Folia Theologica 17. (2006)

Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi: The importance of the councils of Toledo of the 6th-8th centuries in the Spanish and in the universal canonical discipline of the Church

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COUNCILS OF TOLEDO 231

thorized for the consecration of the elected bishop.12 Therefore, the filling of the episcopal sees was still influenced by the secular ruler; nevertheless, the Council of Paris in 614 had already established against Chlotar II that the election of bishops has to be free from the secular power.13 Leo II (681-683) was the pope who protested in one letter, addressed to the archbishop of Toledo, and, supported by rules from the Council of Constantinople III argued against the execution of "ius confirmandi" by the ruler.14 In fact, the anointed rulers not only influenced the filling of episcopal sees, but they considered it as their own obligation to approve the conciliar canons which were established and promulgated by councils, with independent secular law (lex confirmationis) or by way of edict.15 However, by the Council of Toledo XII (681), from the time of King Ervigio, the archaic usage of stately sanctions appeared again in the Visigoth secular law, as an attachment to the conciliar material, which custom was well known in the Frankish territory, namely, from the Carolingian Capitularies. We just mention that the freest episcopal election in »Hispania« took place in the territory of the Caliphate of Cordoba, which was founded after the Arab Invasion of 711. Here, was not any secular intervention in the process of election, even in the ecclesiastical confirmation system.16

presentia eius, qui metropolitanus Episcopus constitutus est. Episcopus autem conprouincialibus ibi consecrandus est, ubi metropolitanus elegerit; metropolitanus autem non nisi in ciuitate metropoli, conprouincialibus ibidem conuenientibus. Si quis autem deinceps contra predicta uetita canonum ad sacerdotii gradum indignus aspirare contenderit, cum ordinatoribus suis adepti honoris periculo subiacebit. HINSCHIUS, P., Decretales Pseudo-Isidorianae et Capitula Angilramni, Lipsiae 1863. 368. Cf. D. 51 c. 5.

12 Cone. Toletanum XII (681) c. 6: (...) unde placuit omnibus pontificibus spaniae et Galliae, ut saluo priuilegio uniuscuiusque prouinciae licitum maneat deinceps Toletano pontifici quosquumque regalis potestas elegerit et licitum iamdicti Toletani episcopi iudicium dignos esse probauerit in quibuslibet prouinciis in praecedentium sedium praeficere praesules et desidentibus episcopis eligere successores. VIVES, Concilios, 394.

13 Cone. Parisiense (614) cc. 2-3. Corpus Christianorum. Series Latina, 147/A. 275-276.

14 ORLANDIS, La Iglesia en Espana visigotica, 172.

15 GUTIÈRREZ MARTIN, L., EI privilegio de nombramiento de obispos en Espana, Roma 1967. 76-81.

16 SZUROMI, Egyházi intézménytörténet, 61; cf. Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, 13. 839.