Synod of Whitby

The Synod of Whitby of 664 was a church meeting in Anglo-Saxon Northumbria, which should eliminate existing differences in the practice in the British Isles Church tradition between Roman and iroschottischem rite.

The Synod of Whitby was an important step away from the iroschottischen and towards the Roman church order for the Anglo-Saxons. Ostensibly, it was about liturgical and ritual matters such as the form of the tonsure and the date of Easter. But behind hid the dispute over different conceptions of the Church. Obviously, the disputed questions of faith were seen as existentially, as can be experienced by the chronicler Bede.

Besides Bede's Ecclesiastical History especially Eddius serves as a source for the conduct of the meeting.

Starting position

The iroschottische Church, which had in Ireland developed ( by the mission of Saint Patrick ) and the Romano- British kingdoms of the British Isles (Cornwall, Wales, Scotland) was never affected by the Roman Empire and did not live the confusion of the great migration. She was thus in the early Middle Ages an important factor in the tradition of Christian knowledge, as the books of antiquity without prejudice in the Celtic monasteries survived and were continued by a high- book culture. The iroschottische church remained independent during this time and did not like the Eastern Church with many changes of the embossed Western Church of Rome.

At this time the iroschottische mission was very successful - both on the islands and on the mainland. Accordingly, the iroschottischen ideas of church by the missionaries were widespread. In Ireland there were no dioceses as in the previously belonged to the Roman Empire areas. Rather, it gave parish system of the monasteries, and the abbot stood before the bishop, - ie the reverse of the Roman Church. Also, was the right of brithem ( "Richter ") and not Roman law. Furthermore, there was widespread the Wandermönchtum far, and the commitment to celibacy was rejected by a majority, were so practiced often conhospitae in the monasteries.

The Anglo-Saxons, who conquered the territory of the later England were, first nations. The Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons took place from two directions: from 597 by Pope Gregory the Great sent Augustine of Canterbury started by Kent from the south and east of England with the construction of a church system with the Catholic rite for the local Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the course of 7. century could gradually be converted. Around the same time to travel from the monastery of Iona from the Iro - Scots who followed the iroschottischen rite, significant missionary success in the north of England ( founded Lindisfarne monastery around 635 ), which reached down to Mercia. On the mainland followed in this century in the wake of the Columban Mission iroschottische a monastic foundation wave of around 300 monasteries.

In Northumbria, the most powerful kingdom of the Heptarchy, clashed the two traditions. Stand King Oswald, who used 625 the first bishop of York, yet close to the Catholic doctrine, sat down by him the iro - Scottish church by. Under Oswiu then came back in front of the Catholic liturgy.

The contentious issues could in practice cause significant problems. So reports the Venerable Bede, that celebrated Easter within the Northumbrian royal family king and queen on different days. To clarify these differences, called King Oswiu for September 664 in Whitby a synod.

Decisions of the Synod

King Oswiu was then, as well as the bishops of Chad York and Colman of Lindisfarne, has been a representative of the Iro - Scots, on the other hand, the Roman Catholic position represented Oswius son Ealhfrith, and Bishop Wilfrid Agil Bert. The Iro - Scots appealed to St. John and the authority of the Holy Columba as Wilfrid pointed to the Roman Catholic at St. Peter and the Council of Nicaea. It is said that the dispute was decided by that King Oswiu had declared that he did not dare to face longer against St. Peter's.

In this dispute important political interests were represented. King Oswiu secured with this Synodalentscheidung Frankish support and wanted to help Roman trained clergy ' as Wilfrith and especially the Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury expand its power.

Effects

Thus, Northumbria was secured for the Catholic rite; who then was there still supporters of the Iro - Scots, retired to Scotland. Although the transition is still iroschottisch remaining state churches took place only gradually, but the development by defining Northumbria had become irreversible.

On the mainland, the relevant issues concerning the two rites, especially the monk order were concerning, debated at the Council of Autun and also ruled in favor of Rome. At Autun here for the first time the Benedictine Rule was declared obligatory and thus attempted to counteract the widespread iroschottischen rule of Columbanus.

In summary, it should be noted that the binding of England over to the mainland and to the Roman Church was strengthened by this Synod output. But this is also a first step was done to weaken the autonomy and dissemination of iroschottischen liturgy and church order. End point of this process was only a few hundred years later the Synod of Cashel ( 1172 ), with which sank the independence of iroschottischen church.