Several councils

Synod

A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...

 were held at Quierzy

Quierzy-sur-Oise

Quierzy is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, straddling the Oise River between Noyon and Chauny.-History:...

, a royal residence under the Carolingian

Carolingian

The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...

s, but now an insignificant village on the Oise

Oise

Oise is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise.-History:Oise is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...

 in the French Department of Aisne

Aisne

Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...

 in Picardy

Picardy

This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...

. The synod of September 838

838

Year 838 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Byzantine emperor Theophilos is heavily defeated at the Battle of Anzen by the Abbasids...

, ordered the monks of the abbey of Saint-Calais

Saint-Calais

Saint-Calais is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.Prior to the French Revolution it was known for its Benedictine abbey named after the Anisola stream . Saint-Calais is a later name coming from one of the local saints of the Perche area....

 in the Diocese of Le Mans to return to their monastery, from which they falsely claimed to have been expelled by their bishop. It also condemned some of the liturgical opinions of Amalarius of Metz

Amalarius of Metz

Amalarius of Metz was a liturgist. He wrote extensively on the Mass and was involved in the great Medieval debates regarding predestination. We must rely on his enemy, Florus of Lyon, for an account of Amalar's condemnation at Quierzy, 838. While the exact date of his death is not known, it is...

.

The two succeeding councils, held respectively in 849

849

Year 849 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* In the Tang Dynasty Chinese capital city of Chang'an, an imperial prince was impeached from his position by officials at court for erecting a building that obstructed a street in the northwesternmost ward in South...

 and 853

853

Year 853 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Egypt :* May 22–May 23 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys Damietta in Egypt.- Asia :...

, dealt with Gottschalk

Gottschalk (theologian)

Gottschalk of Orbais was a Saxon theologian, monk and poet who is best known for being an early advocate of the doctrine of two-fold predestination...

 and his peculiar teaching respecting predestination. The first of these meetings sentenced the recalcitrant monk to corporal castigation, deposition from the priestly office and imprisonment; his books were to be burned. At the second synod (853) the famous four decrees or chapters (capitula) drawn up by Hincmar on the predestination

Predestination

Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...

 question were published. They asserted:

• the predestination of some to salvation, and, in consequence of Divine foreknowledge, the doom of others to everlasting punishment;
• the remedy for the evil tendencies of free will through grace;
• the Divine intention of saving all men;
• the fact of universal redemption.

The council held in February 857 aimed at suppressing the disorders then so prevalent in the kingdom of Charles the Bald

Charles the Bald

Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...

. The synod in 858 was attended by the bishops who remained loyal to Charles the Bald during the invasion of his dominions by Louis the German

Louis the German

Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...

. It addressed a firm but conciliatory letter to the invader stating its attitude towards him for the intentions which he expressed, but which his actions belied. Incidentally, it provides a terminus ante quem for the forgeries known as the False Decretals, which were quoted on the question of immunity for Church property.