Ecumenical Councils http://catholicism.org/the-ecumenical-councils-of-the-catholic-church.html First Ecumenical Council Nicaea I Site: Nicaea (in N.W. Asia Minor) Year: A.D.

. 325 Pope: St. Sylvester I, 314-335 Emperor: Constantine I, Western Roman Emperor 306-337; Sole Emperor 324-337 Action: Called by the emperor and ratified by the Pope, this council condemned the heresy of Arius (priest of Alexandria, d. 336) by defining the CONSUBSTANTIALITY of God the Son with God the Father. The Son is of the same substance, homo-ousion, as the Father (St. Athanasius); not merely a like substance, homoiousion (as with the semi-Arians); nor is He (as Arius taught) some sort of super-creature. Note: St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church (d. 373), Bishop of Alexandria, was present as deacon and peritus at Nicaea; exiled five times and excommunicated by the Arians. St. Ephrem, Doctor of the Church (d. 373), deacon, was also present at Nicaea as peritus . Heresiarch: Arius. Second Ecumenical Council Constantinople I Site: Constantinople (near Bosporus, a strait in todays Turkey). Year: A.D. 381 Pope: St. Damasus I, 367-384 Emperor: Theodosius I, the Great, 379-395 Action: It appears that Pope St. Damasus I was not contacted in regard to this council attended by about 186 bishops. Called by the emperor, it was not attended by the pope or his legates or any bishops from the West. Nevertheless, it is listed as a General Council of the 4th century by papal decrees of the 6th century, by which time its doctrinal definitions were accepted throughout the Church (Murphy, pg. 41). This council condemned the heresy of Macedonius by clearly defining the divinity of the Holy Ghost: He is not created like the angels no matter how high an order is attributed to such a creature. The council also reaffirmed the faith of Nicaea. Note: St. Gregory Nazianzen, Doctor of the Church (d. 389), was the bishop presiding. St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church (d. 386), was also in attendance. Heresiarch: Macedonius. Third Ecumenical Council Ephesus Site: Ephesus (S. of Smyrna in SW Asia Minor). Year: A.D. 431 Pope: St. Celestine I, 423-432

Emperor: Theodosius II, 408-450 Action: Called by the Eastern Emperor, Theodosius II, influenced by his pious sister, St. Pulcheria (Emperor in the West was Valentinian III, 425-455), and ratified by Pope Celestine I, this council condemned the heresy of Nestorius by clearly defining the Divine maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are two natures in Christ (Divine and Human), but only one Person (Divine). Mary is the Mother of this one Divine Person, the eternal Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Nestorius was deposed as bishop of Constantinople. This council also briefly affirmed the condemnation of the Pelagians (see local Council of Carthage, A.D. 416). Note: St. Cyril of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church (d. 444), was the bishop presiding. Heresiarch : Nestorius. Fourth Ecumenical Council Chalcedon Site: Chalcedon, (north of Constatinople) Year: A.D. 451 Pope: Saint Leo I, the Great, 440-461 Emperor: Marcian, 450-457 Action: Called by Emperor Marcian, spouse of the chaste and noble St. Pulcheria, and ratified by Pope St. Leo the Great, the council condemned the heresy of the Abbot Eutyches, MONOPHYSITISM, which claimed that there existed only one nature (the divine) in Christ from the Incarnation onward. Though the council had approved the assertion that Constantinople should be ranked first after Rome ecclesiastically, Pope St. Leo did not. The primacy of the See of Rome was due to its possession of the Chair of Peter, not to any political power. In his Dogmatic Epistle, read by his legates at the end of the second session of the council (Oct. 10, 451), Pope St. Leo I also declared invalid all that had been done at the Robber Synod of Ephesus (a false Ephesus II): .we see no Council, but a den of thieves (Latrocinium). In the greatest testimony of the Eastern Council to the primacy of the Pope, the bishops cried out: Behold the faith of the fathers, the faith of the Apostles; thus through Leo has Peter spoken! Eutyches was excommunicated.

Note: Pope St. Leo I, Doctor of the Church (d. 461), was called the Soul of Chalcedon. Heresiarch/Heretics: Eutyches Monophysites. Fifth Ecumenical Council Constantinople II Site: Constantinople Year: A.D. 553 Pope: Vigilius, 537-555 Emperor: Justinian I, 527-565 Action: Effectively called by Justinian I and eventually ratified by Pope Vigilius, Constantinople II condemned a collection of statements known as the Three Chapters: 1) the person and the writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia, Master of Nestorius, originator of that heresy; 2) the writings of Theodoret of Cyrrhus; 3) the writings of Ibas of Edessa. The last two friends of Nestorius had been restored to their sees by Chalcedon

when they no longer opposed the teachings of St. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444) and of Ephesus. Chalcedon was not discredited here (as the Monophysites had hoped) since it had been concerned with men. Constantinople II was concerned with their writings, although a hundred years after they had died. Note: Two important local councils condemning heresies: Carthage (416) solemnly approved by Pope Innocent II, (401-417), and then in 418 by Pope Zosimus (417-418), condemned Pelagianism (Pelagius, a British Monk), which heresy denied original sin calling it only bad example. Orange (429) France, solemnly approved by Pope Boniface II (530-532), condemned Semi-Pelagianism (an over-reaction to St. Augustine on grace), which claimed man needed grace only after his first supernatural act. St. Augustine made it clear that Gods grace is first. Note: Council referred much to St. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church (d. 444). Heresiarch: Theodore of Mopsuestia (3 Chapters). Sixth Ecumenical Council Constantinople III Site: Constantinople Years: A.D. 680-681 Popes: St. Agatho, 678-681, and St. Leo II, 682-683 Emperor: Constantine IV, 668-685 Action: Called by Emperor Constantine IV, and its calling authorized by Pope St. Agatho, this council condemned the heresy of the Monothelites (Mono -one thelema -will), which attributed only one will, to Christ (the divine), instead of two wills (divine and human), which two are in perfect accord within the one divine person, Jesus. Constantinople III also reconfirmed Chalcedon. Pope St. Leo II, 682 683, approved the decrees of Constantinople III, Pope St. Agatho having died (Jan. 10) before the councils end. Note: Pope St. Leo II also condemned Pope Honorius I (625-638) for negligence of duty in the face of heresy, in that he should have ascertained that Sergius was teaching not a mere harmony (oneness) of wills in Christ but literally one will in Christ, the divine will. Honorius had not spoken ex cathedra, so infallibility had not been involved. Heresiarch: Sergius (patriarch of Constantinople, 610 A.D.) who originated Monotheletism. Seventh Ecumenical Council Nicaea II Site: Nicaea Year: A.D. 787 Pope: Hadrian I, 772-795 Emperors: Constantine VI, 780-797 and Empress Irene (797-802) Action: This council, called by Empress Irene (widow of Emperor Leo IV and regent for her son Constantine VI), with its doctrinal decree ratified by Pope Hadrian I, condemned ICONOCLASM. The Popes epistle here, just as with Pope St.Leo I at Chalcedon, set the tone of the council. Note: Brewing beneath the surface at this time, however, was a rejection of papal authority. The Eastern Bishops, cut off from Rome and receptive to heresy under persecution, were held suspect by Rome.

Note: Iconoclasm had been fostered by Emperor Leo III (717-741), who was opposed by Popes Gregory II (715-731) and Gregory III (731-741) and by St. John Damascene (d. 749), priest and Doctor of the Church, who published three discourses in defense of images. Heresy: Iconoclasm.