Sixteenth Council of Toledo facts for kids

The Sixteenth Council of Toledo was an important meeting held in Toledo, Spain on April 25, 693. It was one of three major meetings called by Visigothic King Egica. These councils were like big conferences where important church leaders and nobles discussed laws and rules for the kingdom.

Why the Council Met: Dealing with a Rebellion

In the year 692, the archbishop of Toledo, named Sisebert, tried to start a rebellion. He wanted to replace King Egica with someone else named Suniefred. But King Egica stopped the rebellion. After this, he called the Sixteenth Council to make sure the kingdom would be safe in the future. He also wanted to decide what to do with the people who had rebelled.

Who Attended the Council?

Sixty bishops (important church leaders), five abbots (heads of monasteries), and six counts (important nobles) came to the council. Some bishops from a region called Narbonensis could not come because of a widespread sickness.

King Egica's Rules for Rebels

King Egica started the council with a speech. He said that any officials who betrayed the Gothic people would lose their jobs. They would also lose all their property, which would go to the king. The king could then give this property to anyone he wanted, including the church. Also, the children of rebels would not be allowed to hold important government jobs. The rebels themselves were also officially condemned by the church.

Important Decisions Made at the Council

On May 2, the last day of the council, the bishops made some big decisions.

Punishment for Archbishop Sisebert

Archbishop Sisebert was officially removed from his church position for life. He would only be allowed to receive communion (a religious ritual) when he was dying, unless the king decided to pardon him earlier.

New Leaders for the Church

In a very unusual move, the bishops moved the archbishop of Seville, Felix, to Toledo. They also moved the archbishop of Braga, Faustinus, to Seville. They also told the bishops who couldn't attend from Narbonensis to agree to the council's decisions in their own local meeting.

New Laws for the Kingdom

The council also changed some laws for the kingdom. These new laws were added to the Forum Iudicum, which was the main law book of the Visigoths. One new law said that any promise or oath made to someone other than the king was not valid and was against the law. This was to make sure everyone was loyal only to the king.

Rules About New Christians

The council also made some rules about people who had recently become Christians, especially those who had converted from Judaism. King Egica had previously given tax breaks to these new Christians, and the taxes they used to pay were moved to those who had not converted.

At the Sixteenth Council, new Christians were allowed to trade with other Christians. However, they first had to prove they were truly Christian. They had to say certain prayers and eat foods that were not allowed in their old faith. There were even rules against Christians who traded with people who had not converted or had not proven their new faith.

Rules for the Church

Besides dealing with the rebel Sisebert, the council made two other important rules for the church:

• Bishops were told to make sure all church buildings were kept in good repair. They also had to make sure there was a priest in every parish (local church area).
• Bishops were ordered to collect all offerings that people in rural areas were still giving to pagan gods. They were also told to stop these old practices, which were likely only happening in very remote places.

Sources

• Thompson, E. A., The Goths in Spain, Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1969.

See also

In Spanish: XVI Concilio de Toledo para niños