The canons of the church council of Chalon-sur-Saône (eastern Gaul) of 647/653 record that it met in the cathedral church of *Vincent (deacon of Zaragoza and martyr of Valencia, S00290); one of its canons bans the singing of lewd songs at the dedications of churches or festivals of the martyrs. Written in Latin in Chalon-sur-Saône, 647/653.
E08390
Canonical and legal texts
Canons of the Council of Chalon-sur-Saône 647/653
The preface to the canons states that the bishops of the council were summoned by King Clovis, 'assembled in the city of Chalon-sur-Saône in the cathedral church of saint Vincent, and sought the intercession of the same martyr' (in Cabillonense urbe in ecclesia sancti Vincenti pariter conglobati, ipsius sancti martires intercessione poscentes) on behalf of Clovis and of their deliberations.
Canon 19:
Valde omnibus nuscetur esse decretum, ne per dedicationes basilicarum aut festiuitates martyrum ad ipsa solemnia confluentes obscina et turpea cantica, dum orare debent aut clericus psallentes audire, cum choris foemineis, turpia quidem, decantare uideantur.
Vnde conuenit, ut sacerdotes loci illos a septa basilicarum uel porticus ipsarum basilicarum etiam et ab ipsis atriis uetare debiant et arcere et, si uoluntarie noluerint emendare, aut excommunicare debeant aut disciplinae aculeo sustinere.
'This decree must be forcefully made known to all: lest those who flock to solemnities for the dedication of basilicas or the feast of martyrs are seen to sing lewd and foul songs, accompanied by choruses of women - an abomination indeed - when they should be praying or listening to the psalmody of the clergy.
So it must be that the priests of the place must forbid and ban these people from the precincts of the basilicas and also from their porticoes and atria, and, if they do not mend their ways, they should be excommunicated or subjected to the barb of discipline.'
Text: de Clercq 1963, 303 and 307.
Translation and summary: Bryan Ward-Perkins.
Saint’s feast
Cult PlacesCult building - independent (church)
Activities accompanying CultFeasting (eating, drinking, dancing, singing, bathing)
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Source
The council of Chalon-sur-Saône was summoned by Clovis II, king of Neustria, and was attended by six metropolitans and thirty-three bishops from his kingdom.Discussion
The word ecclesia was, as here, generally used to designate the cathedral of a city, distinct from lesser churches (basilicae).Bibliography
Edition:de Clercq, C. (ed.), Concilia Galliae A. 511 - A. 695 (Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina 148A; Turnhout, 1963), 302-310.
Bryan Ward-Perkins
21/03/2023
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00060 | Martyrs, unnamed or name lost | martyres | Certain | S00290 | Vincentius/Vincent, deacon of Zaragoza and martyr of Valencia | Vincentius | Certain |
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Bryan Ward-Perkins, Cult of Saints, E08390 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E08390