Third Council of the Lateran

The Third Lateran Council (also Third Lateran Council ) was established in March 1179 in the Roman Lateran of about 300 bishops under the presidency of Pope Alexander III. celebrated. In the Roman Church, this council is considered the 11th ecumenical council. In addition to some representatives of the Latin East also an ambassador of the Greek Church was present.

The council was a decades- long schism preceded that had begun when a minority of cardinals, with the support of the Emperor Barbarossa in 1159 initially Octavian Monticelli, then 1164 Guido of Crema, and finally in 1168 John of Struma as anti-popes against Pope Alexander III. had set up. This sat down but at the end of 1177 and promised in the Treaty of Venice to convene a synod, which should cure the consequences of intra-church cleavage.

In addition to the decisions adopted no further council records are maintained, but contemporary chronicles and histories allow some reconstruction of the circumstances.

Decisions

After three meetings on 5, 14 and 19 March 27 canons were adopted:

• Canon 1 specifies the two-thirds majority of the cardinals fixed as the quorum for the election of a pope.
• Canon 2 cancels the investitures by the anti-popes, Victor IV and Calixtus III.
• Canon 3 sets the minimum age for bishops fixed at 30 years.
• Canon 4 applies limits to the effort of Klerikergefolges and calls for excessive collection of taxes and gradients.
• Canon 5 determines the maintenance obligation of the Bishop for devotee without benefices.
• Canon 6 calls for the observance of time limits both the imposition of excommunication as well as in the appellation, however.
• Canon 7 prohibits the collection of fees for funerals, weddings and regulates the administration of other sacraments. In addition, no new taxes levied yet been introduced increased.
• Canon 8 prohibits the awarding of pension rights to benefices, while they are occupied. After completing the other hand, they should be filled within six months by the bishop, otherwise the chapter is to fill the position.
• Canon 9 reaffirms the episcopal authority over the Order of Knights Templar and Knights Hospitallers, looking to escape the religious through abuse of their privileges.
• Canon 10 forbids monks private ownership and inclusion in a convent against cash payment.
• Canon 11 threatens Konkubinariern among ordained ministers to the deprivation of their Pründe and expulsion from the clerical state or penances in the monastery. Similarly, the bishops are to prevent any unnecessary visiting their clerics in convents.
• Canon 12 forbids clerics from the subdeacon upward, and to press members of the lower Weihe degrees, who live from their living as a lawyer in court or a legal guardian.
• Canon 13 prohibits the accumulation of benefices, and command the residence requirement for holders of sacred places.
• Canon 14 declared the award spiritual offices by worldly people and the collection of sacred duties for exkommunikationswürdige offense.
• Canon 15 prohibits the alienation of church property and the transfer of the administration of episcopal jurisdiction authority on so-called deans.
• Canon 16 is opposed to the blockade of investitures by minorities and majority decisions declared to be binding without right of appeal.
• Canon 17 speaks of episcopal authority in cases of disputes in the exercise of the presentation and patronage right to the final decision-making power.
• Canon 18 orders the appointment of teachers to cathedrals and monasteries, give the clerics and poor scholars free education.
• Canon 19 turns ( "worse than it was under Pharaoh " ) against the encroachments of secular governments of the church and against access to church property to fund military action.
• Canon 20 forbids the execution of knightly tournaments. Who here finds death, should not be buried in church.
• Canon 21 enjoins the observance of God's peace every Wednesday night to Monday morning and throughout the Christmas and the Easter Lent to White Sunday.
• Canon 22 calls security for traveling clergy, pilgrims, merchants and peasants on their way to their fields, together with their cattle and freedom of private paths duties without royal approval.
• Canon 23 allows the establishment of churches and the recruitment of priests for communities of lepers.
• Canon 24 imposed a strict arms embargo against the Saracens and forbids Christians to sign on with Saracen pirate ships, even to attack Christian ships or rob shipwrecked Christians.
• Canon 25 forbids the torn crimes against taking interest ( " as they would exert permissibly " ) under penalty of excommunication. Clergymen who bury usurers are suspended immediately.
• Canon 26 forbids Jews and Saracens to hold for the care of their children or for the performance of other services Christian slaves under their roof. Who lives in their homes, is excommunicated. The testimony of a Jew in court the testimony of a Christian may not be preferred. Jews are tolerated only because of pure humanity. Converted Jews, however, is to protect the secular authority necessarily in their ownership rights.
• Canon 27 proscribes the southern French Cathars and similar movements and their supporters. All believers are called to defend the remission of their sins Christianity by force of arms. Prince is free to enslave heretics and confiscate their goods. The participation in a crusade shortened imposed penitential seasons and guarantees special papal protection.