Council of Tarragona


The Council of Tarragona was two distinct Council of the Roman Catholic Church held in the city of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain.

First Council at Tarragon

The Council of Tarragona was held by Archbishop John of Tarragona, on 6 November 516. This council assembled all the bishops of his province, thus becoming the first provincial council of Tarragona. There were ten bishops were present. In 517 he assembled another provincial council in Girona.

Second Church Council at Tarragon

A second council was held at Tarragona in 1234 to regulate the procedure of the Inquisition, which had begun in 1233. and to also ratify the findings of the Toulouse Council.
Canon two of this second Council of Tarragona also restated the cannon of the Council of Toulouse held two years before. “No one may possess the books of the Old and New Testaments, and if anyone possesses them he must turn them over to the local bishop within eight days, so that they may be burned…”