Editor ' s Note EASTER 2017
The pontificate of Pope Innocent III ( 1198-1216 ) was long viewed as the final great moment of the Medieval Papacy , a time when the popes exercised immense spiritual , cultural , and political sway over all of Christendom . The two centuries that followed witnessed the slow decline of the papacy in Medieval political life , including the bitter wars with the Holy Roman Emperors and culminating in the Avignon Papacy ( 1309-1377 ) during which the popes lived in France in what Petrarch derisively termed the Babylonian Captivity . And if there was one moment that represented the zenith of Innocent ' s remarkable pontificate , it was the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 , convoked not long before the pope ' s death . It has been called the grand summation of the pope ' s vision for the Church of reform and renewal , combatting heresy , and galvanizing Christendom for a renewed effort at the Crusades . As Innocent wrote , he desired the council “ to eradicate vices and to plant virtues , to correct faults and to reform morals , to remove heresies and to strengthen faith , to settle discords and to establish peace , to get rid of oppression and to foster liberty , to induce princes and Christian people to come to the aid and succor of the Holy Land ...” There were more than 400 Bishops in attendance , as well as abbots and representatives of the crowns and princes of the West . In the end , the pope approved 70 Constitutions , ranging from a profession of faith and reform of the clergy , to simony and marriage . The Council was much concerned about safeguarding the Faith in the face of heresy , especially the severe problems of the Cathars and Albigensians in France and elsewhere . That is why the Council promulgated its Profession of Faith , especially its eloquent affirmation of the Trinity . Because of its labors , its importance , and its legacy , the Fourth Lateran Council has been much examined by historians of the Church and the papacy as well as theologians . One area of potentially fruitful research is the question of the Holy Trinity and the Council . What did it say precisely , what was the value in that historical moment for defending the Church ' s authentic understanding of the dogma , and what are some of the lessons for us today ?
Clarissa Hutcheson , a recent graduate from CDU ' s MA in Theology program has undertaken just such an exploration with her thesis , “ From Heresy to Orthodoxy : The Fourth Lateran Council , The Trinity and the Church Today .” Heresies have a curious habit of reappearing from one century to the next , and the Church must patiently but forcefully combat them and then restate in a positive way the true teachings of the Faith . As Clarissa notes , The heretical teachings of the Albigensians denied the dogma of the trinity , by claiming that there were two gods , a good or `benign ' God and an evil or `malign ' God ; Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit believed to be angels , separate from God . The Fourth Lateran Council held in 1215 corrected the erroneous beliefs of the Albigensians and solidified the foundational truths of the most Holy Trinity . Truths that continue to be taught in the Church today .
CDU is delighted to offer Clarissa ' s research . We hope that you will find it thought-provoking , but also both interesting and helpful in deepening your awareness of the life of the Trinity .
Matthew E . Bunson , PhD , KCHS Faculty Chair Catholic Distance University