Verberic, Councils of (Conciliumn Venteritense)

Verberic, Councils Of (Conciliumn Venteritense)

Verberic is in the diocese of Soissons, a fortified town of France, department of Aisne, twenty miles south-west of Laoinon the left bank of the Aisne. Two ecclesiastical councils were held here, as follows:

I. Was held in 753, by order of king Pepin. This council was, properly speaking, a national assembly. Twenty-one canons were published, chiefly relating to the subject of marriages.

1. Declares that the marriages of relatives to the third degree of consanguinity are utterly null, so that the parties so married are at liberty, after penance, to marry others. That those who are related only in the fourth degree shall not be separated if married, but be put to penance.

3. Forbids a priest to marry, under pain of losing his rank. Forbids any one to marry the wile of a man who has been made priest.

5. Permits a man whose wife has conspired to murder him to put her away, and to marry another.

6. Permits those persons who have married slaves, under the idea of their being free, to marry again.

9. Declares that in cases in which men are absolutely obliged to leave their place of abode to go to live elsewhere, if their wives refuse to go with them for no other reason than their affection for their country, or relations, or property, it shall be lawful for the husband to marry another, but not for the wife who remains behind.

14. Forbids bishops, when traveling out of their own diocese, to ordain priests, and orders that persons so ordained, if they be really worthy of the priesthood, shall be ordained again.

15. Allows a degraded priest to baptize a sick person in case of necessity.

16. Forbids clerks to wear arms.

19. Forbids married slaves who are sold separately to different masters to marry others, although they have no hope of ever being united again.

21. Enacts that a husband who has permitted his wife to take the veil shall not marry another. See Mansi, Concil. 6:1656.

II. Was held in 869, twenty bishops being present, with Charles the Bald. Hincmar of Laon was accused, and appealed to the pope. He, at the same time, demanded leave to go to Rome, which, at the instigation of his uncle, was refused,. but the proceedings against him were suspended. See Mansi, Concil. 8:1527.