Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 808
Canon 4 of the Tenth Council of Toledo (Iberian Peninsula, AD 656) orders candidates for the order of widows to give a priest a written declaration of their will to enter the order and remain in chastity, and that they shall receive a habit from the priest.
Canon 4
 
De professione et ueste religiosarum uiduarum.
 
[...] Nam inueniuntur nonnullae uiduae diuersis excusationibus se adeo contengentes ut blandiant sibi non se Patrum plena religionis alligatas institutione teneri. Vnde antiquis inconcusse permanentibus regulis, hoc adicitur nouae oraculo sanctionis, ut uidua quae sanctae religionis obtinere propositum uoluerit, sancerdoti uel ministro ad quem aut ipsa uenerit aut quae ad se uenire contigerit, scriptis professionem suam faciat a se aut signo aut subscriptione notatam, continentem se et religionis propositum uelle et hoc perenniter inuiolate seruare. Ac tunc accepta a sacerdote uel ministro apta religionis usui ueste, seu lectulo quiescens siue quocumque loco consistens, incunctanter utatur; [...]
 
Here follows the detailed remarks on the appropriate wear of the widows.
 
(eds. Martínez Díez, Rodríguez 1992: 525-526)
Canon 4
 
On the profession and clothing of religious widows
 
[...] Some widows look for different excuses that consider them so that they delude themselves that they are not obliged by the whole religious institution of the Fathers. Therefore, as all the ancient rules remain unchanged, we add it by an announcement of the new law that a widow who wants to enter the religious life shall go to a priest or minister or bid him to come to her, and make a written profession signed by her or by a sign, or by a signature, that she wants to be chaste, to enter a religious life and as such serve inviolably forever. And then, proven by the priest or minister to be ready to wear the religious habit, which is laying on the bed or wherever else, she shall instantly put it on; [...]
 
Here follow detailed remarks on appropriate wear for widows.
 
(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region
  • Iberian Peninsula
City
  • Toledo

About the source:

Title: Tenth Council of Toledo, Concilium Toletanum decimum a. 656, Concilium X Toletanum, Concilium Toletanum X, Concilium X Toletanum, Concilium Toletanum X
Origin: Toledo (Iberian Peninsula)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
The Tenth Council of Toledo assembled in December AD 656 during the reign of king Reccesvinth (653-672). It was presided by Eugenius II of Toledo. It was attended by nineteen other bishops, and five representatives of the absent bishops.
Edition:
G. Martínez Díez, F. Rodríguez eds., La colección canónica Hispana, Monumenta Hispaniae sacra. Serie canónica 5, Madrid 1992.
Bibliography:
R. Collins, Visigothic Spain, 409-711, Oxford 2004.
J. Orlandis, D. Ramos-Lissón, Die Synoden auf der Iberischen Halbinsel bis zum Einbruch des Islam (711), Paderborn 1981.

Categories:

Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς
    Relation with - Woman
      Described by a title - Minister/λειτουργός/ὑπηρέτης
        Ritual activity - Blessing virgins/widows
          Legal practice
            Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER808, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=808