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Ecumenical Councils

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{{stubOrthodoxchristianity}}'''Ecumenical Councils''' are extraordinary [[synod]]s of [[bishop]]s which primarily decide upon [[dogma]]tic formulations, especially in the face of [[heresy]]. Secondarily, they also issue [[canon law|canonical legislation]] which governs the administration of the Church.
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== Seven Ecumenicity==An [[ecclesiology|ecclesiological]] theory which has been popular since the time of the [[Slavophiles|Slavophile]] philosopher [[Alexei Stepanovich Khomiakov|Alexis Khomiakov]] first defined it is that ecumenicity&mdash;the idea that a particular council is of universal, infallible significance for the Church&mdash;is determined by the reception of the whole body of the Church. That is, while a particular council may declare itself to be ecumenical, it may later be regarded by the Church as being a [[Robber Council]], that is, a council which did not declare the truth but rather [[heresy]]. Likewise, a council may properly teach the truth but not be of universal significance for the Church. Such councils are usually termed ''local''. That a council must be "received" by the Church before it can be considered ecumenical is sometimes termed ''receptionism''. Receptionism was formed primarily in opposition to [[Roman Catholic]] viewpoints on the same question. For the Roman Catholic Church, a council's ecumenicity is primarily determined by its ratification by the Pope of Rome. Orthodoxy does not have the same ecclesiological structure as Rome, however, and so Khomiakov and others attempted to formulate another model by which the infallibility of Ecumenical Councils may be determined. A form of receptionism (or, at least, language which is conducive to receptionist thought) may also be found in the 1848 [[Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs]], which proclaims against papism that the guardian of the truth is not the office of the pope, but the whole people of God. Theologians such as Fr. [[John S. Romanides]] have argued, however, that the councils universally regarded as ecumenical within the Orthodox Church seemed of themselves to have no sense of requiring a reception by the Church before they went into effect. Their texts do indeed include self-declarations of their ecumenicity, and in most cases, their decrees immediately were written into Roman imperial law. No condition of later reception is reflected in the councils' texts. Further, the question of when exactly one may say that the Church has received or Nine rejected a council is not answerable by receptionist theory. Another ecclesiological problem is also created by receptionism: Why is it, for instance, that the [[Fourth Ecumenical CouncilsCouncil]] may be said to have been "received by the whole Church" while significant numbers of Christians apparently within the Church rejected it, leading to the [[schism]] which even now persists? == Such reasoning is circular, because whoever accepts a council is therefore inside the Church, but any who reject it are outside. In other words, such councils are ecumenical essentially because those who hold to their decrees declare themselves exclusively to be the Church.
As far as some Orthodox are concerned, since The practical needs of the [[Seventh Ecumenical Council]] there has been no synod or council historical circumstances of the same scope as any of councils also bear out Romanides' analysis. Dogmatic decisions were needed right away when the Ecumenical councilsmet. Local meetings of hierarchs The idea that one could wait for decades or even centuries to know whether a council was truly ecumenical would have been called "pan-Orthodox," but these have invariably been simply meetings radically changed the character of local hierarchs of whatever Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions are party to such a specific local matter. From this point of view, there has been no fully "pan-Orthodox" ('''Ecumenical''') council since 787. Unfortunately, the use of the term "pan-Orthodox" is confusing to those not within Eastern Orthodoxy, and it leads to mistaken impressions that these are The councils''ersatz'' ecumenical councils rather than purely local councils to which nearby Orthodox hierarchs, regardless of jurisdiction, are invitedfathers regarded their decisions as immediately binding.
Others, including 20th century theologians Fr. [[John S. Romanides]] and Fr. [[George Metallinos]] (both of whom refer repeatedly to At the "Eighth and Ninth Ecumenical Councils"), Fr. [[George Dragas]]current time, Metropolitan [[Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos]], and the 1848 [[Encyclical episcopacy of the Eastern Patriarchs]] (which refers explicitly to the "Eighth Ecumenical Council" and was signed by the [[patriarch]]s of [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]], [[Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]], and [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]] has not as well yet put forward a universal definition as the [[Holy Synod]]s of the first three), regard other synods beyond the [[Seventh Ecumenical Council]] as being ecumenicalto what precisely lends a council its ecumenicity. Those who regard these What is generally held is that councils may be regarded as ecumenical often characterize the limitation of Ecumenical Councils to only seven to be and infallible because they accurately teach the result of Jesuit influence truth handed down in Russia, part of tradition from the so-called "[[Western Captivity of OrthodoxyChurch Fathers]]."
== List Canonical status==The canons of the Ecumenical Councils ==are regarded within the Orthodox Church as universally authoritative, though not in a strictly constructionist sense. Their canons have often been repealed or revised by the decisions of local synods or even of later Ecumenical Councils. Nevertheless, their legislation is central to the Orthodox canonical tradition, and appeals to such canons are more frequently made than to any other source of canonical legislation.
== List of the Seven Ecumenical Councils ==
* I. [[First Ecumenical Council|First Council of Nicea]], (325); repudiated [[Arianism]], adopted the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|Nicene Creed]].
 
* II. [[Second Ecumenical Council|First Council of Constantinople]], (381); revised the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed|Nicene Creed]] into the present form used in the [[Orthodox Church|Eastern]] and [[Oriental Orthodox]] churches.
 
* III. [[Third Ecumenical Council|Council of Ephesus]], (431); repudiated [[Nestorianism]], proclaimed the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God (Greek, [[Theotokos|&#920;&#949;&#959;&#964;&#972;&#954;&#959;&#962;]]).
 
* IV. [[Fourth Ecumenical Council|Council of Chalcedon]], (451); repudiated the [[Eutychianism|Eutychian]] doctrine of [[Monophysitism]], described and delineated the two natures of Christ, human and divine; adopted the [[Chalcedonian Creed]]. This and all following councils are not recognized by [[Oriental Orthodox|Oriental Orthodox Communion]].
 
* V. [[Fifth Ecumenical Council|Second Council of Constantinople]], (553); reaffirmed decisions and doctrines explicated by previous Councils, condemned new [[Arianism|Arian]], [[Nestorianism|Nestorian]], and [[Monophysitism|Monophysite]] writings.
 
* VI. [[Sixth Ecumenical Council|Third Council of Constantinople]], (680-681); repudiated [[Monothelitism]], affirmed that Christ had both human and Divine wills.
 
**[[Quinisext Council|Quinisext/Penthekte Council]] (= Fifth and Sixth) or Council in Trullo, (692); mostly an administrative council that raised some local [[canon]]s to ecumenical status and established principles of clerical discipline. It is not considered to be a full-fledged council in its own right because it did not determine matters of doctrine. This council is accepted by the [[Orthodox Church]] as a part of the [[Sixth Ecumenical Council]], but that is rejected by [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]].
* VII. [[Seventh Ecumenical Council|Second Council of Nicea]], (787); restoration of the veneration of [[icons]] and end of the first [[iconoclasm]].
* VII. == Seven or Nine Ecumenical Councils? ==As far as some Orthodox are concerned, since the [[Seventh Ecumenical Council|Second Council of Nicaea]]there has been no synod or council of the same scope as any of the Ecumenical councils. Local meetings of hierarchs have been called "pan-Orthodox, " but these have invariably been simply meetings of local hierarchs of whatever Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions are party to a specific local matter. From this point of view, there has been no fully "pan-Orthodox" ('''Ecumenical''') council since 787); restoration . Unfortunately, the use of the veneration of [[icons]] term "pan-Orthodox" is confusing to those not within Eastern Orthodoxy, and end it leads to mistaken impressions that these are ''ersatz'' ecumenical councils rather than purely local councils to which nearby Orthodox hierarchs, regardless of the first [[iconoclasm]]jurisdiction, are invited.
Others, including 20th century theologians Fr. [[John S. Romanides]] and Fr. [[George Metallinos]] (both of whom refer repeatedly to the "Eighth and Ninth Ecumenical Councils"), Fr. [[George Dragas]], Metropolitan [[Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos]], and the 1848 [[Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs]] (which refers explicitly to the "Eighth Ecumenical Council" and was signed by the [[patriarch]]s of [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]], [[Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]], and [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]] as well as the [[Holy Synod]]s of the first three), regard other synods beyond the [[Seventh Ecumenical Council]] as being ecumenical. Those who regard these councils as ecumenical often characterize the limitation of Ecumenical Councils to only seven to be the result of Jesuit influence in Russia, part of the so-called "[[Western Captivity of Orthodoxy]]."
The next ===Eight and Ninth=== These two are regarded as ecumenical by some in the [[Orthodox Church]] but not by other Orthodox Christians, who instead consider them to be important local councils.* VIII. [[Eighth Ecumenical Council|Fourth Council of Constantinople]], (879-880); restored St. [[Photius the Great]] to his see in Constantinople and anathematized any who altered the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed]], abrogating the decrees of the [[Robber Council of 869-870]]. This council was at first accepted as ecumenical by the West but later repudiated in favor of the robber council in 869-870 which had deposed Photius.* IX. [[Ninth Ecumenical Council|Fifth Council of Constantinople]], (1341-1351); affirmed [[hesychasm|hesychastic]] theology according to St. [[Gregory Palamas]] and condemned the Westernized philosopher [[Barlaam of Calabria]].
* VIII. ==Later councils==Although based strongly on the [[Eighth Ecumenical Council|Fourth Council of Constantinople]], (879-880); restored St. [[Photius the GreatCouncils]] Orthodox doctrine continues to his see in Constantinople and anathematized any who altered be defined through the [[Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed]], abrogating church. These include the decrees mind of the church as expressed through [[Robber Council of 869-870Synod|Local Councils]]and letters or statements of faith put out by individual bishops. This council was at first accepted as ecumenical by the West but later repudiated Those decisions/statements made in favor the [[Robber Council of 869-870|robber council]] which had deposed Photius.past that bear particular importance today are:
* IX. #The Encyclical Letter of Saint Photius (867)#The First Letter of [[Ninth Ecumenical CouncilMichael I Cerularius of Constantinople|Fifth Council Michael Cerularius]] to Peter of Antioch (1054)#The decisions of ‘the Councils of Constantinoplein 1341 and 1351 on the Hesychast Controversy#The Encyclical Letter of Saint [[Mark of Ephesus]](1440-1441).#The Confession of Faith by Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople (13411455-13511456); affirmed #The Replies of [[hesychasmJeremias II Tranos of Constantinople|hesychasticJeremias]] theology according the Second to St. the Lutherans (1573-1581)#The Confession of Faith by [[Gregory PalamasMetrophanes (Kritopoulos) of Alexandria|Metrophanes Kritopoulos]] and condemned the Westernized philosopher (1625)#The Orthodox Confession by [[Barlaam Peter Mogila|Peter of CalabriaMoghila]]., in its revised form (ratified by the Council of Jassy, 1642)#The Confession of Dositheus (ratified by the Council of Jerusalem, 1672)#The Answers of the Orthodox Patriarchs to the Non-Jurors (1718, 1723)#The Reply of the Orthodox Patriarchs to Pope Pius the Ninth (1848)#The Reply of the Synod of Constantinople to Pope Leo the Thirteenth (1895)#The Encyclical Letters by the Patriarchate of Constantinople on Christian unity and on the 'Ecumenical Movement' (1920, 1952)
Documents 5-9 are sometimes called the '''Symbolical Books''' of the Orthodox Church
== See also ==
 *[[Canons of the Orthodox ChurchCanon law]]
== External links ==
 * [http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/Orthodox-Faith/Doctrine/The-CouncilsOCchapter.html asp?SID=2&ID=5 The Councils] - Fr. [[Thomas Hopko]]'s outline of the Ecumenical Councils (in "the rainbow series" [[Orthodox_Catechisms_In_EnglishOrthodox_Catechisms_in_English|catechism]])* [http://home.it.net.au/~jgrapsas/pages/Ecumenical_Councils.htm The Ecumenical Councils of the Orthodox Church] by the V. Rev. N. Patrinacos* [http://www.geocities.com/trvalentine/orthodox/8-9synods.html The Eighth and Ninth Ecumenical Councils]* [http://mb-soft.com/believe/txw/orthcoun.htm Orthodox Church Listing of Synods and Councils] 
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 [[Categoryel:Ecumenical CouncilsΟικουμενικές Σύνοδοι]][[fr:Concile œcuménique]][[mk:Вселенски собори]][[ro:Sinoade Ecumenice]]
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