December 300, 303 or
309 A.D. Council
of Elvira, Spain (Near Grenada)
Editors. “Council of Elvira.” Encyclopedia Britannica. N.d.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/185372/Council-of-Elvira. Accessed 4 Nov 2014.
Council of Elvira
Council
of Elvira, the first known council of the Christian church in Spain, held early in the 4th century at Elvira, near modern Granada. It is the first council of which the canons have survived, and they
provide the earliest reliable information on the Spanish church. The exact date
is disputed, but some scholars believe it was held either about 300–303 or in
309.
Nineteen bishops
and 24 priests, primarily from southern Spain, assembled with the intention of
restoring order and discipline in the church. The 81 canons that were adopted
reflect the internal life and external relations of the Spanish church in the
4th century. In general, the canons were severe and imposed rigorous discipline
for various sins. No reconciliation with the church was allowed for certain
sins, including idolatry, repeated adultery, divorce, and incest. The punishment for lesser sins
was exclusion from Holy Communion, sometimes for up to 10 years. Members of the
clergy were expected to lead pure and holy lives. Subsequently, some of the
canons were included in the canons of later councils, including the Council
of Nicaea (325).
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