Council of Aachen (809)

council · 809 · Aachen

Charlemagne's theologians at Aachen upheld the Spirit's procession from the Father and the Son and sought Rome's blessing for singing it in the creed. Leo III affirmed the doctrine — and had the creed engraved without the word on silver shields at St Peter's. The West's slow drift on the creed's text continued regardless.

May the creed be sung with filioque in it, and will Rome bless the singing?

The filioque affirmed at court; Rome agrees in doctrine and declines in text.

People

Glosses

  • And the Son Reciting the creed against Arianism in 589, the Third Council of Toledo added one word to the clause on the Spirit: filioque, and the Son. It was a local defence of the Son's divinity, not a claim against the East. But…