Second Council of Lyon facts for kids

The Second Council of Lyon was a very important meeting of the Roman Catholic Church. It was the fourteenth "ecumenical council," which means it was a big gathering of Church leaders from all over the world. Pope Gregory X called this meeting on March 31, 1272. It took place in the city of Lyon, which is now in France, during 1274.

The main reason for the council was a promise from the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos. He wanted to reunite the Eastern Orthodox Church with the Western (Catholic) Church. Many important people attended, including about 300 bishops and 60 abbots. There were also over a thousand other Church officials or their representatives. Even kings sent people to represent them.

Some famous thinkers were involved too. Thomas Aquinas was asked to come, but he sadly died on his way there. Bonaventure was present for the first few sessions but also passed away during the council. This meeting was a big deal for its time.

Representatives from many kingdoms were there. These included Aragon, Germany, England, Scotland, France, Spain, and Sicily. Even countries like Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Bohemia, and Poland sent people. This was one of the first times that different "nations" were officially represented at a Church council. This idea of nations working together was new and helped shape how countries would develop in Europe.

The council had six main sessions between May and July 1274. By the end, 31 new rules or decisions were made. One important decision was called Zelus fidei. This decree talked about protecting the Holy Land and how to pay for a new crusade. It also called for peace among Christians and offered special blessings for those who joined the crusade.

Reuniting the Churches

Cathedral of St John, Lyon, illuminated for a festival

For a long time, the Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East had been separated. This split is known as the Great Schism. Pope Gregory X really wanted to heal this division. He sent a message to Emperor Michael VIII, who had recently taken back control of Constantinople.

Eastern leaders arrived in Lyon on June 24, 1274. They brought a letter from their Emperor. On June 29, Pope Gregory held a special Mass in St John's Church. Both Western and Eastern Church leaders took part. During the service, the Greeks read the Nicene Creed. They even included the "Filioque clause" (a phrase about the Holy Spirit) that the Western Church had added. This was a big step towards agreement.

At first, it seemed like the reunion was a success. However, it didn't last. Emperor Michael wanted the churches to reunite, but many Eastern clergy (church leaders) disagreed with the council's decisions. The leader of the Eastern Church, Patriarch Joseph, stepped down. He was replaced by John Bekkos, who supported the union.

Even with John Bekkos trying to explain and defend the union, most Byzantine Christians were against it. They saw the Latin (Western) Church as having different beliefs. When Emperor Michael died in December 1282, the union quickly ended. His son, Andronicus II, officially rejected the union. John Bekkos was forced to leave his position and was even imprisoned.

Plans for a Crusade

The council also made plans for a new crusade. This was a military expedition to take back the Holy Land. The plan was to pay for it with a special tax called a tithe. This tax would be collected for six years from all Church properties across Christendom. The plans were approved, but not much actually happened.

James I of Aragon wanted to start the expedition right away. But the Knights Templar, a powerful military order, disagreed. The Pope also asked a Franciscan friar named Fidentius of Padua to write a report on how to recover the Holy Land.

Interestingly, ambassadors from the Mongol leader Abaqa Khan also came to the council. They were there to talk with the Pope. The Pope asked them to leave Christians alone during their wars against Islam. The Mongol group, which included 13 to 16 people, caused a lot of excitement. Their leader even had a public baptism.

Abaqa's secretary, Rychaldus, told the council about past dealings between Europeans and the Mongols. He said that Abaqa's father had promised to protect Latin Christians and even return Jerusalem to them. Rychaldus also said that Abaqa still wanted to fight the Mamluks (a powerful group in Egypt and Syria).

Pope Gregory planned a new Crusade to start in 1278, working with the Mongols. He created a big plan for this, written in his "Constitutions for the zeal of the faith." This plan included a new tax, stopping trade with Muslims, getting ships from Italian cities, and forming an alliance with Byzantium and the Mongols. However, European kings didn't offer much support. They often said they would help with crusades but didn't send many troops. The Pope's death in 1276 ended these plans. The money collected for the crusade was instead used in Italy.

Other Important Decisions

The council also discussed ways to improve the Church itself. Pope Gregory had asked for reports on problems within the Church. As a result, some bishops and abbots were removed from their positions because they were not doing a good job.

Some religious orders were closed down. However, two newer orders, the Dominicans and the Franciscans, were officially approved. These orders became very important in the Church.

Another big issue was how to elect a new Pope. There had been long periods when there was no Pope, sometimes for years. The council decided that in the future, the cardinals (the Church officials who elect the Pope) should not leave their meeting place (called a conclave) until they had chosen a new Pope. This rule was changed a few times later but is now the basis for how Popes are elected today.

Finally, the council also dealt with who should be the Holy Roman Emperor. Alfonso X of Castile claimed the title, but the Pope rejected his claim. Instead, Rudolph I was declared King of the Romans and future emperor on June 6, 1274.

See also

• History of Lyon
• Theological differences between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church
• Ecclesiastical differences between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church