Council of Basel
The Council of Basel (1431-1449) is one of the most significant synods in the 15th century. The split between the Pope and the Council Fathers in 1437 led to the simultaneous Council of Basel / Ferrara / Florence.
Convocation and commencement of work
The Council was convened by Pope Martin V, who was elected in 1417 at the Council of Constance, but the primacy of the Pope ( Pope stands over the council ) represented. According to his will, it should dedicate themselves to the faith, the restoration of peace in Christendom, and reforms in the church itself. The planning of the Council dated back to 1425, participants were convened for summer 1431 in Basel, where the council was finally opened on July 29, 1431.
As Pope Martin V was however already died February 2, 1431 and there was a great desire for reform, the council about the wishes of the new Pope Eugene IV flouted and gave up their own business and agenda. Here, the attitude prevailed that a council over the pope would ( conciliarism ).
Reserved attitude of the Pope
Pope Eugene IV held by the council little, especially since it took place outside its territorial sphere of influence. Eugen dissolved it with his bull " Quoniam alto" from November 12, 1431 and convened a meeting to Bologna alternatively a. That took care of the church representatives present in Basel majority but little. The bull was not read, the council held on December 14, 1431 its first meeting and devoted himself in the period following its deliberations. In the second meeting on February 15, 1432, the Synod confirmed the decrees of Constance to the conciliar movement. Eugene drew in the Bull " Dudum sacrum " on 15 December 1433, withdrew earlier decrees and recognized the legality of the council to. The first 25 sessions in Basel have therefore ecumenical validity of Roman Catholic point of view.
Until 1437 the council did not always work in the sense of the new Pope Eugene IV, but not in open opposition to him.
So it is understandable that Nicholas of Cusa participate at this time in the work and could even rise to become one of the leading scholars council. He wrote his first major work, De concordantia catholica ( German about: the Catholic / global agreement ) the theoretical basis for the work of the Council, but later changed the fronts. Another theologian who essentially pushed open the council his stamp, was the papal legate Ambrogio Traversari. He presented the settlement negotiations with Byzantium and the Eastern Church in the center of his activity.
In competition with the Pope, the Council wrote from its own drain.
Reform decrees
The decisions taken at that time resolutions were also used ( in part ) in practice. Most had probably the decree De Conciliis provincialibus et synodalibus ( German as: provincial and Synodalkonzilien ) of 1433, which called for the implementation of annual diocesan synods and regulated the position of the bishop to the synod.
Part of the discourse on reform were also discussions on the abolition of celibacy and a calendar reform (unfinished).
Cleavage of council and church
To separate the Pope came because of a dispute, should be at which location negotiating reunification with the Greek Church.
When Pope Eugenius IV, the Council on September 18, 1437 with his decision Doctoris gentium moved to Ferrara, the majority of the council participants remained ( to 1449 ) in Basel. They were therefore excommunicated by the Pope, which they answered on June 24, 1439 deposition of Eugene. On November 5, 1439 Amadeus VIII of Savoy, was elected by the council as the new pope as Felix V. and went as far last anti-pope in history. By choosing this further Pontiff the second schism was complete.
1447 lost the council and the political support of the German princes and had to be abandoned in 1449. The past few months met the short - council in Lausanne.
The Council has anticipated some aspects of the Reformation, remained in others, however, the medieval world arrested. In the opinion of some ( churches ) historian smashing the council has contributed to the renewal of the church was delayed and then in the Reformation failed to so radical. Others, however, argue that the reform of the council sparked thoughts and efforts at reform within the Catholic Church looked for new ways and means.
Processes
Before the Council of Basel in addition to internal church issues also acute political problems of the time were made , which led to a large number of processes. Often the attempt an amicable settlement through appointed by the council through local intermediaries stood in the foreground, before they decided on a regular process in Basel with a final judgment. However, both the mediation proposals and the decisions of the council remained mostly without real impact.
Inner Ecclesiastically
The Council was concerned particularly with controversial elections of church dignitaries ( bishops and prelates ), which led sometimes to military clashes between the respective supporters ( kings, princes, cities). Particularly significant were the processes about the elections in the dioceses of Lausanne, Trier, Utrecht, Gurk, Auxerre, Tournai, Marseille, Albi, Bayeux, Langres, Sisteron, Strasbourg and Freising. Even over the bishopric of Basel had to be negotiated.
Also on religious subjects trials were held, such as on the writings of St.. Bridget of Sweden, the sermons of St.. Bernardine of Siena and others as heretical works and accused persons. Encouraged, but not completed, a process for the canonization of Peter of Luxembourg. Was also discussed aspects of Mariology, which led to a decree of the Immaculate Conception in 1439.
Policy
Were also negotiating peaceful solutions for the Hundred Years War, the Old Zurich War, the inheritance disputes in the duchy of Guelders, in the Electorate of Saxony and Bohemia, military conflicts in Bavaria as well as between Poland and the Teutonic Order, disputes between the bishop and city in Bamberg, Magdeburg and Besançon and the occupation of Aquileia through Venice.
Further details of the Council's work
The Council ordered in 1436 to an inquiry into the legality of the incorporation of the main and baptistery of St. Martin in Sottrum to the provost of the Augustinian monastery Derneburg. The documentary evidence of incorporation could not be provided because according to information of the monastery, the documents were burned. However, the investigation must be down in favor of the monastery ultimately, as was the entire assets of Sottrumer church owned by the monastery in the 16th century.
Side effects
The Council of Basel was diplomatically active and has tried to mediate in several conflicts in Central and Eastern Europe, participated in the even the Emperor Sigismund. As the largest capacity you can view the solution of the Hussitenfrage that had overshadowed the Council of Constance. Although the Utraquists, could the implementation of the Four Articles of Prague not prevail, however, reached that the chalice was admitted again in Bohemia. This was also confirmed by decisions of the National Assembly in Jihlava.
The Council of Basel has not considered as an institution with the emerging doctrine at that time witches or witch hunts in the form of official debates and decrees. However, witches theorists came at the Council of Basel for the first time from different parts of Central Europe in direct contact with each other, which led to a proliferation of these ideas through mutual exchanges in the years following the Council.