Reassessing the Acts of the Concilium Modogarnomense

Abstract The late seventh-century Council of Saint-Pierre-de-Granon (concilium Modogarnomense), also sometimes referred to as the Council of Bordeaux, holds the dubious distinction of being one of the least studied of the Merovingian-era synods. In consequence of this relative neglect, what is arguably the council’s most distinctive feature has gone largely unnoticed: a legislative agenda virtually unique among Gallo-Frankish councils for its singular focus on a specific theme, namely the necessity of clerics generally, and the episcopal order specifically, to avoid the stain of secularization. Contrary to Carolingian-era propaganda that stressed Merovingian ecclesiastical decadence, the council’s concern for secularization is framed in regard to bishops’ unique role and authority in ensuring the health and stability of the church and the realm. Although the council’s acts did not enjoy long-term influence, they clearly were the product of an episcopal order still very much committed in principle to the preservation of the moral integrity of its members through the perpetuation of a venerable conciliar tradition.