Twelfth Council of Toledo facts for kids

The Twelfth Council of Toledo was an important meeting held in Toledo, Spain. It started on January 9, 681. This big meeting was called by the Visigothic King Erwig. He had become king in 680, just before the council.

A New King Takes Charge

One of the first things the Council did was to support King Erwig. They removed old laws made by the previous king, Wamba. The Council also officially recognized Erwig as the new king. They said that anyone who went against him would be punished.

Important People at the Council

Many important people attended this Council. There were thirty-eight bishops, who were leaders of the church. Four abbots, who were heads of monasteries, also came. Five officials from the king's court were there too.

Toledo Becomes More Powerful

The Council made a big decision about the archbishop of Toledo. They said that the archbishop could now approve all bishops chosen by the king. This was true even if those bishops were from outside Toledo's own church area. This decision made the Toledan church very powerful. It became the most important church in all of Spain.

Laws About Jewish People

The Council also created many new laws about Jewish people. They made twenty-eight laws against them. The bishops ordered these laws to be read in all churches. They also kept records of Jewish people who had converted to Christianity. These new laws stopped converts from going back to Judaism. The laws were first read in a church in Toledo on January 27. Some actions against Jewish people involved taking away their property.

Changing Old Laws

King Erwig asked the Council to look at an old law book called the Forum Iudicum. This book was first put together by King Reccesuinth. Erwig wanted to fix parts of it that seemed unfair or confusing. The updated law book officially started on October 21. Some laws that protected slaves from violence were removed. In general, the changes and new laws helped the nobles and gave them more special rights.

Church Matters

The bishops also discussed many religious topics. They talked about penance, which is about saying sorry for sins. They also discussed death, excommunication (being kicked out of the church), and the number of church areas. The Council also talked about how bishops were chosen and about the mass. They also set rules for priests and other church members.

Even though the king chose bishops, the Council officially said that kings should not nominate them. They also decided that church meetings for each province should happen every year on November 1. Before this, they were held in May. The Council ordered each province to hold at least one meeting every year. They also criticized the church in Galicia for how it treated slaves. They also condemned the remaining paganism in that area.

The Council was quite short. It ended on January 25.

See also

In Spanish: XII Concilio de Toledo para niños