Third Lateran Council 1179

Definition: In 1179, Pope Alexander III gathered 302 bishops to the eleventh of the ecumenical councils. There, it was decided that cardinals should elect the pope, bishops have to be older than 30 years old, charging money for administering the sacraments is forbidden, among other things. Some other “much needed” reforms included forbidding priests to “invite” women into their houses and selling Saracens (Muslims) resources to build their galleys (“Third Lateran Council (1179)). The Third Lateran Council also mandated that each cathedral church had to appoint a master to teach the clerks and other poor scholars for free (Southern 194).

Importance:The Third Lateran Council tied up some loose ends in the church. There was a growing number of cathedral schools in Europe. With this increase, there was also a demand for the secular clergy to receive more instruction in canon law and the sacraments, as addressed in the Gregorian reforms. The Third Lateran Council furthered this need for church control by demanding that every school have a master. This master could lead the students and the school in the same direction as the church.