The quote "quod solus Romanae sedis pontifex universalis ecclesiae primas esset et Apostolicus" has nothing to do with a "a dogmatic declaration about the primacy of the Roman Pontiff"
as is claimed in the article. The claim was added in 2010. If it was a "a dogmatic declaration"
it would likely be found in Denzinger's Enchiridion symbolorum but neither the quote nor this council is found in it. This was a regional synod. Gieseler, in 1848, included a partial translation (English phrases combined with Latin phrases) that says "only 19 bishops presented themselves".[1] Addis, in A Catholic dictionary, wrote that:
The Council of Rheims (1049) recognized the right of the Pope to this title, "quod solus Romanae sedis pontifex universalis ecclesiae primas esset et Apostolicus," and excommunicated an archbishop of Compostella for assuming to himself "culmen Apostolici noininis," the eminence of the Apostolic name.[2]
According to Arthur West Haddan, in A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, the title apostolicus was once common to all bishops. The earliest known usage is from the 6th century as an epithet and was not used by itself in that example. From about the 9th century the term was restricted to popes and used, according to Haddan, "as a technical name of office." In the 9th century, Claudius of Turin, for example, ridiculed a pope for being called "not apostolus, but apostolicus," as though apostolicus meant apostoli custos; Claudius was criticized for this by Dungal of Bobbio. Haddan wrote that the 1049 council at Reims "formally assigned" apostolicus to the pope.[3] Haddan wrote in a criticism of Walter Hook's anti-Catholicism that Hook's
joke recoils upon himself. Certainly the Pope was called commonly, as by almost a proper name, "Apostolicus," in mediaeval times. He was certainly not called "Apostolus" or "the Apostle." The year-books, indeed, which have no doubt misled Dr. Hook, have usually "Appost." in an abbreviated form, which once seems to be written "Appostel." And the common Norman-French is "Apostole" or "Apostoile," as may be seen in Ducange. But these are merely forms of "Apostolicus." If Dr. Hook had looked in so obvious a book as Ducange, the first words he would have seen would have been a reference to an old attack on the Pope, in that he was called "[non apostolus sed apostolicus] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)."[4]
Before the ninth century the title apostolicus, used as an epithet, was applied to any bishop, but from about the ninth century was restricted to the Pope.[3][5] "The title apostolicus was undoubtedly taken to have universal implications," according to John Ryan. "Two later documents of Leo IX," according to Ryan, "protest the explicit use of universalis by" Michael Cerularius, patriarch of Constantinople.[6] David Schaff wrote that, through this quote, Leo IX asserted in the strongest terms the primacy of the Roman see.[7] "One of the first acts of the council was to declare that the pope alone had the right to be called the Apostolic Primate of the Church Universal."[8]
After the papal synod, Leo IX addressed a letter to all French Christians and declared that the synod decrees were appended as canons to the body of ecclesiastical law. A footnote quotes this and the preceding phrase which Blumenthal described as part of Leo IX's innovative procedure at the synod.[9] Blumenthal explains that no one has ever argued about the location of papal synods (p. 27), Leo IX convened several regional papal synods during which he promulgated reform measures (pp. 27–28). Two "distinguishing characteristics of the papal councils" during the later 11th century were:
- a "general enthusiasm for reform" (p. 28)
- "vastly expanded exercise of papal jurisdiction over clergy and laity, including kings and emperors, at both papal and legatine synods" (p. 29)
"Papal synods had become general or universal councils" and some "were regarded and counted as ecumenical councils in the western church" by the 16th century (p. 32).
I have not found any English language sources that identify Leo IX or this council as making any "dogmatic declaration"
at Reims in 1049.
References
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Addis, William E.; Arnold, Thomas (1917). "Apostolicus". In Scannell, Thomas B. (ed.). A Catholic dictionary, containing some account of the doctrine, discipline, rites, ceremonies, councils, and religious orders of the Catholic church (9th ed.). London: K. Paul, Trench, Trubner. p. 46. OCLC 646182200.Haddan, Arthur West (1875). "Apostolicus". In Smith, William; Cheetham, Samuel (eds.). A dictionary of Christian antiquities: being a continuation of the "Dictionary of the Bible". Vol. 1. Boston: Little, Brown. p. 126. OCLC 698283053. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Schaff, David S. (1907). History of the Christian church. Vol. 5, part 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 14. Blumenthal, Uta-Renate (2004). "The papacy, 1024–1122". In Luscombe, David; Riley-Smith, Jonathan (eds.). The New Cambridge Medieval History. Vol. 4. Cambridge University Press. pp. 26–32. doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521414111.003. ISBN 9780521414111. ;
—BoBoMisiu (talk) 15:12, 28 May 2015 (UTC); modified 20:19, 12 June 2015 (UTC)
