The
Councils of Orange (or the
Synods of Orange) comprised two
synodA synod is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application...
s held at Orange, France. The first (441) dealt with various church issues. The second (529) affirmed Augustine's teaching against Pelagian challenge.
The first took place on November 8,
AD , abbreviated as AD or A.D., and Before Christ, abbreviated as BC or B.C., are designations used to number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
441-Events:* 8 November—The first Council of Orange is convened under the guidance of Hilary of Arles in Orange, France.* The Huns invade the Balkans.* Persia fights a short war with the Eastern Empire....
, under the presidency of
Hilary of ArlesSaint Hilary of Arles was a bishop of Arles.In early youth he entered the abbey of Lérins then presided over by his kinsman Honoratus , and succeeded Honoratus in the bishopric of Arles in 429...
, with Eucherius of Lyons also being present. Seventeen
bishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s attended the meeting. Thirty canons (or judgements) were passed, dealing with unction, the Permission of
penancePenance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in the Lutheran Divine Service...
, the right of asylum; recommending caution to bishops in the
ordinationIn general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
of foreign
clergyClergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. The term ultimately comes from the Greek κλῆρος - klēros, "a lot", "that which is assigned by lot" or metaphorically, "inheritence"....
, the consecration of churches outside of their own jurisdictions, and other matters; imposing limitations on the administration of ecclesiastical rites to those who were in any way defective, either in body or mind; and emphasizing the duty of
celibacyCelibacy is defined as the lifestyle of someone who is, and is striving to remain, unmarried all his/her life. It is also used to describe a state of life where one chooses to abstain from all sexual activities...
for those belonging to the clerical state, especially
deaconDeacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s and widows, with express reference to canon viii.
The
Councils of Orange (or the
Synods of Orange) comprised two
synodA synod is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application...
s held at Orange, France. The first (441) dealt with various church issues. The second (529) affirmed Augustine's teaching against Pelagian challenge.
First Council of Orange
The first took place on November 8,
AD , abbreviated as AD or A.D., and Before Christ, abbreviated as BC or B.C., are designations used to number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
441-Events:* 8 November—The first Council of Orange is convened under the guidance of Hilary of Arles in Orange, France.* The Huns invade the Balkans.* Persia fights a short war with the Eastern Empire....
, under the presidency of
Hilary of ArlesSaint Hilary of Arles was a bishop of Arles.In early youth he entered the abbey of Lérins then presided over by his kinsman Honoratus , and succeeded Honoratus in the bishopric of Arles in 429...
, with Eucherius of Lyons also being present. Seventeen
bishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s attended the meeting. Thirty canons (or judgements) were passed, dealing with unction, the Permission of
penancePenance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in the Lutheran Divine Service...
, the right of asylum; recommending caution to bishops in the
ordinationIn general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
of foreign
clergyClergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. The term ultimately comes from the Greek κλῆρος - klēros, "a lot", "that which is assigned by lot" or metaphorically, "inheritence"....
, the consecration of churches outside of their own jurisdictions, and other matters; imposing limitations on the administration of ecclesiastical rites to those who were in any way defective, either in body or mind; and emphasizing the duty of
celibacyCelibacy is defined as the lifestyle of someone who is, and is striving to remain, unmarried all his/her life. It is also used to describe a state of life where one chooses to abstain from all sexual activities...
for those belonging to the clerical state, especially
deaconDeacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s and widows, with express reference to canon viii. of the Synod of Turin (AD
401-Byzantine Empire:* Arcadius sends many gifts to the Hunnish chieftain Uldin in appreciation of his victory over the Goths and Gainas. Arcadius then allies himself with the Huns.-Western Roman Empire:...
). The exact interpretation of some of them (ii., iii., xvii.) is doubtful. Canon iv. is alleged to be in conflict with a decretal of
Pope SiriciusPope Saint Siricius, Bishop of Rome from December 384 until his death on 26 November 399, was successor to Damasus I and was himself succeeded by Anastasius I....
; and ii. and xviii. betray an inclination to resist the introduction of
RomanThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
customs. These canons were confirmed at the Synods of Arles about
443-Western Roman Empire:* The Burgundians create a kingdom on the banks of the Rhone....
.
Second Council of Orange
On July 3,
529-Byzantine Empire:* April 7—The first draft of Corpus Juris Civilis is issued by Justinian I.* Justinian prohibits pagans from holding positions in public education. As a result the Academy at Athens, founded by Plato in 347 BC, is closed...
, another synod took place at Orange, which in the mean time had passed under
BurgundianThe Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe. In Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar, Veseti settled in an island or holm, which was called...
and then
OstrogothThe Ostrogoths were a branch of the Goths , an East Germanic tribe that played a major role in the political events of the late Roman Empire....
ic rule. This meeting, for which occasion was given by the consecration of a church built by the governor of Gallia Narbonensis, was attended by fourteen bishops under the presidency of Caesarius of Arles. It was the chief of many councils that affirmed the theology of
Augustine of HippoAugustine of Hippo , Bishop of Hippo Regius, also known as St. Augustine or St. Austin, was an Algerian Berber philosopher and theologian....
against
PelagianismPelagianism is a theological theory named after Pelagius . It is the belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without special Divine aid. Thus, Adam's sin was "to set a bad example" for his progeny, but his actions did not...
. It received the
papalThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
sanction.
Influence
The canons of the first council are often cited in the contemporary debates over the ordination of women to the ministry. Canons of the second council played a central role in interpreting
AugustineAugustine of Hippo , Bishop of Hippo Regius, also known as St. Augustine or St. Austin, was an Algerian Berber philosopher and theologian....
to establish what later came to be known as the Calvinist and Banezian doctrines of
original sinOriginal sin is, according to a doctrine proposed in Christian theology, humanity's state of sin resulting from the Fall of Man. This condition has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt,...
and
total depravityTotal depravity is a theological doctrine that derives from the Augustinian concept of original sin...
.
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