The Council of Toul was a Frankish synod convoked by

Theudebald Theudebald or Theodebald (in modern English, ''Theobald''; in French language, French, ''Thibaut'' or ''Théodebald''; in German language, German, ''Theudowald'') (c. 535–555), son of Theudebert I and Deuteria, was the king of Metz, Rheims, ...

, King of

Austrasia Austrasia was a territory which formed the north-eastern section of the Merovingian Kingdom of the Franks during the 6th to 8th centuries. It was centred on the Meuse, Middle Rhine and the Moselle rivers, and was the original territory of the F ...

, that convened in

Toul Toul () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, and the river Moselle and Canal de la Marne au Rhin. Climate Toul h ...

on 1 June 550. It is not known how many bishops attended. It extended to the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

s of

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

and

Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...

and perhaps beyond. The

diocese of Toul The Diocese of Toul was a Roman Catholic diocese seated at Toul in present-day France. It existed from 365 until 1802. From 1048 until 1552 (''de jure'' until 1648), it was also a state of the Holy Roman Empire. History The diocese was erect ...

was a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

of Trier. The

metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the b ...

Nicetius of Trier Saint Nicetius (french: Saint Nizier) (c. 525 - c. 566) was a bishop of Trier, born in the latter part of the fifth century, exact date unknown; died in 563 or more probably 566. Nicetius was the most important bishop of the ancient see of Trie ...

, was certainly in attendance. Theudebald apparently convoked the council because Nicetius had begun excommunicating Frankish aristocrats who contracted marriages within the prohibited degree of consanguinity. The king wished to obtain a judgement against the metropolitan and a reversal of the excommunications. The council is known from a letter of Bishop

Mapinius of Reims Mapinius (also spelled Mappinius, Mappinus or Mapinus) was the bishop of Reims from 535 until 550. His name is of Gaulish origin. Mapinius did not attend the Fifth Council of Orléans in 549 in person, but he sent the archdeacon Protadius as his r ...

in the ''

Austrasian Letters The ''Austrasian Letters'' ( la, Epistulae Austrasicae) is a collection of 48 Latin letters sent from or to Austrasia between the 470s and 590s. The collection is transmitted in a single 9th-century manuscript from the Abbey of Lorsch. The collect ...

'' collection. He had received an invitation to the council written in the king's name. He had not attended and was writing to explain his absence to Nicetius. He claimed that he had not learned of the purpose of the council in time.

Notes

Bibliography

* * * {{refend 550 Catholic Church councils held in France Christianity in Francia