View source for Talk:Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs

The only Orthodox support for Eight Councils comes from the 1848 reply of some of the Orthodox Patriarchs to Pope Pius IX's letter.

Now that one example, 1000 years after the Council, does not count for too much - and even less when one reads the letter and see that there seems some internal confusion. There are EIGHT references to only SEVEN Ecumenical Councils and TWO references to EIGHT Councils.

This is quite a discrepancy in this letter and those who support Eight Councils need to account for it. 


Here are all the references compiled from the Encyclical:

'''SEVEN:''' "For being the miserable cogitations and devices of miserable men, both one and the other, struck with the thunderbolt of the anathema of '''the seven Ecumenical Councils''', shall vanish away, though they may last a thousand years;"

'''SEVEN:''' "The new doctrine, that "the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son," is contrary to the memorable declaration of our LORD, emphatically made respecting it: which proceedeth from the Father (John xv. 26), and contrary to the universal Confession of the Catholic Church as witnessed by '''the seven Ecumenical Councils'''.."

'''SEVEN:''' "It reproaches the Fathers of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh Ecumenical Councils,

'''EIGHT:''' "It was subjected to anathema, as a novelty and augmentation of the Creed, by '''the eighth Ecumenical Council''', congregated at Constantinople for the pacification of the Eastern and Western Churches."

'''EIGHT:''' "by his letter to the holy Photius at '''the eighth Ecumenical Council'''.."

'''SEVEN:''' "But if his Holiness had sent us statements concordant and in unison with '''the seven holy Ecumenical Councils'''.."

'''SEVEN:''' "..and by '''the seven Ecumenical Councils''', and in obedience to the Truth."

'''SEVEN:''' "This same anathema '''the Seven Ecumenical C'''ouncils and the whole choir of God-serving fathers pronounced..."

'''SEVEN:''' "..taught in the Gospel from the mouth of our LORD, witnessed by the holy Apostles, by '''the seven sacred Ecumenical Councils''', preached throughout the world

'''SEVEN:''' "The august Ecumenical Councils, '''those seven pillars''' of the house of Wisdom, were organized in it and among us."
{{unsigned|Fr Ambrose}}