Councils of Toledo

The Councils of Toledo were 18 church meetings, which took place up to 702 in Toledo in the period from 400. From the 3rd Council ( 589 ) to ( since the crossing of the Visigoths from Arianism to Catholicism ) were the Councils of Toledo kingdom synods, where the king played a central role. Toledo was both a metropolitan and capital. The kings used in the determination of the issues being negotiated at the councils to play a major role, and many decisions were made according to your specifications. Therefore, the conciliar decisions often concern the political affairs.

• The first Council of Toledo in 400 inter alia condemned the teaching of Priscillian and punished Giftmischerei with life imprisonment.

• 2nd Council of Toledo took place in 527, when the Iberian Peninsula was largely dominated by the still Arian Visigoths.

• The 3rd Council of Toledo in May 589 was held to the Catholic faith after the passage of the Visigoth Reccared I. from Arian. It regulated the transition of the Visigoths from Arianism to Catholicism and allowed the Arian bishops to retain their ecclesiastical offices. Theologically, this council is all the more important because here the Filioque is mentioned for the first time that remains in the result part of the Catholic (but not orthodox ) creed. The addition has been introduced to distinguish itself against Arianism, which took the view that Jesus Christ is less than God the Father - the addition should make it clear that Jesus Christ is God equal to the Father. At the Council, was also included measures against the Jews; them was prohibited, among other things, to marry Christian women or to have Christian concubines, and children are baptized had from such already existing connections.

• The fourth Council of Toledo was held in the year 633, chaired by the eminent theologian Bishop Isidore of Seville. Among the most important decisions of the council included the invocation of the unity of church and state, the establishment of cathedral schools in every diocese and the standardization of liturgical practice. The Council also determines that the bishop's ring next to miter and staff is one of the insignia of the bishop. The council disapproved of King Sisebut ( 612-621 ) arranged forced baptisms of Jews, but they declared canonically valid; on the occasion Sisebuts forcibly baptized Jews were forbidden to return to their ancestral faith.

• The 5th Council of Toledo was convened in the year 636 by King Chintila. It took decisions for the protection of threatened rebellion of the king and to protect his family after his death.

• The sixth Council of Toledo met 638 It has also been convened by Chintila. It took, among other decisions against the Jews, which, according to the council acts of the King was the driving force. The bishops approved the intention of the king, completely exterminate the Jews in his kingdom, and not to tolerate non-Catholics.

• The 7th Council of Toledo (646) stood in the service of politics Chindaswinths king and took over its legislation against enemies of the state, mutatis mutandis, to the ecclesiastical law. Conspirators against the king excommunication was threatened; if they were clergymen, they should be removed from their ecclesiastical offices. Already a directed against the king defamation should be punishable by excommunication. The king was granted the right to excommunications that were done in his interest to pick up at will ( a unique medieval authority of the ruler in the spiritual realm ).

• The 8th Council of Toledo was convened by King Rekkeswinth shortly after his accession to the throne in December 653. The Council Fathers were mostly opponents of the late King Chindaswinth and tried to make its measures directed against the nobility reversed, but their decisions were only partially implemented by Rekkeswinth. The council approved an amnesty for opposition fled abroad. The bishops were fixed firmly on the principle of Wahlkönigtums and decided provisions for the election of a king. Inside was an indirect criticism of Rekkeswinth, who had inherited the kingship from his father Chindaswinth.

• The 9th Council of Toledo met 655. It was not a Council of Lords, but a provincial synod.

• The 10th Council of Toledo was convened 656 of Rekkeswinth. Only 17 bishops participated, five more sent representatives. Thus, it was the Council of Lords with the least number of participants. It took a decision against clerics who broke their allegiance to the king paid; they should be removed from office.

• The 11th Council of Toledo met 675 It was a provincial synod.

• The 12th Council of Toledo 681 was convened by King Erwig shortly after his assumption of power; it approved the forced abdication by an intrigue of its predecessor Wamba. It also decided to grant the metropolitan of Toledo a unique primacy in the Reich Church, which effectively made ​​him the primates.

• The 13th Council of Toledo 683 was convened by King Erwig. It was dominated by a powerful aristocratic party which wanted to limit the power of the king. The king was obviously in a much weakened position. The Council decided to grant an amnesty to the noble rebels who had taken uprisings against former rulers. The amnesty should get back their confiscated property, insofar as these were still in the possession of the king. Constitutionally most significant was a decision which forbade to depose bishops or members of the court nobility to arrest, torture or expropriate, as long as they were not convicted in a public court proceedings by a court of their peers. The use of physical force against Posh to extract confessions was therefore prohibited. Among the nobility friendly decisions also included a remission of tax liabilities.

• The 14th Council of Toledo met 684 It was not a Council of Lords, but a provincial synod. It reviewed the decisions to the doctrine of two energies and two wills in Christ, and confirmed the decisions of the Third Council of Constantinople Opel 681 The Second Council of Constantinople Opel 553 but was still not recognized as ecumenical.

• The 15th Council of Toledo 688 was convened by King Egica. The aim of the king was to the Council Fathers to gain support for his politics, which was directed against the family of his predecessor Erwig, his son- and he was a bitter enemy. The council followed his wishes only partially.

• The 16th Council of Toledo 693 was convened by King Egica. It upheld a law of the king, was tried with the to move the Jews by strong financial incentives to change their beliefs. If they stuck to their religion, they had to pay a Jewish tax; long-distance trade and every transaction with Christians were forbidden.

• The 17th Council of Toledo 694 was convened by King Egica. It took far more stringent measures against the Jews than the previous council. It was decided to expropriate the Jews and enslave and deprive them of their children, to educate them Christian. The occasion or pretext offered allegations that the Jews have made ​​in cooperation with foreign co-religionists a conspiracy against the Reich. This was probably meant that they encouraged the Muslims to attack.

• The 18th and final Council of Toledo was probably 702 in the reign of King Witiza take a few years before the destruction of the Western Goth by the Muslim conquest of Spain. It is the only Council of Toledo, whose records have not been preserved. This fact could be related with the fact that the decisions of the council were later disapproved by the clergy.

Source

• José Vives (ed.): Concilios visigóticos e Hispano- romanos, Barcelona, 1963 ( contains the files of the councils I- XVII; Latin text with Spanish translation )