Fourth+Lateran+Council

The Fourth Lateran Council took place in November of 1215 and was convened by Pope Innocent III. It established the Easter Duty, which states that the minimum requirements for membership in the Catholic Church is confession once a year and communion for Easter (Canon 21). The Pope presented 71 decrees that were considered by the council, as well as the regulations for the Fifth Crusade. This council also confirmed the elevation of Frederick II as Holy Roman Emperor.

The first canon established by this council officially applied the term transubstantiation as a description of the process of bread and wine turning into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The third and fourth canons developed penalties that were to be applied to heretics and those who protected them. The fifth canon declared that divine will established papal primacy. Lastly, canons 14 through 18 established rules and regulations for the clergy to live by such as celibacy, refraining from drunkedness, and refraining from hunting. These are the most important and prominent canons that were established by the Fouth Lateran Council.