Ildefonsus or Ildephonsus (rarely ''Ildephoses'' or ''Ildefonse''; Spanish: San Ildefonso; c. 8 December 607 – 23 January 667) was a scholar and theologian who served as the metropolitan

Bishop of Toledo This is a list of Bishops and Archbishops of Toledo ( la, Archidioecesis Metropolitae Toletana).

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

name was Hildefuns. In the

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...

he is known as Dexius (ደቅስዮስ ''Daqsəyos'') based on the Ge'ez translation of

legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, co ...

about his life. Although his writings were less influential outside of

Hispania Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hispania ...

, Ildefonsus was

canonised Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...

and remained a potent force in the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

for centuries. Spanish missionaries, and to a lesser extent Portuguese ones, spread his ideas worldwide.

Life

Ildefonsus was born to a prominent

Visigoth The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is kno ...

ic family in Toledo during the reign of

Witteric Witteric ( es, Witerico; Portuguese and Galician: ''Viterico''; 565 – April 610) was the Visigoth King of Hispania, Septimania and Galicia. He ruled from 603 to 610. Rise to power The first mention of Witteric in history was as a conspirator ...

. Civil wars racked the

Visigothic kingdom The Visigothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of the Goths ( la, Regnum Gothorum), was a kingdom that occupied what is now southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. One of the Germanic peoples, Germanic su ...

during most of Ildefonsus' life. His uncle

Eugenius Eugenius (died 6 September 394) was a usurper in the Western Roman Empire (392–394) against Emperor Theodosius I. While Christian himself, Eugenius capitalized on the discontent in the West caused by Theodosius' religious policies targeting p ...

, who later became Toledo's bishop, began educating the devout youth. Ildefonsus began his religious career circa 632 when Bishop Eladius of Toledo ordained him as a deacon. However, Ildefonse defied his family's plans for his clerical career by becoming a monk at the

Agali monastery The monastery of Agali, probably dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian, was founded around 590/600 in the vicinity of Toledo. It probably lay along the important road from Complutum to Gaul.García Moreno 1993, 186. Several of its monks became bi ...

outside the city. While he was still a simple monk, he founded and endowed a monastery of nuns. Poncelet, Albert. "St. Ildephonsus." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 9 Mar. 2015
/ref> In 650 Ildefonsus was elected its abbot of Agali. In that capacity, he attended two synods of the Iberian church, the

8th 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

and 9th Councils of Toledo. When his uncle Bishop Eugenius II died in 657, Ildefonsus was elected his successor as bishop of Toledo. King

Recceswinth Recceswinth (died 1 September 672) was the Visigoths, Visigothic Visigothic Kingdom, King of Hispania, and Septimania in 649–672. He ruled jointly with his father Chindaswinth until his father's death in 653. Name His Gothic language, Gothic n ...

compelled him to accept the position, as Ildefonsus later complained to his protege and successor, Bishop

Quiricus of Barcelona Quiricus ( ca, Quirze), a churchman and well-connected man of letters, was the bishop of Barcelona from 648 until about 667 during the Visigothic period. Quiricus wrote a hymn in honour of Saint Eulalia. The hymn ''Barchinon laete Cucufate vernan ...

Legends

At the end of the 8th century,

Cixila Cixila (died 783) was the Archbishop of Toledo This is a list of Bishops and Archbishops of Toledo ( la, Archidioecesis Metropolitae Toletana).Leocadia Saint Leocadia (french: Sainte Léocadie; es, Santa Leocadia) is a Spanish saint. She is thought to have suffered martyrdom and died on December 9, ca. 304, in the Diocletianic Persecution. The feast day for St. Leocadia of Toledo appears und ...

when the martyr arose from her tomb and thanked him for the devotion he showed towards the Mother of God. It was reported that on 18 December 665 he experienced a vision of the Blessed Virgin when she appeared to him in person and presented him with a priestly vestment, to reward him for his zeal in honouring her. As Bishop Ildefonsus and the congregation sang Marian hymns, light engulfed the church, causing most worshippers to flee. Ildefonsus, remaining with a few deacons, saw Mary descend and sit on the episcopal throne. She praised Ildefonsus for his devotion, and vested him with a special

chasuble The chasuble () is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian churches that use full vestments, primarily in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. In the Easter ...

from her son's treasury, which she instructed the bishop to wear only during Marian festivals. In part because of the vision, Rome later elevated Toledo's status to the metropolitan see of

Carthaginiensis Hispania ( la, Hispānia , ; nearly identically pronounced in Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian) was the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula and its provinces. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hispania ...

, with the most authority in the Iberian Peninsula.Collins, ''Visigothic Spain'', 168.

Death and legacy

Ildefonsus died after a decade in office and was buried at his (and the city's) basilica, Toledo's Church of Santa Leocadia. Another Council of Toledo decreed that henceforth 18 December would be celebrated as a Marian feast day, to commemorate his vision, although some sources claim that feast day was added to the calendar during the 10th Council (where Ildefonsus had served as a reporter), along with the

Feast of the Annunciation The Feast of the Annunciation, in Greek, Ο Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, contemporarily the Solemnity of the Annunciation, and also called Lady Day, the Feast of the Incarnation ('), or Conceptio Christi ('), commemorates the ...

on 25 March. Even during the Muslim occupation, when the basilica was converted into a mosque, the area where the vision occurred remained sacred and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Pilgrims travelled to Toledo to see the stone where Mary stepped during Ildefonsus' vision. During later wars, Ildefonsus' remains were transferred to Zamora, where they remain at the Church of Sts. Peter and Ildefonso. Quiricus, the dedicatee of Ildefonsus' ''De perpetua virginitate'', succeeded him as bishop. His later successor, Julian, included Ildefonsus among the biographies added in his own continuation to the ''De viris illustribus''. Another successor,

Cixila Cixila (died 783) was the Archbishop of Toledo This is a list of Bishops and Archbishops of Toledo ( la, Archidioecesis Metropolitae Toletana).Rodrigo de Cerrato included Ildefonsus among his vignettes of illustrious men. Ildefonsus is considered a patron saint of Toledo, Zamora, and several smaller towns. His

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

is 23 January, the date of his death. In Olula del Río (Almería), festivities begin with a bonfire and fireworks the previous night, and continue with a traditional procession of the saint's image with bread being tossed onto onlookers. Iberian missionaries promoted San Ildefonso worldwide, including the

San Ildefonso Peninsula San Ildefonso Peninsula is a peninsula in Central Luzon, central part of Luzon island, Philippines, at . It is attached to the mainland through a 3.5 mile wide strip of land. Cape San Ildefonso can be found south of the peninsula. The peninsula ...

and municipalities San Ildefonso, Bulacan, Patron Saint of

Tanay, Rizal Tanay, officially the Municipality of Tanay ( tgl, Bayan ng Tanay ), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 139,420 people. It is located east of Manila, althoug ...

and

San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur San Ildefonso, officially the Municipality of San Ildefonso ( ilo, Ili ti San Ildefonso; fil, Bayan ng San Ildefonso), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...

in the Philippines, San Ildefonso Ixtahuacán in Guatemala, San Ildefonso, San Vicente in El Salvador and

San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico San Ildefonso Pueblo (Tewa: Pʼohwhogeh Ówîngeh ’òhxʷógè ʔówîŋgè"where the water cuts through" ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States, and a federally recognized tribe, established c. 130 ...

Theology and writings

Some consider Ildefonsus the source of common Spanish allusions to Mary as "the Virgin" rather than "Our Lady" per French or "the Lady" in Italian practice. Ildefonsus' most important work was his ''De perpetua virginitate Mariae contra tres infideles'', which imitated an earlier work by

Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...

, and became the center of Spanish Marian theology. The three heretics reflected the Marian teaching of Eligius, with whom Ildefonsus disagreed theologically. Ildefonsus utilises Isidore's "synonymous method" (or ''Synonyma Ciceronis'') for theological purposes, wherein he repeats every phrase several times in different, although purportedly identical, ways. The identifications reveal the arguments in a rhetorically strong way, and lexicographers study the synonyms Ildefonsus used. Ildefonsus also probably wrote the

Visigothic The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is kno ...

Mass of Ascension, which explains how the benefits received from Christ are richer than the wonders he performed, such as "ascending unaided to the clouds". Theologically, Ildefonsus regarded the

Nicene Creed The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...

as ''sufficientem scientiam salutarem'' (sufficient knowledge for salvation) and as a ''

foedus ''Foederati'' (, singular: ''foederatus'' ) were peoples and cities bound by a treaty, known as ''foedus'', with Rome. During the Roman Republic, the term identified the ''socii'', but during the Roman Empire, it was used to describe foreign stat ...

'' (compact) between believer and God. Like

Isidore of Seville Isidore of Seville ( la, Isidorus Hispalensis; c. 560 – 4 April 636) was a Spanish scholar, theologian, and archbishop of Seville. He is widely regarded, in the words of 19th-century historian Montalembert, as "the last scholar of ...

before him, Ildefonsus regarded the creed as forming "two pacts" between God and believer: one renouncing the devil, and another the statement of belief itself. Ildefonsus encouraged frequent Communion, implying that normal practice was infrequent, and insisted upon preparation, which may have discouraged many. Ildefonsus' ''De viris illustribus'' is a continuation, in thirteen parts, of a work of Isidore bearing the same name. The book contains no

biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

quotations, but expands the biographies of famous writers to include illustrious leaders in the church and government, including Isidore himself (though Ildefonsus appears ignorant of

Braulio of Zaragoza Braulio ( la, Braulius Caesaraugustanus; 585 – 651 AD) was bishop of Zaragoza and a learned cleric living in the Kingdom of the Visigoths. Life Braulio was born of a noble Hispano-Roman family. His father was Bishop of Osma. In 610 Braulio bec ...

's better biography of Isidore). Ildefonsus' edition emphasised the monastic backgrounds of Toledo's earlier bishops (adding seven biographies). Nonetheless, modern editors note his pastoral concern and emphasis on ''praedicatio'' (preaching). Ildefonsus' continuation became an important historical source concerning Toledo during the 6th and 7th centuries. Ildefonsus also prepared an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

of Isidore's works, excluding the ''Epistula ad Leudefredum''. In his ''De cognitione baptismi'', Ildefonsus explained the biblical origins of the sacrament, as well as Hispanic baptismal practices and important prayers. The work relied on Augustine's narrative concerning the psalms, as well as

Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregori ...

's moral teachings, and Isidore's ''Etymologies''. With respect to the latter, Ildefonsus dared to disagree with Isidore concerning Masses for the dead who had not had their

last rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortall ...

Julian of Toledo Julian of Toledo (642–690) was born in Toledo, Hispania. He was well educated at the cathedral school, was a monk and later abbot at Agali, a spiritual student of Saint Eugene II, and archbishop of Toledo. He was the first bishop to have prim ...

in his ''Prognosticum'' followed Ildefonsus in arguing that such could still be effective. Ildefonsus also wrote ''De progressu spiritualis deserti'' elaborating on the same themes, analogizing baptism as a personal equivalent to the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, and the beginning of a personal spiritual journey. Several of Ildefonsus's letters to Quiricus of Barcelona survive. Julian of Toledo in the ''Elogium Ildefonsi'' mentions two lost works by Ildefonsus: ''Liber Prosopopoeia Imbecillitatis Propriae'' and ''Opusculum de proprietate personarum Patris, et Filii et Spiritus Sancti''. The former treatise (on his own imbecility) was probably a

confessional A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but sim ...

monologue or dialogue, and

Valerius of Bierzo Valerio of Bierzo (or Valerius of Bierzo; c. 630–c. 695Liz Herbert McAvoy, (2010), ''Anchoritic Traditions of Medieval Europe'', page 93. Boydell & Brewer ) was an ascetic hermit and monk from the Bierzo region of Visigothic Spain. A number of h ...

may have used it as a model. The latter deals with

monothelitism Monothelitism, or monotheletism (from el, μονοθελητισμός, monothelētismós, doctrine of one will), is a theological doctrine in Christianity, that holds Christ as having only one will. The doctrine is thus contrary to dyotheliti ...

, a heresy of the time.Collins, "Julian of Toledo," 8 and n34. His work ''Libellus de Corona Virginis'' has recently been translated by Robert Nixon and published as ''Crown of the Virgin: An Ancient Meditation on Mary's Beauty, Virtue, and Sanctity'' by Catholic publisher TAN Books.

Notes

Sources

*Collins, Roger. ''Visigothic Spain, 409–711''. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. . *Collins, Roger. "The 'Autobiographical' Works of Valerius of Bierzo: their Structure and Purpose." ''Los Visigodos: Historia y Civilización''. ed. A. González Blanco. Murcia: Universidad de Murcia, 1986. Reprinted in ''Law, Culture and Regionalism in Early Medieval Spain''. Variorum, 1992. . *Collins, Roger. "Julian of Toledo and the Education of Kings in Late Seventh-Century Spain." ''Law, Culture and Regionalism in Early Medieval Spain''. Variorum, 1992. . Revised version of "Julian of Toledo and the Royal Succession in Late Seventh Century Spain," ''Early Medieval Kingship'', edd. P. H. Sawyer and I. N. Wood. Leeds: School of History, University of Leeds, 1977. * James, Edward (ed.) ''Visigothic Spain: New Approaches''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980. . *Ildefonsus. ''De viris illustribus'', ed. and trans. by C. Codoñer Merino in ''Acta Salmanticensia'', Filosofía y Letras, 65. Salamanca, 1972.