# Fourth Lateran Council (1215)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1215-fourth-lateran-council
Location: Rome
Themes: Council

The great reforming council defines transubstantiation and requires annual confession. At this point in the timeline (1215), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Innocent III (8 January 1198 – 16 July 1216).

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

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

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