Term
The Fourth Lateran Council
The 1215 ecumenical council that officially adopted transubstantiation as the interpretation of the Eucharist and mandated annual confession and Communion for all Christians.
Filed underHistorical TheologyChurch History
Definition
(1215) The twelfth Ecumenical Council and the most important in the series of Lateran Councils. Its most important act was to settle on transubstantiation as the interpretation of the Eucharist, the first time this term was used officially. In addition, the Council required annual confession and Communion of all Christians.
Connections
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- Lateran CouncilsTerm
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Sources
- 1.Jerald C. Brauer and B. A. Gerrish, ed. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971). 486Original citation: Brauer, Jerald C., and B. A. Gerrish, eds. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971, 486.
Last revised August 14, 2026