Glimpses of Christian History Presents More Stories: Leo IX held a Regional Council in Rheims © 2007

efore the Synod (local church council) of Rheims ended, one bishop would flee in shame. Others would face humiliating moments as they tried to justify their behavior in front of their peers.

The western church had grown cold. Its offices were bought and sold and its priests drifted in and out of sexual liaisons. If the church was to be reformed, decisive action must be taken. Leo IX saw that clearly. That was why he was in Rheims rather than in Rome on October 3, 1049. Earlier in the year, he had sent a letter commanding the bishops and abbots to appear at this synod. This would be the third such council he held this year--but not the last. The first had been in Rome at Easter. The second was in Pavia in May. He would hold a fourth in Mainz after leaving Rheims.

Holy Roman Emperor Henry I resisted the pope's coming, but Leo was not to be put off. He had not wanted to be pope--the job was forced on him. A native of Alsace, his original name was Bruno. Bruno had agreed to be pope only if elected by the people of Rome. When he appeared in Rome, barefoot and dressed as a pilgrim, the mob accepted him with wild cheers. He took the name Leo. Before he could get on with the business of reform, he had to put down an attempt by the scandalous ex-pope, Benedict IX, to retake the papal throne. Then he had to clean up the Vatican's finances. Those things done, Leo turned to his real work.

If he had to be pope, he meant to do the job right. He would travel about, calling the people and their clergy back to purity. And that is what he did. Wherever he went, he was met by cheering crowds. His message of reform was greeted with enthusiasm. He was affectionately nicknamed the "Wandering Apostle."

In Rheims, the assembled clergymen took care of some political issues then got down to the business of reform. Peter, a deacon enumerated a number of abuses which needed to be dealt with. Topping the list was simony--buying church positions. Another problem was laymen holding church offices. Furthermore, incestuous marriages had become a common practice among church members and so had divorce and adultery. There were cases in which monks and clerics had left their orders. Clergymen had taken up arms and even engaged in robbery. False doctrines had spread in the region.

The synod eventually issued a number of canons (church laws) addressing these problems. Among them were rules that clerics must not bear arms or follow worldly occupations and that no cleric or layman should lend money for interest. But first they took up the matter of simony among their own members. The pope ordered each to take an oath that he hadn't bought his office. All did, except the bishops of Rheims, Langres, Nevers, Coutances and Nantes. Their cases were postponed for a day.

The next day, the bishop of Nevers rose and confessed that his family had given large sums to elect him, although he had not known it at the time. He offered to resign and threw down his staff. The pope made him confirm his story with an oath and then restored him to his position. When the bishop of Langres was sent for, he was no where to be found. Burdened with a guilty conscience, he had fled. The Bishop of Rheims stalled for time and was eventually ordered to appear in Rome the next year. The synod excommunicated other guilty bishops who had failed to show up at all. All in all, it was a successful session for the reformers.

Resources:

1. Brusher, Joseph. Popes Through the Ages. Princeton, New Jersey: Van Nostrand, 1964.
2. Mann, Horace K. "Pope Leo IX." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.
3. Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church. Oak Harbor, Washington: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.
4. Various encyclopedia and web articles.