# Third Lateran Council (1179)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1179-third-lateran-council
Location: Rome
Themes: Council

The council requires a two-thirds majority of cardinals to elect a pope. At this point in the timeline (1179), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Alexander III (7 September 1159 – 30 August 1181). His claim was contested by Antipope Innocent III.

## Why it matters
Third Lateran Council mattered because its decisions defined doctrine, discipline or church order for generations of Christians.

Pope at the time: [Pope Alexander III](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-alexander-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Third Council of the Lateran](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Council_of_the_Lateran)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Third Lateran Council](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Third+Lateran+Council)
- [Wikipedia — Medieval Church (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church#Middle_Ages)