Sixteenth Council of Toledo
Encyclopedia
The Sixteenth Council of Toledo first met on 25 April 693, the second of Egica's three councils.
In 692, the archbishop of Toledo, Sisebert, led a rebellion with many nobles to install one Suniefred as king. The rebellion was put down in the latter half of that year and, at an unusual spring day, Egica called a general council of the church in Spain to deal with the future security of the kingship and the discipline of the renegades. Sixty bishops, five abbots, and six counts attended the council. The bishops of Narbonensis could not attend on account of an epidemic.
The king opened the council with a speech declaring that any officials who betrayed the trust of the Gothic people would be driven from office and enslaved to the treasury, forfeiting their property to the royal coffers. The king, the council concurred, could bestow this confiscated property on anyone he wished, the church obviously not excluded. The descendants of rebels were likewise prohibited from holding any palatine office. Finally, the rebels were anathema
tised on the basis of the seventy-fifth canon of the Fourth Council
.
On 2 May, the final day of the council, the bishops solemnly excommunicated Sisebert for life and defrocked him. He would be allowed communion on his deathbed only, unless the king pardoned him earlier. Without precedent, the bishops transferred the archbishop of Seville
, Felix, to Toledo and the archbishop of Braga
, Faustinus
, to Seville. They also ordered the bishops of Narbonensis to approve the decrees of the Sixteenth Council in a local synod of their own.
The council also reformed the laws of the realm on several points. Incorporated into the Forum Iudicum
formulated by Chindasuinth
, published by Recceswinth, and modified by Erwig
was the law that any oath rendered unto anybody other than the monarch was invalid and illegal. A few laws were revoked and some were reestablished, such as that prohibiting the mutilation of slaves.
The council reaffirmed Chindasuinth's penalty of castration
for homosexuality
, but only defrocking and exile for clerical offenders, though Egica increased that penalty to castration as well, after the council.
The council was also important in the long legal history of the Visigoths in suppressing Judaism
. Egica had apparently added to Erwig's law code tax-freedom to Jewish converso
s and transferred their former burden to the unconverted. At the Sixteenth Council, converts were allowed to trade with Christians, but not until he had proved himself by recitation of creeds and eating of nonkosher food. Penalties were even enacted against Christians who transacted with unconverted or unproven Jews.
In regards the church, asides from dealing with the rebel Sisebert and the vacancy of his see, two important decrees were promulgated. Firstly, the bishops were ordered to maintain all church edifices in good repair and keep a priest in each parish
. Secondly, the bishops were ordered to take all offerings offered by "rustics" to pagan
gods and exterminate these continuing practice (no doubt only occurring in the remotest provincial backwaters).
In 692, the archbishop of Toledo, Sisebert, led a rebellion with many nobles to install one Suniefred as king. The rebellion was put down in the latter half of that year and, at an unusual spring day, Egica called a general council of the church in Spain to deal with the future security of the kingship and the discipline of the renegades. Sixty bishops, five abbots, and six counts attended the council. The bishops of Narbonensis could not attend on account of an epidemic.
The king opened the council with a speech declaring that any officials who betrayed the trust of the Gothic people would be driven from office and enslaved to the treasury, forfeiting their property to the royal coffers. The king, the council concurred, could bestow this confiscated property on anyone he wished, the church obviously not excluded. The descendants of rebels were likewise prohibited from holding any palatine office. Finally, the rebels were anathema
Anathema
Anathema originally meant something lifted up as an offering to the gods; it later evolved to mean:...
tised on the basis of the seventy-fifth canon of the Fourth Council
Fourth Council of Toledo
The Fourth Council of Toledo occurred in 633. It was held at the church of Saint Leocadia in Toledo.Probably under the presidency of the noted Isidore of Seville, the council regulated many matters of discipline, decreed uniformity of liturgy throughout the Visigothic kingdom and took stringent...
.
On 2 May, the final day of the council, the bishops solemnly excommunicated Sisebert for life and defrocked him. He would be allowed communion on his deathbed only, unless the king pardoned him earlier. Without precedent, the bishops transferred the archbishop of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Felix, to Toledo and the archbishop of Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
, Faustinus
Faustinus
Faustinus was an usurper against Tetricus I, the last emperor of the Gallic Empire. Not much is known about him. Neither his complete name nor the year of his birth are known. Few literary sources mention that Faustinus instigated a mutiny among the troops of Tetricus I. He rebelled in Augusta...
, to Seville. They also ordered the bishops of Narbonensis to approve the decrees of the Sixteenth Council in a local synod of their own.
The council also reformed the laws of the realm on several points. Incorporated into the Forum Iudicum
Visigothic Code
The Visigothic Code comprises a set of laws promulgated by the Visigothic king of Hispania, Chindasuinth in his second year...
formulated by Chindasuinth
Chindasuinth
Chindasuinth was Visigothic King of Spain, from 642 until his death. He succeeded Tulga, from whom he usurped the throne in a coup; he was "officially" elected by the nobles and anointed by the bishops 30 April 642....
, published by Recceswinth, and modified by Erwig
Erwig
Erwig was a king of the Visigoths in Hispania . He was the only Visigothic king to be a complete puppet of the bishops and palatine nobility....
was the law that any oath rendered unto anybody other than the monarch was invalid and illegal. A few laws were revoked and some were reestablished, such as that prohibiting the mutilation of slaves.
The council reaffirmed Chindasuinth's penalty of castration
Castration
Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicles or a female loses the functions of the ovaries.-Humans:...
for homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, but only defrocking and exile for clerical offenders, though Egica increased that penalty to castration as well, after the council.
The council was also important in the long legal history of the Visigoths in suppressing Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. Egica had apparently added to Erwig's law code tax-freedom to Jewish converso
Converso
A converso and its feminine form conversa was a Jew or Muslim—or a descendant of Jews or Muslims—who converted to Catholicism in Spain or Portugal, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries. Mass conversions once took place under significant government pressure...
s and transferred their former burden to the unconverted. At the Sixteenth Council, converts were allowed to trade with Christians, but not until he had proved himself by recitation of creeds and eating of nonkosher food. Penalties were even enacted against Christians who transacted with unconverted or unproven Jews.
In regards the church, asides from dealing with the rebel Sisebert and the vacancy of his see, two important decrees were promulgated. Firstly, the bishops were ordered to maintain all church edifices in good repair and keep a priest in each parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
. Secondly, the bishops were ordered to take all offerings offered by "rustics" to pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
gods and exterminate these continuing practice (no doubt only occurring in the remotest provincial backwaters).
Source
- Thompson, E. A. The Goths in Spain. Clarendon Press: OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, 1969.