Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 1050
Canon 2 of the Sixteenth Council of Toledo (Iberian Peninsula, AD 693) orders bishops, presbyters, and judges to extirpate the pagan customs.
Canon 2
 
De idolorum cultoribus.
 
The synodal fathers indicate the impiety of idolatry.
 
[…] De quibus videlicet sacrilegiis extripandis quoniam multimoda sanctorum patrum in diversis conciliis clarent edicta, ea vigilaci sensuum indagatione perlustravimus ac discreto gravitatis pondere horum instituta perpendimus; et quia debitae rationi plenitudine nitent, cum consensu ac ferventissimo iussu religiosissimi domni nostri Egicani regis instituentes decernimus, ut omnes episcopi seu presbyteres vel hii qui iudicandis causarum negotiis praesunt sollerti cura invigilent et in cuiuscumque loco praemissa sacrilegia vel qualibet alia quae divina lege prohibentur vel sanctorum patrum cohibent instituta, venerantes quoque aut facientes reprerint, cuiuscumque sint generis aut conditionis statim secundum praedictarum sententiarum seriem emendare et extirpare non differant, et insuper ea, quae in eodem loco sacrilegii oblata fuerint in convicinis ecclesiis coram ipsis qui hoc voto sacrilego dedicanda crediderant habenda perpetim offerantur.
Quod si forsan episcopus aut presbyter seu etiam iudex, ad quem locus ille pertinuerit, manifestissimum ac probatissimum cuiuspiam sacrilegii facimus praenoscens hoc ardenti voto emendare neglexerit, loci dignitate privatus anni unius spatio erit sub poenitentia constitutus, loco suo in postmodum redditurus; scilicet ut in eodem tempore, quo ille a loci sui propulsus fuerit officio, specialiter a principe eligatur, qui timore Domini plenus et ut Finees spirituali zelo accensus cum iudicibus sibimet ut diximus iunctis et sacrilegium quod invenerint omnimode extirpent et ab omni populo iram Domini arceant. Si quis vero pro talium defensione obstiterint sacerdotibus aut iudicibus ut ea nec emendent ut debent nec extirpans ut condecet, et non potius cum eis exquisitores tanti criminis extiterint, sint anathema in conspectu individuae Trinitatis et insuper, si nobilis persona fuerit, auri libras tres sacratisimo fisco exsolvat; si inferior, centenir verberibus flagellabitur ac turpiter decalvabitur et medietas rerum suarum fisci viribus applicabitur.
 
(ed. J. Vives 1963: 498-500)
Canon 2
 
On those who venerate idols
 
The synodal fathers indicate the impiety of idolatry.
 
...] For multifarious edicts of various councils clarify how the sacrileges shall be extirpated, we lustrated them with vigilant mind and examined these institutions with a careful considaration of gravity. And because they shine with a plenitude of the due rightness, we decided to decree with a consent and most fervent order of our lord King Egica that all the bishops and presbyters, or those who are in charge of judical matters shall be watchful with utmost care. And if in someone's region sacrileges are found, or that other things that are forbidden by the divine law or the insitutions of the holy fathers, are venerated or produced, [bishops, presbyters, and judges] shall not delay to correct it and extirpate immediately according to the mentioned series of the sentences regardless to the origin or condition [of an offender]. Moreover, offerings made in the place of sacrilege shall be always offered in the neighbouring churches in the presence of those who believe they were offered as an sacrilegious votum.
If perchance a bishop, presbyter, or a judge to whom this place belongs, knows about the most manifest and certain crime of idolatry and neglects to amend it with ardent will, he shall be deprived of his position, assigned to the penance for one year, and then restored to his office. But in the time he is expelled from his office, a person shall be specially elected by the ruler, who is full of the fear of God and burning with the spiritual zeal like Phinehas, in order to completely extirpate, as we have said, with the judges the discovered sacrilege and keep off the wrath of God from the people. If someone instead of uncovering the crime [of idolatry] hinders priests and judges to correct these things properly or to extirpate them, he or she shall be anathematized in the face of the indivisible Trinity. Moreover, if he or she is a noble, he or she shall pay three pounds of gold to the holy fisc. If he or she is of inferior status, he shall be flogged with one hundred lashes and badly decalvated, and the half of his property will be confiscated to the fisc.
 
(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region
  • Iberian Peninsula
City
  • Toledo

About the source:

Title: Concilium Toletanum XVI a. 693, Concilium XVI Toletanum a. 693, Sixteenth Council of Toledo in 693 AD
Origin: Toledo (Iberian Peninsula)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
The Sixteenth Council of Toledo gathered on 2 May AD 693 during the reign of King Egica. Fifty four bishops were present and three bishops sent representatives. There were also the abbots and lay dignitaries present. The tomus of Egica, which precedes the creed and canons in the acts, was issued one week before the council on 25 April (Orlandis, Ramos-Lissón 1986: 478-480). The council convened in the afthermath of the coup against Egica organized by Bishop Sisebert of Toledo (Collins 2004: 106-107).
Edition:
J. Vives ed., Concilios visigóticos e hispano-romanos, Barcelona-Madrid 1963.
Bibliography:
R. Collins, Visigothic Spain, 409-711, Oxford 2004.
J. Orlandis, D. Ramos-Lissón, Historia de los concilios de la España romana y visigoda, Pamplona 1986.
 

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
    Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς
      Public law - Ecclesiastical
        Administration of justice - Ecclesiastical
          Administration of justice - Demotion
            Equal prerogatives of presbyters and bishops
              Administration of justice - Penance
                Relation with - Pagan
                  Pastoral activity - Teaching
                    Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1050, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1050