Synod of Oxford

1640 Engraving of Osney Abbey ruins, site of the Synod
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The Synod of Oxford was held on 9 May 1222, at Osney Abbey,[1] in Oxford, England.[2] It was a council of the (Catholic) church in England, convened by Archbishop Stephen Langton. It is notable for a number of the decisions taken and canon laws set.

During the Synod, "harsh anti-Jewish laws" were enacted: "social relations between Jews and Christians were blocked; church tithes were levied against Jews, and English Jews were forced to wear an identifying badge. The construction of new synagogues was also prevented."[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

For many centuries, it was thought that the decision that Saint George's Day should be celebrated as a holy day in England was made at this Synod.[1] However, since the 1960s, this has been regarded by historians as an invention.[11][12]

The Synod

Langton's ambition was to reform the English church, especially with regard to monastic law.[13] The Synod also established celebration of the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ on 1 January, building on long-established celebrations of the start of the Julian calendar year.[13]

The Synod also followed and implemented the anti-Jewish decrees laid out by the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215.[7]

Saint George's Day

For many centuries, it was thought that the Synod set the celebration of 23 April as Saint George's Day on a par with other Christian feast days, although it stopped short of declaring St George the patron saint of England, which did not happen until 1347.[14] However, in 1961, historian C. R. Cheney published research in the Bulletin of Historical Research, followed by further published research in 1964,[11] that "conclusively refuted ... [this] misapprehension",[11] based on showing that the earliest surviving manuscripts of the synod's declaration do not mention the feast of St. George.[15] Nonetheless, modern sources sometimes still continue to assert the connection.[1][12]

Legacy

According to the Diocese of Oxford, these "prejudicial" laws passed at Oxford in 1222 were the precursor to further anti-Jewish statutes,[7] in particular those passed in 1253 and 1275. This increasing intolerance culminated in the expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290.[7]

2022 anniversary

In May 2022, to mark the 800th anniversary of the Synod, a service was held at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.[16] There, representatives of Christians and Jews met. Although the Church of England as currently constituted dates to the 16th-century English Reformation, it claims continuity with the pre-Reformation English church,[17] and Anglican leaders have insisted on the importance of an apology.[2] Archbishop Justin Welby said on Twitter that "it was an opportunity to 'remember, repent and rebuild'."[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Where St George made his name". Oxford Mail. 14 April 2010. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d Pope, Felix. "Church of England apologises for 'shameful actions' against Jews". www.thejc.com. The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Church of England to apologize for 13th century anti-Semitic laws". Ynetnews. i24NEWS. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  4. ^ Gardner, Charles (9 May 2022). "Church repents of Antisemitism "I think the Jews of 1222 would have been astonished to hear Hebrew ring out in this cathedral"". Israel Today. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  5. ^ Phillips, Melanie. "The 800-year apology: What is the real challenge to reconciling Christians and Jews". Israel In Sight. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  6. ^ Mayaki, Benedict (9 May 2022). "Church of England apologizes for anti-Jewish laws, 800 years on". www.vaticannews.cn. Dicasterium pro Communicatione. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d "Diocese of Oxford | 800th anniversary of the 1222 Synod of Oxford". www.oxford.anglican.org. The Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance. 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  8. ^ Abrams, Rebecca. "Righting Historic Wrongs – 1222 Synod of Oxford". oxfordjewishheritage.co.uk. Oxford Jewish Heritage. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  9. ^ staff, T. O. I. (8 May 2022). "After 800 years, Church of England apologizes to Jews for laws that led to expulsion". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  10. ^ Peachey, Paul (9 May 2022). "Anglican Church apologises over 800-year-old anti-Jewish laws". The National. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Nigel Saul, ed. (2005). St George's Chapel, Windsor, in the Fourteenth Century. Boydell Press. p. 56. ISBN 9781843831174. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  12. ^ a b Good, Jonathan David Arthur (2004). Saint George for England – Sanctity and National Identity, 1272–1509. University of Minnesota. p. 94. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  13. ^ a b Grant, Alexander H. (2020). The Church Seasons. Salzwasser-Verlag GmbH. p. 77. ISBN 9783846054017. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  14. ^ Pasquale Gagliardi, ed. (2017). Symbols and Artifacts. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781351487290. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  15. ^ Cheney, C. R. (1964). Councils and Synods and other Documents relating to the English Church Vol. II, Part 1, 1205–1265. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 101, 104.
  16. ^ "Oxford holds service of repentance for 800-year-old anti-Semitic rules". The Church Times. 9 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  17. ^ "High Church", New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., vol. 6 (Detroit: Gale, 2003), pp. 823–824.