In 1172 (September 27-28) a Council was held at Avranches in France, apropos of the troubles caused in the English Church by the murder of St. Thomas Becket. Henry II, King of England, after due penance, was absolved from the censures incurred by the assassination of the holy prelate and swore fidelity to Alexander III in the person of his legate. It was forbidden to confer on children benefice that carry with him the cure of souls, or the children of priests the churches of their fathers. Each parish was required to have an assistant (vicarius) and the Advent fast was commended to all who could observe it, especially to ecclesiastics.
APA citation. (1907). Council of Avranches. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02162a.htm
MLA citation. "Council of Avranches." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02162a.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Joseph P. Thomas.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.