I (1245), Lyons II (1274), Vienne (1311–1312), Constance (1414–1418), Florence (1438–1445), Lateran V (1512–1517), Trent (1545–1563), Vatican I (1869–1870), Vatican II (1962–1965).
First seven ecumenical councils
In the history of Christianity, the first seven ecumenical councils include the following: the First Council of Nicaea in 325, the First Council of Constantinople in 381, the Council of Ephesus in 431, the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, the Third Council of Constantinople from 680–681 and finally, the Second Council of Nicaea in 787.
Synod of Elvira
The Synod of Elvira (, ) was an ecclesiastical synod held at Elvira in the Roman province of Hispania Baetica, now Granada in southern Spain. Its date has not been exactly determined but is believed to be in the first quarter of the fourth century, approximately 305–6. It was one of three councils, together with the Synod of Arles (314) and the Synod of Ancyra, that first approached the character of general councils and prepared the way for the first ecumenical council. It was attended by nineteen bishops and twenty-six presbyters, mostly resident in Baetica. Deacons and laymen were also present. Eighty-one canons are recorded, although it is believed that many were added at later dates. All concern order, discipline and conduct among the Christian community. Canon 36, forbidding the use of images in churches, became a bone of contention between Catholic and Protestant scholars after the Protestant Reformation.
Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
The synod was called on 8 October 2013 by Pope Francis who said he wished to "continue the reflection and journey of the whole Church, with the participation of leaders of the Episcopate from every corner of the world." The Synod was meant to be the first of "two stages, forming a single organic unity" with the Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bordeaux
In 1214 an important church council was held in Bordeaux by Cardinal Robert de Corzon, the Papal Legate in France, against usurers, highwaymen, and heretics. A council in Bordeaux in 1215 arranged a peace between Gaillard d'Autorna and Guillaume Gombadi, abbot of St. Croix. A diocesan synod, held on 13 April 1255 by Archbishop Gerard de Malemort, legislated mostly on matters of clerical discipline, relics, and taxation. In 1262 Archbishop Pierre de Roncevault held a diocesan synod which produced seven rulings, four of them on dealing with excommunication, and the others on burial (forbidding one parish priest from burying the dead of another parish), confirmation (giving proper notice), and marriage (clandestine marriages bringing excommunication to the ministers, contracting parties, and witnesses).
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
In 1919 Pope Benedict XV urged the college of bishops around the world to assist him in promoting the labor reforms first articulated by Pope Leo XIII in "Rerum novarum". In response, the U.S. Catholic episcopate organized the National Catholic Welfare Council in 1919. They also created the first Administrative Committee of seven members to manage daily affairs between plenary meetings, with archbishop Edward Joseph Hanna of San Francisco as the first chairman. Headquarters were established in Washington, D.C.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bergamo
In 816, the Emperor Louis I held a council at Aix, at which it was ordered that Canons and Canonesses live together according to a set of rules (canons, "regulae"). In the Roman synod of Pope Eugene II of November 826, it was ordered that Canons live together in a cloister next to the church. In 876, the Council of Pavia decreed in Canon X that the bishops should enclose the Canons: "uti episcopi in civitatibus suis proximum ecclesiae claustrum instituant, in quo ipsi cum clero secundum canonicam regulam Deo militent, et sacerdotes suos ad hoc constringant, ut ecclesiam non relinquant et alibi habitare praesumant." In 897, at the request of the Canons themselves, Bishop Adelbertus organized them into the Chapter of S. Vincenzo.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bologna
Cardinal Alessandro Ludovisi (1612–1621) held a diocesan synod on 11 June 1620. Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi (1621–1632) held a Congregationn of the diocese's archpriests on 9 March 1623, and then a diocesan synod on 8 June 1623. He held another on 30 May 1624. On 8 June 1634, Cardinal Girolamo Colonna (1632–1645) held a diocesan synod. Cardinal Girolamo Boncompagni (1651–1684) presided over a diocesan synod on 15 October 1654. Cardinal Giacomo Boncompagni (1690–1731) presided over a diocesan synod in Bologna on 17–19 June 1698. A diocesan synod was held in Bologna by Cardinal Andrea Giovanetti (1775–1800) on 2–4 September 1788.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sidon
Before the arrival of the crusaders to Syria in the late 11th century, the Orthodox bishops of Sidon had been suffragans of the archbishops of Tyre, who were in turn subject to the authority of the Orthodox patriarchs of Antioch. The first crusader king of Jerusalem, Baldwin I captured Sidon with the assistance of Venetian and Norwegian fleets on 5 December 1110. He wanted to ensure that all sees in his kingdom were subject to the Latin patriarchs of Jerusalem. He and Patriarch Ghibbelin, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, asked Pope Paschal II to authorize the expansion of the jurisdiction of the see of Jerusalem to include the diocese of Sidon. The Pope accepted their proposal and declared in 1111 that the boundaries of the ecclesiastic provinces should follow the political borders, making Sidon subject to Jerusalem. However, the patriarchs of Antioch, Bernard of Valence, lodged an objection with the Holy See and prevented the appointment of a bishop subject to Jerusalem at Sidon.
Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
The first general assemblies attempted to draw up their own concluding documents, but found that the time available was insufficient for doing so properly.
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The origins of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines may be traced to as far back as February 15, 1945 when the Apostolic Delegate, Bishop William (Guglielmo) Piani, even as the war was raging, created the Catholic Welfare Organization (CWO), with its central office at a remodeled coop at the University of Santo Tomas interment camp. (Eventually, the office was moved to the following addresses in succession: La Consolación College at 260 San Rafael St., Manila, in the same year; 1500 Taft Avenue in 1953; 2472 Taft Avenue in 1955; 2655 F.B. Harrison in 1974; 372 Cabildo St.; and, finally, 470 General Luna St, Intramuros, in 1983.) Obviously with the National Catholic Welfare Council (NCWC) of the bishops of the United States as his inspiration and model, Msgr. Piani's major objective was “to meet the war emergency created by the destruction of so many towns.” Manila, for example, was the scene of the most destructive land battles in the country. As Gen. Dwight Eisenhower remarked, with the exception of Warsaw (Poland), “this is the worst destruction I have ever seen.” Seeing the need of a coordinated effort to aid the stricken populace, Msgr. Piani presented the services of the CWO to General Douglas MacArthur, and the offer was accepted. In charge of the relief work was the Rev. John
Hurley, SJ. Its first personnel included lay men and women as well as clerics. During and after the battle of Manila, it sheltered around 10,000 half-naked and starving refugees, acted as important outlet of the PCAU (Philippine Civil Affairs Unit) foodstuff, and sent out burial squads to bury countless corpses. In the first five months of its existence, it distributed food, medicine, clothing, and other relief goods valued at 906,030. On 17 July 1945, all the bishops met in Manila for their first meeting after the Japanese Occupation, and three days after, Msgr. Piani granted their request to place in their hands the direction of the CWO and make it the official organization of the Hierarchy of the Philippines. After the Apostolic Delegate received from the Holy See the proposal and directive to incorporate the CWO, the articles of incorporation were duly registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission in Manila, on 23 January 1946, with 18 incorporators. As stated in the Articles of Incorporation, the purpose of the CWO was “to unify, coordinate, and organize the Catholic people of the Philippines in works of education, social welfare, religious and spiritual aid and other activities.” The Board of Directors was composed of Bishops Gabriel Reyes (Cebu), chairman; Constancio Jurgens (Tuguegarao), Mariano Madriaga (Lingayen), Santiago Sancho (Nueva Segovia) and Alfredo Verzosa (Lipa), members. A few years later, a new constitution was approved by the Sacred Consistorial Congregation on 28 June 1952 and took effect on 30 June 1953. Such were the beginnings of the CWO. It was a welfare organization which had no juridical status in the Church. It was financed through regular quota subscription from all the bishops, and partly from the shipping service and, until 1948, the War Relief Services (WRS; renamed Catholic Relief Services [CRS] in 1955). Later on, the quota subscription was made on the basis of the Catholic population in each diocese.
Carini
The first historical mention of a bishop of the see is in two letters of Pope Gregory the Great, in the 6th century, one addressed to Bonifacius of Reggio Calabria, the other to Barbarus of Carini. But many signs, including local catacombs, show that a Christian community existed at Carini from the 3rd century. A lead seal bears the name of a Felix, bishop of this see. One of Gregory the Great's letters show that the diocese was incorporated into that of Reggio Calabria in September 595, but by 602 it was again under its own bishop. A Bishop John of the see took part in a synod at Rome in 649. The last testimony to its existence dates from the 8th century, and the Muslim conquest of Sicily, which began in 827, brought it to an end as a residential bishopric. As a result, Carini/Hyccara/Hyccarum is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see.
First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council () was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This, the twentieth ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned on 20 October 1870. Unlike the five earlier general councils held in Rome, which met in the Lateran Basilica and are known as Lateran councils, it met in the Vatican Basilica, hence its name. Its best-known decision is its definition of papal infallibility.
History of the Catholic Church since 1962
The general sessions of the Council were held in the autumns of four successive years (in four "periods") 1962 through 1965. During the rest of the year special commissions met to review and collate the work of the bishops and to prepare for the next period. Sessions were held in Latin in St. Peter's Basilica, with secrecy kept as to discussions held and opinions expressed. Speeches (called "interventions") were limited to ten minutes. Much of the work of the council, though, went on in a variety of other commission meetings (which could be held in other languages), as well as diverse informal meetings and social contacts outside of the council proper.
Berlin Conference of Bishops
The Berlin Conference of Bishops was the meeting of Roman Catholic bishops of East Germany from 1976 to 1990.
As was solidified after the Berlin Wall in 1961 and was the division of Germany prevented the participation of the bishops of the East of the German Bishops' Conference, the pastoral needs led to a separate meeting of the East German bishops, first of the Berlin Ordinarienkonferenz.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Knin
Knin is first mentioned in the 10th-century history of Constantine Porphyrogenitus as the centre of a parish. In the 11th century, at the request of King Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia, it became an episcopal see, whose bishop seems to have been attached to the royal court as preacher. Roman Catholic Diocese of KninThe bishop of Knin held a title "bishop of Croats" ("episcopus Chroatorum"). A history of the successive bishops, from Mark in 1050 to Joseph in 1755, is given in Daniele Farlati's "Illyricum sacrum", IV (Venice, 1775). The bishops who held the title no longer resided in Knin after it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1522. After Venice captured the area in 1768, the bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Šibenik was appointed to administer the diocese. In 1828 Pope Leo XII erected the ecclesiastical province of Dalmatia in the Kingdom of Dalmatia, in the papal bull "Locum Beati Petri", through which he suppressed the diocese and transferred its territory to the Diocese of Šibenik.It is vacant, having had the following incumbents, all of the lowest (episcopal) rank :
Appointment of Catholic bishops
By the time of the First Council of Nicaea in 325, the metropolitan bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome had a role of the greatest importance in the selection. Canon 6 of the Council acknowledged and codified an ancient custom giving jurisdiction over large regions to the bishops of Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch. Nicaea decreed that the consent of the metropolitan bishop was normally required:
Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
At first, an ad hoc Office Bearers body consisting of a President and Vice President was elected and a small team of four Bishops forming the Executive Committee assisted it. At its Third Plenary Assembly in Goa (1991) a full team of Office Bearers was elected and an Executive Committee consisting of the Office bearers, all the Metropolitans of the Latin Ecclesiastical Provinces and the Chairpersons of CCBI commissions was constituted. The Holy See approved its statues on 13 January 1994. At the lapse of five years in 1999 and in the light of the Apostolos Suos, the statutes were revised and the Holy See permanently approved them on 3 December 2000 (Prot. 5242/00). The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India was registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. Regd. No.S/19920 of 1 May 1989.
Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Cyprus
A Cypriot Maronite community in communion with Rome is reported since 1316 when a Maronite bishop, Hananya, who during the reign of the Lusignan took office in Cyprus. The Catholic Bishops' series begins in 1357, when in the hands of the Latin bishop of Nicosia the Maronite community with his bishop emit a profession of the Catholic faith. This union is confirmed and reinforced by the Papal bull Benedictus sit Deus promulgated by Pope Eugene IV at the Council of Florence on August 7, 1455.
Catholic (term)
The earliest evidence of the use of that term is the "Letter to the Smyrnaeans" that Ignatius of Antioch wrote in about 108 to Christians in Smyrna. Exhorting Christians to remain closely united with their bishop, he wrote: "Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Turin
A synod was held by Archbishop Gian Francesco Arborio di Gattinara (1727-1743) on 1–3 May 1729. Archbishop Giambattista Roero di Pralormo (1744-1766) held his first diocesan synod on 21 and 22 April 1755. Archbishop Vittorio Maria Costa d'Arignano (1778-1796) held a diocesan synod on 20–22 August 1788.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana
In 1808 Pope Pius VII divided the Catholic churches in the United States and its territories into five dioceses. The Catholic parishes in the northwest territories, which included the Indiana Territory, became part of the Diocese of Bardstown, with Fr. Flaget appointed as its first bishop. In 1814 he became the first Catholic bishop to visit Indiana. In 1832 Bishop Flaget and Bishop Joseph Rosati, the first bishop of the Diocese of St. Louis, Missouri, petitioned the Holy See to name Simon Bruté de Rémur as the first Bishop of Vincennes.
Gerald Francis O'Keefe
Bishop O’Keefe called two diocesan synods into existence, the fourth and fifth for the diocese. The 1974 synod was the first since 1932 and included vowed religious and the laity for the first time. The synod focused on spiritual renewal, unifying and restructuring the diocese. The 1985 synod also focused on restructuring the diocese based on the recent reforms to the Code of Canon Law.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Turin
The Diocese di Torino maintains a list of diocesan synods on its website. The earliest known is that of Bishop Boso, who also attended a provincial synod in Milan in December 1125; no records survive. Another synod was held by Bishop Giovanni Arborio on 26 October 1246. Bishop Goffredo di Montanaro presided at a diocesan synod which was held in S. Salvatore de Domno on Wednesday, 14 May 1270. Bishop Goffredo presided over a second synod on 16 May 1276 in S. Salvatore de Domno; its acts survive. Synods also took place in 1332, 1335, 1339, 1351, 1368, 1403, 1428, 1448, 1465, 1467, 1469, and 1500. In 1502 a collection of twelve Constitutions of synods was published.
Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference
The first meeting of the Ordinaries of Sudan held in Khartoum in late 1929, during the visit of the Apostolic Delegate for East Africa, based in Mombasa, Kenya, Arthur Hinsley. In the fifties were held periodic meetings of the Ordinaries of Sudan, until in December 1974 was established the local hierarchy and the Sudan was born Episcopal Conference, who in 1976 became known as the "Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference" (SCBC). Its headquarters is in Khartoum. The statutes were approved by the Holy See in 1989.
The SCBC is a member of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) and Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
Synods of Augsburg
From the time of St. Boniface, especially during periods of revival of religious and ecclesiastical life, synods were frequently convened by the bishops of Germany, and sometimes by those of individual ecclesiastical provinces. As the German bishops were, on the one hand, princes of the Holy Roman Empire, and the emperor was, on the other, the superior protector of the Roman Church, these synods came to have no little importance in the general ecclesiastical and political development of Western Christendom. Two general imperial synods were held in Augsburg.
Episcopal Conference of Colombia
Colombian Bishops, is the Conference of the Episcopal Conferences of Colombia (Episcopal Conference of Colombia, CCA). The ECC was established following the invitation of Pope Leo XIII, who in 1899 had suggested to the local churches to meet at conferences in southern U.S. bishops to reorganize and revitalize the Church in Latin America. Fifteen Colombian bishops meet for the first time on September 14, 1908 in Bogota, chaired by Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo was the second meeting of the bishops of Latin Americans, after the one held in Mexico City by Mexican Bishops in 1900. Two documents were signed collectively: the first focuses on the defense of priests and religious who are victims of the attacks the Masons, the second is a call to Christian life and its obligations, and an invocation to harmony and peace. At this first meeting, the ECC decided to meet regularly every three years, so that from 1908 to 1965 (the end of the Second Vatican Council held 21 plenary meetings. During assembly of 1951 was of Colombia established the Permanent Secretariat Bishops, the governing body of the various committees that divide the CEC. With the Second Vatican Council of the CEC, in light of the conciliar documents, at best clarifies the nature of 'conference' of the bishops' and perfected the organization of the Permanent Secretariat. The purpose of the ECC is the study and adoption of these common tools, in accordance with Canon Law, allow coordination of the exercise of the pastoral care of the Colombian Catholic Church (section 1 of the statutes of the ECC). The Conference is composed of a president, a Secretariat and the General Assembly plenary rights and that this form of episcopal commissions of 15 and 11 departments that touch all aspects of church life and social development. The CCA is a member of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM).
Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
, there have been three such assemblies, in 1969, 1985, and 2014.
John Dearden
From 1966 to 1971, Dearden served as the first president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Dearden was instrumental in forming the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and the United States Catholic Conference (USCC) the public-policy arm of the NCCB. Dearden worked with a group that had come to fame by redesigning the management of the auto industry - the Booz Allen Hamilton management-consultant firm. Together they worked to design NCCB's structures and procedures. The ethos that resulted gave the "bureucracy significant power and influence in U.S. Catholic affairs. As the conference’s voice increased, that of individual bishops tended to decrease."
Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria
In January 1965 (Koiak–Tobi 1681), Pope Cyril VI presided over the Committee of Oriental Orthodox Churches in Addis Ababa, the first ecumenical and non-Chalcedonian synod of these churches held in modern times.
Pope Saint Kyrillos VI
Carlos Carmelo Vasconcellos Motta
With his appointment as a cardinal after Pope Pius XII in the consistory of 18 February 1947, Motta became effectively the leader of the Church in Brazil for the next twenty years or so until a new generation of leaders (Sales, Arns, Lorscheider) emerged. In this role, Cardinal Motta was faced with the difficult task of what policy to take when confronted with widespread anguish at the great social inequality so characteristic of Brazil. In the 1950s, he became the first archbishop in the Catholic Church to regularly hold episcopal synods - something that became regular practice after Vatican II. Amongst his closest pupils was the latterly famous Hélder Câmara. he was the effective leader of the First General Conference of South American Bishops in 1955.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bologna
In 1535, a diocesan synod was held by Bishop Agostino Zanetti, the suffragan bishop of Bologna under Cardinal Alessandro Campeggio (1526–1553), and another in 1547. Cardinal Gabriele Paleotti (1566–1597) held a diocesan synod on 16 October 1566, another in 1580,and another in 1594.
Council of Serdica
The first ecumenical council (Nicaea I) canon 5 decreed that bishops should convene in biannual synods within every province to act as a court of second instance and review cases with excommunication sentences pronounced by individual bishops. But, there was no appeal to a court of final instance "if an unjust sentence was imposed" by a provincial synod acting as a court of second instance. Nicaea I canon 5 "implied that" provincial synods "had an acknowledged authority to" judge the acts of individual bishops of their province. Provincial synods' authority "was becoming well established in the East" prior to the council of Serdica. In 431, the Synod of Antioch canons 14 and 15 "were designed both to augment the authority of the provincial synod as a trial court and to ensure the integrity of its operation."
Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong
In 1880, the vicariate hosted the first synod of the fifth ecclesiastical region of the Catholic Church in China; it hosted a second synod in 1891, and a third in 1909.
Christianity in the 4th century
The First Council of Nicaea, held in Nicaea in Bithynia (in present-day Turkey), convoked by Roman Emperor Constantine I in 325, was the first ecumenical conference of bishops of the Catholic Church (Catholic as in 'universal', not just Roman) and most significantly resulted in the first declaration of a uniform Christian doctrine.
Baselios Augen I
In January 1965, 81-year-old Augen I attended the Synod of Eastern Oriental Orthodox Churches at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Synod was convened by the Emperor of Ethiopia His Highness Haile Selassie. Along with the other Oriental Orthodox Primates, the Patriarch of Antioch Ya'qub III was also present on the occasion. The Catholicos was accompanied by the Secretary of Malankara Episcopal Synod Daniel Philexinos, Fr. T. C. Jacob, Fr. Dr. V. C. Samuel and Fr. Dr. K. C. Joseph. Catholicos Geevarghese II had expressed the desire for convening such a conference for the first time.
Holy Synod
The principle of summoning a synod or council of ecclesiastical persons to discuss some grave question affecting the Church goes back, of course, to the very beginning of her history. Since the day when the Apostles met at Jerusalem to settle whether Gentile converts were to keep the Old Law (Acts 15:6–29), it had been the custom to call together such gatherings as occasion required. Bishops summoned synods of their clergy, metropolitans and patriarchs summoned their suffragans, and then since 325 there was a succession of those greatest synods, representing the whole Catholic world, that are known as general councils.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bergamo
A diocesan synod was held in Bergamo in 1304 by Bishop Giovanni da Scanzo. The tenth synod took place in 1451, the eleventh in 1453, and the twelfth in 1454.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Virac
On the occasion of the silver jubilee of the Diocese of Virac, Bishop de los Santos convoked the First Diocesan Synod held on August 28 to September 8, 1999. The synod was a very opportune event in the diocese to see and evaluate what has become of the diocese after 25 years of existence, and thus set a new direction and vision for the diocese, if necessary.
History of Eastern Orthodox theology
Several doctrinal disputes from the 4th century onwards led to the calling of ecumenical councils which from a traditional perspective, are the culmination and also a continuation of previous church synods. These pre-ecumenical councils include the Council of Jerusalem c. 50, Council of Rome (155), Second Council of Rome 193, Council of Ephesus (193), Council of Carthage (251), Council of Iconium 258, Council of Antioch (264), Councils of Arabia 246–247, Council of Elvira 306, Council of Carthage (311), Synod of Neo-Caesarea c.314 Council of Ancyra 314, Council of Arles (314). The first ecumenical council in part was a continuation of Trinitarian doctrinal issues addressed in pre-legalization of Christianity councils or synods (for examples see Synods of Antioch between 264–26 and Synod of Elvira). These ecumenical councils with their doctrinal formulations are pivotal in the history of Christianity in general and to the history of the Orthodox Church in particular. Specifically, these assemblies were responsible for the formulation of Christian doctrine. As such, they constitute a permanent standard for an Orthodox understanding of the Trinity, the person or hypostasis of Christ, the incarnation.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Aosta
Bishop André Jourdain (1832–1859) presided over a diocesan synod held on 27–29 August 1835. Bishop Joseph Auguste Duc (1872–1907) held his first synod on 21 August 1874, his second in 1875, his third in 1876, and his sixth in September 1880.
Ancient church councils (pre-ecumenical)
Church councils are formal meetings of bishops and representatives of several churches who are brought together to regulate points of doctrine or discipline. The meetings may be of a single ecclesiastical community or may involve an ecclesiastical province, a nation or other civil region, or the whole Church. Some of those convoked from the Church as a whole have been recognized as ecumenical councils and are considered particularly authoritative. The first ecumenical council is that of Nicaea, called by the Emperor Constantine in 325.
Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
In addition, the Pope may appoint further participants in any assembly of the Synod of Bishops, in number up to 15% of those who participate either "ex officio" (the heads of Eastern Catholic Churches and the cardinals at the helm of departments of the Roman Curia) or because elected by episcopal conferences or the Union of Superiors General.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops took its present form in 2010 from the consolidation of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference. The USCCB traces its origins to the National Catholic War Council, which was founded in 1917.
The first national organization of Catholic bishops in the United States was founded in 1917 as the National Catholic War Council (NCWC), formed to enable U.S. Catholics to contribute funds for the spiritual care of Catholic servicemen during World War I.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Faenza-Modigliana
Cardinal Erminio Valenti (1605–1618), Bishop of Faenza, held a diocesan synod on 15 October 1615. On 11 June 1620, Bishop Giulio Monterenzi (1618–1623) presided over a diocesan synod. Cardinal Francesco Cennini, Bishop of Faenza (1623–1643), presided over a diocesan synod on 26 April 1629. On 4–6 July 1647, Cardinal Carlo Rossetti, Bishop of Faenza (1643–1681), celebrated his first diocesan synod. His second synod took place on 7 October 1649. The third synod was held on 1 June 1651. The fourth took place on 15–16 October 1654. The fifth was held on 18–19 October 1657; the sixth on 13-14 May 1660; the seventh on 18–19 October 1663; the eighth on 17–18 May 1668; and the ninth on 18–20 October 1674. Cardinal Gianfrancesco Negroni, Bishop of Faenza (1687–1697) presided over a diocesan synod which began on 30 August 1694.
Most Holy Synod
The Holy Synod replaced the job of the patriarch with ten, and later twelve, clerics. The Chief Procurator (Ober-Prokuror), the first of which was Colonel I. V. Boltin, oversaw the Synod in order to verify the legality of their actions and the prompt and orderly fulfillment of their responsibilities. Peter required priests to report traitorous confessions, but he did not push his ability to control to the limit, for example abstaining from secularizing church lands. Under the Synod, the church became more tolerant of various denominations, even extending this policy to the Old Believers for a period of time. Intermarriage between Orthodox and Western Christians was permitted starting in the year of the Synod’s formation.
Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church
The Synod of Bishops also has a permanent secretariat headquartered in Rome but is not part of the Roman Curia. Pope Francis greatly increased both the authority and influence of the Synod in September 2018.
Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
In 1944 a conference of Indian bishops known as Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) was established. When the national episcopal conferences got the juridical and structural recognition during Vatican II, the CBCI began to reorganize itself with infrastructures such as national commissions, regional councils of bishops and national organizations working under its guidance and directives. The promulgation of the Latin Code of Canon Law in 1983 contributed to the debate about establishing a conference only for the Latin rite bishops. Pope John Paul II, after his visit to India in 1986, wrote an apostolic letter to the Indian bishops on 28 May 1987. An important text of which reads thus: “The bishops of each of the three rites have the right to establish their own episcopal bodies in accordance with their own ecclesiastical legislation. The CBCI which is an assembly of the bishops of India of the three rites is to continue for matters of common concern and of national and supra-ritual character. These areas are to be determined in the new statues of the CBCI”.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Mondovì
Bishop Gerolamo Calagrano (1490–1497) held a diocesan synod in 1495, the statutes of which were published. In 1573 Bishop Vincenzo Lauro presided at a diocesan synod. On 15 September 1592 Bishop Giovanni Antonio Castruccio (1590–1602) held his second diocesan synod, and had the Statutes published. Bishop Michele Casale held a diocesan synod in Mondovi on 1—3 September 1763. Bishop Placido Pozzi held a diocesan synod on 16—18 September 1879.