Braga, Councils of

Braga, Councils Of

(Concilium Braccarense). Of these there were several.

I. Held about the year 411, by Pancratius, bishop of Braga, assisted by nine other bishops, who condemned the Arian and heathenish errors of the Vandals and other barbarians who had ravaged Spain. See Labbe, Concil. 2:1508.

II. Held about 560, by Lucretius, the metropolitan, assisted by seven other bishops, against the errors of the Priscillianists. They drew up twenty-two canons, mostly relating to ceremonies.

7. Orders a tripartite division of the property of each Church; one for the bishop, another for the clergy, and the third for the repairs or lights of the Church, of which the archdeacon should give in an account to the bishop.

9. Enjoins the deacons to wear the stole over the shoulder, and not to conceal it under the tunicle, in order to distinguish them from the subdeacons.

10. Directs that the sacred vessels be. carried only by persons in holy orders.

11. Forbids the readers to chant in the Church in a secular dress, and to let their hair or beard grow.

12. Forbids the singing of any hymns in Church, save the Psalms, and passages taken from the Old or New Testament.

14. Orders clerks who are unwilling to eat flesh, to avoid the suspicion of Priscilliauism, to be compelled to eat at least herbs boiled with meat.

18. Forbids burials within the Church. See Labbe, Concil. 5:836.

III. Held in June 572, by Martin, the archbishop, at the head of twelve bishops. In this council the first four ecumenical councils were acknowledged, but not the fifth, which was not yet recognized in Spain. Ten canons were drawn up. See Labbe, Concil. 5:894.

IV. Held probably in 675, in the time of king Wamba. Eight bishops were present, who drew up nine canons, in order to remedy certain abuses which had crept in.

2. Forbids the offering of milk instead of wine, and also the dipping the bread in the wine at the holy eucharist.

3. Forbids using the sacred vessels and ornaments of the Church for profane purposes.

4. Forbids the priest to celebrate mass, or to receive the communion, without having the "orarium" or stole over both shoulders, and crossed upon his breast.

In some of these canons complaint is made of the conduct of the bishops, whom they accuse of augmenting their private estates at the expense of the Church. See Labbe, Concil. 6:561.