Tenth Council of Toledo facts for kids

The Tenth Council of Toledo was an important meeting held in Toledo on December 1, 656. It was called by King Reccesuinth of Hispania, which was a kingdom in what is now Spain.

A year before, in November 655, church leaders from the Carthaginiensis region had a smaller meeting in Toledo, called the Ninth Council of Toledo. They planned another meeting for November 1, 656. However, King Reccesuinth decided to call a larger, general council instead.

Only 17 bishops and 5 deputies attended this Tenth Council. They came from the regions of Carthaginiensis and Gallaecia. Important church leaders like Eugenius II (the top bishop of Toledo), Fugitivus of Seville, and Potamius of Braga were there. But no bishops came from Tarraconensis or Gallia Narbonensis. This made it one of the smallest "general councils" of the 7th century, a time known for many church councils.

Important Decisions Made

The council made several key decisions to help keep order in the church and the kingdom.

Rules for Church Leaders

The council decided that any church leader who broke their promises or oaths would be removed from their position or sent away from the kingdom. Sometimes, both punishments would happen. The king would decide which punishment was best.

Stopping the Slave Trade

The council also made a strong rule against church leaders who bought or sold Christian slaves with Jewish people. Any church leader, no matter their rank, who was caught doing this in the future would be kicked out of the church community. This rule aimed to stop certain types of trading involving people.

Solving Church Problems

The bishops at the council also worked to fix disagreements within the church and make sure everyone followed church rules.

• Potamius of Braga: A bishop named Potamius of Braga admitted to some personal mistakes. He decided to retire to a monastery, which is a place where religious people live and work.
• Fructuosus of Braga: Fructuosus took Potamius's place as the bishop of Braga. Fructuosus's old church area, called Dumio, also had a problem.
• Bishop Riccimer's Will: The bishop of Dumio, Riccimer, had recently passed away. His will caused a disagreement. He had freed slaves and given money to the poor without getting anything in return. Some people thought this made the church in Dumio too poor. The council decided that Fructuosus, as the new bishop, would need to figure out what to do about this. They also said that Riccimer's actions, without getting anything back for the church, were not allowed by law.

End of the Council

After making these decisions, the Tenth Council of Toledo ended. King Reccesuinth did not call another council for the rest of his time as king. He passed away on September 1, 672.

It's also thought that a later king, King Wamba, might have been asked by Reccesuinth to find the will of St Martin of Braga.

See also

In Spanish: X Concilio de Toledo para niños