The Councils of the Catholic Church
Church Councils define Church Doctrine:
There are 5 types of councils, Diocesan, National,
Ecumenical, Plenary, and Provincial. No council has ever changed
Church dogma, nor can it, since dogma was proclaimed
by Jesus Christ Himself, Acts 6:12,15,15:6,*Gal 2:2.
An Ecumenical Council is where all the Bishops in the world that are entitled
to vote, gather under the presidency of the Pope or his representative.
There have been 21 Ecumenical councils in the history of the Church, other
important councils called 'synods' are marked '*'.
The very first council or meeting of the Apostles and presbyters is recorded
in Acts 15, and is called the Council of Jerusalem.
Tradition speaks of St. James as being the Bishop of Jerusalem at that
time of about 50 AD.
The Major Councils Are...
Nicaea I, 325: The first world council in Church history
was convened at the request of Emperor Constantine I (285-337). Jesus
Christ is GOD, and is equal to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, Nicene
Creed.
Constantinople I, 381: divinity of the Holy Spirit, condemn Arian heresy.
Rome 382: Pope Damasus I, settled the New Testament Canon. *
Hippo 393: work on the New Testament. *
Carthage 397: finalized the New Testament and the Deuterocanonicals. *
Ephesus, 431: Blessed Virgin is the Mother of GOD, hypostatic union.
Chalcedon, 451: condemned Monophysitism.
Constantinople II, 553: condemned the Three Chapters, and Nestorian heresy.
Constantinople III, 680: condemned Monothelitism, and censured Honorius.
Nicaea II, 787: condemned Iconoclasm.
Constantinople IV, 869: ended the Greek schism and deposed Photius.
Lateran I, 1123: issued decrees on celibacy and simony.
Lateran II, 1139: ended the Papal Schism.
Lateran III, 1179: condemned Albigensian and Waldensian heresies.
Lateran IV, 1215: planned a crusade, enacted reforms.
Lyons I, 1245: the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, true
body and blood of Christ in the consecration, unleavened bread in
hosts.
Lyons II, 1274: reunited the Church with the Greeks.
Vienne, 1311: abolished the Knight Templars.
Constance, 1414: ended the great schism. Basle, Ferrara.
Florence, 1431: union of Greeks, and enacted reforms.
Lateran V, 1512: treated of the Neo-Aristotelians, enacted reforms.
Trent, 1545: convened on Dec 4, 1545, and closed on Dec 4, 1563, it was
the longest Church council ever, 18 years, and made the largest number
of decrees. It is the most controversial among the Protestants
as they claim falsely that the deuterocanonicals were 'added' then, but
in fact they were 'reaffirmed'. If they were added, then how
could Martin Luther have removed them in 1531? See 'Carthage'
above. The council authenticated the Vulgate, and declared the Bible
& Tradition are rules of faith.
Vatican I, 1869: Papal infallibility.
Vatican II, 1962: the greatest religious event of the 20th century. So
much was accomplished in this council. There are several books
written on what was discussed here. Please refer to Vatican Council
II, Vols 1,2,3,4,5.
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