Eleventh Council of Toledo facts for kids

The Eleventh Council of Toledo was an important meeting held in the city of Toledo, Spain. It started on November 7, 675. This council was attended by 17 bishops (church leaders) and two deacons (assistants to bishops). There were also five abbots (leaders of monasteries) present.

This meeting mainly focused on religious matters. It looked at how to improve the rules and discipline within the church.

The Eleventh Council of Toledo

What Was Discussed?

The council made several key decisions about how the church should operate.

• It ordered that yearly meetings, called "synods," should be held in all church provinces. Before this, these yearly meetings only happened in the region of Carthaginiensis.
• The king would decide when these synods would take place, along with the main bishop of the area.
• The way Psalms (religious songs from the Bible) were sung was made the same across all provinces.
• New rules were put in place for bishops who had close relationships with noblewomen.

Fighting Against Simony

One big problem the council tried to fix was called simony. This was when people bought or sold church positions, like becoming a bishop.

• To stop simony, bishops had to swear an oath. They promised they had not paid or offered money for their position before they became a bishop.
• If a bishop ignored this oath, they could not be officially made a bishop.
• People found guilty of simony were sent away for two years. However, they were allowed to keep their church positions afterward. This suggests that simony might have already been less common at that time.

A Lasting Legacy

Even though only 17 bishops attended, this council is still remembered today. It's famous for a beautiful statement of faith that was read at the beginning.

• This statement explained the Trinity, which is the Christian belief in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Over the centuries, this document was highly respected. It was seen as a true and clear explanation of Christian beliefs.
• It brought together ideas from earlier church councils and the teachings of early church leaders. This makes it an important document for understanding Christian history.

Sources

• Thompson, E. A. (1969), The Goths in Spain, Oxford: Clarendon Press.
• Concilium Toletanum undecimum, minutes from the Collectio Hispana Gallica Augustodunensis (Vat. lat. 1341)
• Neuner and Dupuis, The Christian Faith in the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church, (New York; Alba House, 1982), pp. 102-106.

See also

In Spanish: XI Concilio de Toledo para niños