Council of Winchester (1070) facts for kids

The Council of Winchester in 1070 was an important church meeting. It was called by William the Conqueror, the new King of England, and three special representatives from the Pope. This meeting removed Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and many other English church leaders from their jobs. This allowed William to put his own people, mostly Normans, in charge of the English Church. The council also made many new rules for how the Church in England should operate.

Why Was the Council Held?

When William the Conqueror successfully took over England in 1066, he had support from the Pope. William told the Pope that the English Church needed big changes. Both William and Pope Alexander II wanted to fix problems in how the Church was run. However, they disagreed on how much power the Pope should have over kings. William wanted to keep the same independence in England that he had in his home country of Normandy.

From 1068 to 1070, William was busy making sure he was truly in charge of England. Many English people resisted his rule. Some of his opponents were bishops, who were harder to remove from their positions than regular people.

One big problem was Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Many people doubted if he was the rightful archbishop. Before William arrived, Stigand had also supported the powerful House of Godwin, who were William's enemies.

In early 1070, the Pope sent three special messengers, called legates, to England. These were Ermenfrid, Bishop of Sion; Cardinal John Minutus; and Peter. They sent out invitations for a church council to be held in Winchester.

William's Second Coronation

On April 4, 1070, which was Easter Day, King William was crowned for the second time. This ceremony took place at Winchester's Old Minster. His first coronation had been in 1066. The Pope's legates led this second coronation. It wasn't to make him king again, but to show everyone that his power was strong and that the Church supported him.

What Happened at the Council?

The council itself began on April 7 or 11, 1070. King William was in charge, sometimes with the legates helping. William wanted to "appoint men of his own race" to "strengthen his position in the newly acquired kingdom." This meant he wanted to replace English church leaders with Normans.

The most important person removed was Archbishop Stigand. He had stayed in his job for a while, partly because he was rich and powerful. But the Pope strongly disliked him and had even removed him from the Church.

At Winchester, Stigand faced several accusations:

• He became Archbishop of Canterbury unfairly. The previous archbishop had left the country without officially quitting.
• He was confirmed in his job by an antipope, Benedict X, who was not the true Pope.
• He held two important church jobs at once, which was against Church rules.

It was no surprise that Stigand was removed. He spent the rest of his life in prison in Winchester.

Other bishops were also removed at this council or at another one held a few weeks later.

• Stigand's brother, Æthelmær, Bishop of Elmham, was removed.
• Leofwin, Bishop of Lichfield, was also removed.
• Æthelric, Bishop of Selsey, was found guilty of unknown problems and imprisoned.
• Æthelwine, Bishop of Durham, had run away to Scotland and was declared an outlaw.

After the council, only three native English bishops were left in their jobs. Many abbots (leaders of monasteries) were also removed.

The council also made many other rules for the Church:

• Mass (church service) had to be celebrated with wine, not ale or water.
• Altars had to be made of stone.
• Baptisms could only happen at Easter or Whitsun, unless it was an emergency.
• Priests were not allowed to marry or live with partners.
• Church leaders could not buy their positions.
• No bishop could hold more than one main church area.
• Bishops had to decide punishments for crimes.
• Monks who ran away were not allowed to become regular priests or join the army.
• Churches had to hold yearly meetings.
• Special church officials called archdeacons were to be appointed.
• People had to pay their tithes (a portion of their income for the Church).

The main goal of these rules was to make sure priests were unmarried, to stop people from buying church jobs, and to keep churchmen focused on religious matters, not worldly ones.

What Changed After the Council?

After removing the English bishops, William chose mostly Normans to replace them. These new leaders were often chaplains (priests who served the royal family) or churchmen William knew well.

Lanfranc, a respected abbot from Normandy, became the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Walchelin, a church official from Rouen, became the new Bishop of Winchester. One exception was the bishopric of Durham, where William appointed a man named Walcher from Lotharingia.

The Pope's legates then returned to Normandy. One of them, Ermenfrid, helped convince Lanfranc to accept his important new job as Archbishop of Canterbury.