Synod of Elvira facts for kids

If the ancient Roman city of Elvira was located in the Albaicín district of Granada, as some think, the synod may have taken place just inside the Puerta de Elvira (eleventh-century), seen here.

The Synod of Elvira was an important meeting of early Christian leaders. It took place in a Roman province called Baetica, which is now southern Spain. The city where it happened was Elvira, near modern-day Granada. This meeting happened around the year 305 or 306 AD. It was one of the first big church meetings that helped prepare for even larger ones later.

Nineteen bishops and twenty-six priests attended this synod. Other church members, like deacons and laypeople, were also there. They created 81 rules, called canons. These rules were all about how Christians should live and behave. One rule, Canon 36, said churches shouldn't have images. This rule became a big topic of discussion much later.

Where and Why It Happened

The meeting happened in Elvira, which might have been the same place as modern Granada. Nineteen bishops and twenty-four priests gathered there. Most of them were from Baetica and another area called Carthago Nova.

A church leader named Hosius of Córdoba likely helped organize the meeting. Felix of Accitum, who was the oldest bishop there, led the discussions. The main goal was to bring order and good behavior back to the church. The rules they made show a lot about how the Spanish Church worked in the 4th century. Some people believe that more rules were added to this collection later on.

We don't know much about most of the people at this meeting, except for Hosius of Córdoba. We also aren't completely sure when or why the council was held. The early history of the church in Spain is not very well known.

The Rules (Canons)

Some historians think that only the first 21 rules were made at the original meeting. The rest might have been added later. These rules give us clues about what life was like for Christians in Spain.

Rules About Daily Life

The canons show that Christians had to be careful about who they spent time with.

• They were not allowed to marry people who followed other religions.
• They also could not marry Jewish people.
• Christians were told to avoid contact with people who worshipped other gods.
• They could not take part in festivals or public games that honored other gods.
• Canon 49 said Jewish people should not bless Christian crops.
• Canon 50 said Christians and Jewish people should not share meals.

The rules also talked about common problems at the time. They showed that church leaders wanted Christians to live good lives.

Rules About Church Leaders

The rules show that church leaders were already a special group. They had certain rights and had to follow stricter rules. If they broke rules, they faced tougher punishments.

• Bishops were in charge of important church ceremonies. Priests and deacons could only act under a bishop's orders.
• Bishops were expected to respect each other's decisions.

One important rule, Canon 33, said that all church leaders, even if married, should not marry again. They also had to avoid living with women unless they were family members (Canon 27). This rule was made to stop a practice where religious men and women lived together without being married.

Rules About Images

Canon 36 is a very famous rule. It says, "It has seemed good that images should not be in churches so that what is venerated and worshiped not be painted on the walls." This rule seemed to forbid pictures in churches.

• Some people, especially Protestants, used this rule to argue against using images in worship.
• Others, like Roman Catholics, said it only meant not to paint pictures of God. Or they said it was a rule to protect holy things from being disrespected by people who worshipped other gods.
• Canon 36 was the first official rule about art from the Christian Church. It shows what the church thought about images in Spain at that time.

Other rules about images included:

• Christian slave owners could not let their non-Christian slaves keep their personal idols (Canon 41). If they couldn't stop it, they had to stay away from the idols themselves.
• Canon 60 said that if someone broke an idol and was killed for it, they could not be called a martyr. This was because the Bible or apostles did not say to do such things.

Other Important Rules

• Canon 1 said that Christians who had stopped following their faith could not receive holy communion, even if they were dying. This was a very strict rule.
• Canon 38 allowed people who were not church leaders to perform baptisms in certain situations.
• Canon 53 said that if one bishop removed someone from the church, another bishop could not let them back in.
• Canon 26 said Christians had to fast strictly every Saturday.
• Canon 62 said that chariot racers or stage performers could not be baptized.
• Several rules (Canons 2, 3, 4, 55) made it very hard for former priests of other religions to join the Christian church or become Christian leaders.
• Canon 34 said, "Candles are not to be burned in a cemetery during the day." This was because it was seen as a pagan practice.
• Canon 67 said, "A woman who is baptized or is a catechumen must not associate with hairdressers or men with long hair."
• Canon 81 said, "A woman may not write to other lay Christians without her husband's consent. A woman may not receive letters of friendship addressed to her only and not to her husband as well."

When Did It Happen?

Historians have different ideas about the exact date of the synod. The date depends on whether the rules were made during a time of peace or right after a time of persecution.

• Some researchers think it happened between 300 and 303 AD, before a big persecution by Emperor Diocletian.
• Others believe it was between 303 and 314 AD, after the persecution but before another important meeting called the Synod of Arles.
• A few others suggest it was between the Synod of Arles and the Council of Nicaea (325 AD).

Many experts, like Karl Josef von Hefele, agree that it happened in 305 or 306 AD. Some think the rules suggest a time of peace, not a time right after a persecution.

Documentation

The first collection of documents about the Synod of Elvira was put together by Ferdinand de Mendoza in 1593.

The rules are available online in both English and Latin.

See also

In Spanish: Concilio de Elvira para niños