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Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > P > Plenary Council


PLENARY COUNCIL

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A canonical term applied to various kinds of ecclesiastical synods. The word
itself, derived from the Latin plenarium (complete or full), indicates that the
council to which the term is applied (concilium plenarium, concilium plenum)
represents the whole number of bishops of some given territory.

Whatever is complete in itself is plenary. The ecumenical councils or synods of
the Universal Church are called plenary council by St. Augustine (C. illa, xi,
Dist. 12), as they form a compete representation of the entire Church. Thus
also, in ecclesiastical documents, provincial councils are denominated plenary,
because all the bishops of a certain ecclesiastical province were represented.
Later usage has restricted the term plenary to those councils which are presided
over by a delegate of the Apostolic See, who has received special power for that
purpose, and which are attended by all the metropolitans and bishops of some
commonwealth, empire, or kingdom, or by their duly accredited representatives.
Such plenary synods are frequently called national councils, and this latter
term has always been in common use among the English, Italian, French, and other
peoples.



I. Plenary councils, in the sense of national synods, are included under the
term particular councils as opposed to universal councils. They are of the same
nature as provincial councils, with the accidental difference that several
ecclesiastical provinces are represented in national or plenary synods.
Provincial councils, strictly so-called, date from the fourth century, when the
metropolitical authority had become fully developed. But synods, approaching
nearer to the modern signification of a plenary council, are to be recognized in
the synodical assemblies of bishops under primatial, exarchal, or patriarchal
authority, recorded from the fourth and fifth centuries, and possibly earlier.
Such were, apparently, the synods held in Asia Minor at Iconium and Synnada in
the third century, concerning the re-baptism of heretics; such were, certainly,
the councils held later in the northern part of Latin Africa, presided over by
the Archbishop of Carthage, Primate of Africa. The latter councils were
offically designated plenary council (Concilium Plenarium totius Africae). Their
beginnings are without doubt to be referred, at least, to the fourth, and
possibly to the third century. Synods of a somewhat similar nature (though
approaching nearer to the idea of a general council) were the Council of Arles
in Gaul in 314 (at which were present the Bishops of London, York, and
Caerleon), and the Council of Sardica in 343 (whose canons were frequently cited
as Nicene canons). To these we might add the Greek Council in Trullo (692). The
popes were accustomed in former ages to hold synods which were designated
Councils of the Apostolic See. They might be denominated, to a certain extent,
emergency synods, and though they were generally composed of the bishops of
Italy, yet bishops of other ecclesiastical provinces took part in them. Pope
Martin I held such a council in 649, and Pope Agatho in 680. These synods were
imitated by the patriarchs of Constantinople who convoked, on special occasions,
a synodus endemousa, at which were present bishops from various provinces of the
Greek world who happened to be sojourning in the imperial city, or were summoned
to give council to the emperor or the patriarch concerning matters that required
special episcopal consultation. Still further narrowed down to our present idea
of plenary council are the synods convoked in the Frankish and West-Gothic
kingdoms from the end of the sixth century, and designated national councils.
The bishops in these synods were not gathered together because they belonged to
certain ecclesiastical provinces, but because they were under the same civil
government, and consequently had common interests which concerned the kingdom in
which they lived or the people over whom they ruled.

II. As ecclesiastical jurisdiction is necessary for the person who presides over
a plenary or national synod, this name has been refused to the assemblies of the
bishops of France, which met without papal authorization in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. These comitia cleri Gallicani were not really plenary
council. The more noted among them were those held at Paris in 1681 and 1682
(Collect. Lacens., I, 793 sq.). Convocations of ecclesiastics (Assemblées du
Clerge) were frequent in France before the Revolution of 1789. They consisted of
certain bishops deputed by the various ecclesiatical provinces of the kingdom,
and of priests elected by their equals from the same provinces, to deliberate on
the temporal affairs of the French churches, and more particularly on the
assistance, generally monetary, to be accorded to the Government. After the
establishment of the empire, Napoleon I held a great convention of bishops at
Paris, and is said to have been much incensed because Pius VII did not designate
it a national council (Coll. Lacens., VI, 1024). Similarly, mere congresses of
bishops, even of a whole nation, who meet to discuss common ecclesiastical
affairs, without adhering to synodal forms, are not to be called national or
plenary Councils, because no one having the proper jurisdiction has formally
summoned them to a canonical synod. Such episcopal conventions have been praised
by the Holy See, because they showed unity among the bishops, and zeal for
asserting the rights of the Church and the progress of the Catholic cause in
their midst, in accordance with the sacred canons (Coll. Lacens., V, 1336), but,
as the requisite legal forms and proper hierarchical authority are wanting,
these congresses of bishops do not constitute a plenary council, no matter how
full the representation of episcopal dignitaries may be.



III. A plenary or national council may not be convoked or celebrated without the
authority of the Apostolic See, as was solemnly and repeatedly declared by Pius
IX (Coll. Lacens., V, 995, 1336). This has always been the practice in the
Church, if not explicitly, at least from the fact that recourse could always be
had to the Holy See against decisions of such councils. Now, however, express
and special papal authorization is required. He who presides over the council
must have the necessary jurisdiction, which is accorded by special Apostolic
delegation. In the United States, the presidency of such synods has always been
accorded by the Holy See to the archbishops of Baltimore. In their case, a papal
delegation is necessary, for although they have a precedence of honour over all
the other American metropolitans, yet they have no primatial or patriarchal
jurisdiction. It is not uncommon for the pope to send from Rome a special
delegate to preside over plenary council.

IV. Summons to a national or plenary council is to be sent to all archbishops
and bishops of the nation, and they are obliged to appear, unless prevented by a
canonical hindrance; to all administrators of dioceses sede plena or vacua, and
to vicars capitular sede vacante; to vicars Apostolic possessed of episcopal
jurisdiction; to the representatives of cathedral chapters, to abbots having
quasi-episcopal jurisdiction. In the United States, custom has sanctioned the
summoning of auxiliary, coadjutor, and visiting bishops; provincials of
religious orders; all mitred abbots; rectors of major seminaries, as well as
priests to serve as theologians and canonists.

V. Only those who have a right to a summons have also a right to cast a decisive
vote in councils. The others may give only a consultive vote. The fathers may,
however, empower auxiliary, coadjutor, and visiting bishops, as well as
procurators of absent bishops to cast a decisive vote. The Third Plenary Council
of Baltimore allowed a decisive vote also to a general of a religious
congregation, because this was done at the Vatican Council. At the latter
council, however, such vote was granted only to generals of regular orders, but
not to those of religious congregations (Nilles, part I, p. 127). At Baltimore,
a decisive vote was refused to abbots of a single monastery, but conferred on
arch-abbots.

VI. In particular councils, the subject-matter to be treated is what concerns
discipline, the reformation of abuses, the repression of crimes, and the
progress of the Catholic cause. In former times, such councils often condemned
incipient heresies and opinions contrary to sound morals, but their decisions
became dogmatic only after solemn confirmation by the Apostolic See. Thus, the
Councils of Milevis and Carthage condemned Pelagianism, and the Council of
Orange (Arausicanum) Semipelagianism. Such latitude is not allowed to modern
synods, and the Fathers are warned, moreover, that they are not to restrict
opinions which are tolerated by the Catholic Church.

VII. Decrees of plenary council must be submitted, before promulgation, for the
confirmation, or rather recognition and revision of the Holy See. Such
recognition does not imply an approval of all the regulations submitted by the
council, and still less of all the assertions contained in the synodal acts.
Many things are merely tolerated by the Apostolic See for the time being. The
submission to Rome is mainly for the correction of what is too severe or
inaccurate in the decrees. Bishops have the power of relaxing decrees of a
plenary council in particular cases in their own dioceses, unless the council
was confirmed in forma specifica at Rome. In like manner, when no specific
confirmation of the decrees has been accorded, it is lawful to appeal from these
councils. In modern times, it is not unusual for the Holy See to confirm
councils in forma specifica, but only to accord them the necessary recognition.
If, consequently, anything be found in their acts contrary to the common law of
the Church, it would have no binding force unless a special apostolic derogation
were made in its favour. Mere recognition and revision would not suffice.




ABOUT THIS PAGE

APA citation. Fanning, W. (1911). Plenary Council. In The Catholic Encyclopedia.
New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12164c.htm

MLA citation. Fanning, William. "Plenary Council." The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911.
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12164c.htm>.

Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Lawrence Progel.

Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.

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