Second Lateran Council opens on 20 April 1139

Second Lateran Council 

opens on 20 April 1139

On 20th April 1139, Pope Innocent II opened the Second Lateran Council. The First Lateran Council had been presided by Pope Callixtus II 17 years earlier, following on from the Concordat of Worms that settled the conflict between the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope for control of Church offices.

About 1000 prelates were in attendance at the Lateran Palace for the Council. This was the 10th ecumenical council of the Church. The most recent of these was the Second Vatican Council opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 (the 21st ecumenical council of the Catholic Church).

The need for the Second Lateran Council arose from the turmoil in the Church between 1130 and 1138. After the death of Honorius II in February 1130, two popes were elected (Innocent II and Anacletus II) and were both crowned on 23 February 1130. The greater part of the reform movement of the Church supported Innocent but Anacletus had more support in Rome. Innocent II was finally recognised as the lawful Pope in 1132, thus relegating Anacletus to the position of antipope. The solution resolved itself with the death of Anacletus in 1138 and Innocent II entered Rome free of rivals.

The following year with the opening of the Second Lateran Council, Innocent II declared null and void all of the decisions passed by Anacletus II in the previous eight years and consolidated his position.

The Council passed 30 canons that set forth new measures or reconfirmed existing measures regarding ecclesiastical discipline and other matters. Amongst some of the more interesting canons we find:

- an order to bishops to dress appropriately!

- a condemnation of marriage amongst members of the clergy;

- banning of violent tournaments and jousts (the penalty was the denial of a Christian burial);

- the outlawing of the use of slings and crossbows against Christians).

They were definitely different times!

Written by: Robert Coghlan