WHY WERE Ecumenical Councils NEEDED?
If incorrect theoretical postulates are accepted in a particular scientific discipline, then experimental experiments and research will not lead to the expected result. And all efforts will be in vain, because... the results of many works will be false. So it is in Vera. The Apostle Paul formulated this very clearly: “If there is no Resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen; and if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and our Faith is also in vain” (1 Cor. 15:13-14). Vain faith means faith that is not true, incorrect or false.
In science, due to false premises, some groups of researchers, or even entire scientific associations, may work uselessly for many years. Until they fall apart and disappear. In matters of Faith, if it is false, huge religious associations, entire nations, and states suffer. And they perish, both physically and spiritually; both in time and in eternity. There are many examples of this in history. That is why the Holy Spirit of God gathered at the Ecumenical Councils the holy fathers - the best representatives of humanity and “angels in the flesh”, so that they would develop such dogmas that could protect the Holy True Orthodox Faith from lies and heresies for millennia to come. There were seven Ecumenical Councils in the true Orthodox Church of Christ: 1. Nicaea, 2. Constantinople, 3. Ephesus, 4. Chalcedon, 5. 2nd Constantinople. 6. Constantinople 3rd and 7. Nicene 2nd. All decisions of the Ecumenical Councils began with the formula “It willed (please) the Holy Spirit and us...”. Therefore, all Councils could not be effective without its main participant - God the Holy Spirit.
FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
The First Ecumenical Council took place in 325 g., in the mountains Nicaea, under the emperor Constantine the Great. This Council was convened against the false teaching of the Alexandrian priest Aria, which rejected Divinity and pre-eternal birth of the second Person of the Holy Trinity, Son of God, from God the Father; and taught that the Son of God is only the highest creation. 318 bishops took part in the Council, among whom were: St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, St. James of Nizibia, St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, St. Athanasius the Great, who at that time was still in the rank of deacon, etc. The Council condemned and rejected the heresy of Arius and affirmed the immutable truth - the dogma that the Son of God is the true God, born of God the Father before all ages and is as eternal as God the Father; He is begotten, not created, and is of one essence with God the Father.
So that all Orthodox Christians can accurately know the true teaching of the faith, it was clearly and concisely stated in first seven members of the Creed.
At the same Council it was decided that everyone should celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon and after the Jewish Passover according to the Julian calendar. It was also determined that priests should be married, and many other rules were established.
SECOND ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
The Second Ecumenical Council took place in 381 g., in the mountains Constantinople, under the emperor Feodosia the Great. This Council was convened against the false teaching of the former Arian bishop of Constantinople Macedonia, which rejected Deity of the third person of the Holy Trinity, Holy Spirit; he taught that the Holy Spirit is not God, and called Him a creature or created power, and at the same time serving God the Father and God the Son, just like the Angels.
The Council was attended by 150 bishops, among whom were Saints Gregory the Theologian (he was the chairman of the Council), Gregory of Nyssa, Meletius of Antioch, Amphilochius of Iconium, Cyril of Jerusalem, and others. The holy Cappadocian fathers played an invaluable role in resolving trinitarian disputes (about the Holy Trinity): St. Basil the Great (330-379), his brother St. Gregory of Nyssa (335–394), and his friend and ascetic St. Gregory the Theologian (329–389). They were able to express the meaning of the Orthodox dogma about the trinity of God in the formula: “one essence - three hypostases.” And this helped to overcome the church schism. Their teaching: God the Father, God the Word (God the Son) and God the Holy Spirit are three hypostases, or three persons of one essence - God of the Trinity. God the Word and God the Holy Spirit have an eternal beginning: God the Father. God the Word is eternally “born” only from the Father, and the Holy Spirit is eternally “proceeding” only from the Father, as from the only beginning. “Birth” and “Origin” are two different concepts that are not identical to each other. Thus, God the Father has only one Son - God the Word - Jesus Christ. At the Council, the heresy of Macedonia was condemned and rejected. The Council approved dogma of the equality and consubstantiality of God the Holy Spirit with God the Father and God the Son.
The cathedral also added Nicene Creed five members, in which the teaching is set out: about the Holy Spirit, about the Church, about the sacraments, about the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Thus was compiled Nikeotsaregradsky Symbol of Faith, which serves as a guide for the Church at all times, and to this day. It is the main exposition of the meaning of the Orthodox Faith and is proclaimed by the people at every Divine Liturgy.
THIRD ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
The Third Ecumenical Council took place in 431 g., in the mountains Ephesus, under the emperor Theodosius II the Younger. The Council was convened against the false teaching of the Archbishop of Constantinople Nestoria, who wickedly taught that the Most Holy Virgin Mary gave birth to a simple man, Christ, with whom, then, God united morally and dwelt in Him, as in a temple, just as He previously dwelt in Moses and other prophets. That is why Nestorius called the Lord Jesus Christ Himself a God-bearer, and not a God-man, and called the Most Holy Virgin Christ-bearer, and not the Mother of God. 200 bishops were present at the Council. The Council condemned and rejected the heresy of Nestorius and decided to recognize the union in Jesus Christ, from the time of the Incarnation, of two natures: Divine and human; and determined: to confess Jesus Christ as perfect God and perfect Man, and the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. The Council also approved the Niceno-Tsaregrad Creed and strictly forbade making any changes or additions to it.
FOURTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
The Fourth Ecumenical Council took place in 451, in the mountains Chalcedon, under the emperor Marcians. The council was convened against the false teaching of the archimandrite Eutyches who denied human nature in the Lord Jesus Christ. Refuting heresy, and defending the Divine dignity of Jesus Christ, he himself fell to the other extreme, and taught that in the Lord Jesus Christ human nature was completely absorbed by the Divinity, therefore only one Divine nature should be recognized in Him. This false teaching is called monophysitism, and his followers are called Monophysites(same-naturalists).
650 bishops were present at the Council. However, the correct definition of religion, which defeated the heresy of Eutyches and Dioscorus, was achieved through the works of St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. John of Antioch and St. Leo, Pope of Rome. Thus, the Council formulated the Orthodox teaching of the Church: Our Lord Jesus Christ is true God and true Man: in Divinity He is eternally born of God the Father, in humanity He was born of the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Virgin, and in everything is like us, except for sin. At the Incarnation (birth from the Virgin Mary) Divinity and humanity were united in Him as one Person, unmerged and unchangeable(against Eutyches) inseparably and inseparably(against Nestorius).
FIFTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
The Fifth Ecumenical Council took place in 553, in the mountains Constantinople, under the famous emperor Justinians I. The council was convened over disputes between the followers of Nestorius and Eutyches. The main subject of controversy was the writings of three teachers of the Syrian Church, who enjoyed fame in their time, namely Theodore of Mopsuet, Theodoret of Cyrus and Willow of Edessa, in which Nestorian errors were clearly expressed, and at the Fourth Ecumenical Council nothing was mentioned about these three works. The Nestorians, in a dispute with the Eutychians (Monophysites), referred to these writings, and the Eutychians found in this a pretext to reject the 4th Ecumenical Council itself and slander the Orthodox Ecumenical Church, saying that it had allegedly deviated into Nestorianism.
165 bishops were present at the Council. The council condemned all three works and Theodore of Mopset himself as unrepentant, and regarding the other two, the condemnation was limited only to their Nestorian works, but they themselves were pardoned, because they renounced their false opinions and died in peace with the Church. The Council again repeated its condemnation of the heresy of Nestorius and Eutyches. At the same Council, Origen’s heresy of Apocatastasis was condemned - the doctrine of universal salvation (that is, everyone, including unrepentant sinners, and even demons). This Council also condemned the teachings: “about the pre-existence of souls” and about “reincarnation (reincarnation) of the soul.” Heretics who did not recognize the general Resurrection of the dead were also condemned.
SIXTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
The Sixth Ecumenical Council was convened in 680, in the mountains Constantinople, under the emperor Constantine Pagonate, and consisted of 170 bishops.
The council was convened against the false teaching of heretics - monothelites who, although they recognized in Jesus Christ two natures, Divine and human, but one Divine will.
After the 5th Ecumenical Council, the unrest caused by the Monothelites continued and threatened the Byzantine Empire with great danger. Emperor Heraclius, wanting reconciliation, decided to persuade the Orthodox to make concessions to the Monothelites and, by the force of his power, commanded to recognize in Jesus Christ one will with two natures. The defenders and exponents of the true teaching of the Church were Sophrony, Patriarch of Jerusalem and Constantinople monk Maxim the Confessor, whose tongue was cut out and his hand cut off for his firmness of faith. The Sixth Ecumenical Council condemned and rejected the heresy of the Monothelites, and determined to recognize Jesus Christ has two natures - Divine and human, and according to these two natures - two wills, but so that the human will in Christ is not contrary, but submissive to His Divine will. It is worthy of note that at this Council excommunication was pronounced among other heretics, and Pope Honorius, who recognized the doctrine of unity of will as Orthodox. The Council's resolution was also signed by the Roman legates: Presbyters Theodore and George, and Deacon John. This clearly indicates that the highest authority in the Church belongs to the Ecumenical Council, and not to the Pope.
After 11 years, the Council again opened meetings in the royal chambers, called Trullo, to resolve issues primarily related to church deanery. In this respect, it seemed to complement the Fifth and Sixth Ecumenical Councils, and therefore called Fifth-sixth. The Council approved the rules by which the Church should be governed, namely: 85 rules of the Holy Apostles, rules of 6 Ecumenical and 7 local Councils, and rules of 13 Fathers of the Church. These rules were subsequently supplemented by the rules of the Seventh Ecumenical Council and two more Local Councils, and constituted the so-called "Nomocanon", and in Russian "The Helmsman's Book", which is the basis of the church government of the Orthodox Church. At this Council, some innovations of the Roman Church were also condemned that did not agree with the spirit of the decrees of the Universal Church, namely: forced celibacy of priests and deacons, strict fasts on the Saturdays of Great Lent, and the depiction of Christ in the form of a lamb (lamb), etc.
SEVENTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
The Seventh Ecumenical Council was convened in 787, in the mountains Nicaea, under the empress Irina(widow of Emperor Leo Khozar), and consisted of 367 fathers.
The Council was convened against the iconoclastic heresy, which arose 60 years before the Council, under the Greek emperor Leo the Isaurian, who, wanting to convert the Mohammedans to Christianity, considered it necessary to destroy the veneration of icons. This heresy continued under his son Constantine Kopronima and grandson Lev Khozar. The Council condemned and rejected the iconoclastic heresy and determined - to deliver and believe in St. churches, along with the image of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, and holy icons; to honor and give them worship, raising the mind and heart to the Lord God, the Mother of God and the saints depicted on them.
After the 7th Ecumenical Council, the persecution of holy icons was again raised by the subsequent three emperors: Leo the Armenian, Michael Balba and Theophilus and worried the Church for about 25 years. Veneration of St. icons were finally restored and approved at the Local Council of Constantinople in 842, under Empress Theodora.
At this Council, in gratitude to the Lord God, who granted the Church victory over the iconoclasts and all heretics, it was established Feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy which is supposed to be celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent and which is still celebrated throughout the entire Ecumenical Orthodox Church.
NOTE: The Roman Catholic Church, instead of seven, recognizes more than 20 Ecumenical Councils, incorrectly including in this number the councils that were in the Western Church after the division of the Churches. But Lutherans do not recognize a single Ecumenical Council; they rejected the Church Sacraments and Sacred Tradition, leaving only the Holy Scriptures in veneration, which they themselves “edited” to suit their false teachings.

In the true Orthodox Church of Christ there was seven: 1. Nicene, 2. Constantinople, 3. Ephesian, 4. Chalcedonian, 5. Constantinople 2nd. 6. Constantinople 3rd and 7. Nicene 2nd.

FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

The First Ecumenical Council was convened in 325 city, in the mountains Nicaea, under Emperor Constantine the Great.

This Council was convened against the false teaching of the Alexandrian priest Aria, which rejected Divinity and pre-eternal birth of the second Person of the Holy Trinity, Son of God, from God the Father; and taught that the Son of God is only the highest creation.

318 bishops took part in the Council, among whom were: St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, James Bishop of Nisibis, Spyridon of Trimythous, St. Athanasius the Great, who was at that time still in the rank of deacon, etc.

The Council condemned and rejected the heresy of Arius and approved the immutable truth - dogma; The Son of God is the true God, born of God the Father before all ages and is as eternal as God the Father; He is begotten, not created, and is of one essence with God the Father.

So that all Orthodox Christians can accurately know the true teaching of the faith, it has been clearly and concisely stated in the first seven clauses Creed.

At the same Council it was decided to celebrate Easter for the first time Sunday The day after the first spring full moon, it was also determined that priests should be married, and many other rules were established.

SECOND ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

The Second Ecumenical Council was convened in 381 city, in the mountains Constantinople, under Emperor Theodosius the Great.

This Council was convened against the false teaching of the former Arian bishop of Constantinople Macedonia, who rejected the Divinity of the third Person of the Holy Trinity, Holy Spirit; he taught that the Holy Spirit is not God, and called Him a creature or created power and, moreover, serving God the Father and God the Son like Angels.

150 bishops were present at the Council, among whom were: Gregory the Theologian (he was the chairman of the Council), Gregory of Nyssa, Meletius of Antioch, Amphilochius of Iconium, Cyril of Jerusalem and others.

At the Council, the heresy of Macedonia was condemned and rejected. The Council approved dogma of the equality and consubstantiality of God the Holy Spirit with God the Father and God the Son.

The Council also complemented the Nicene Creed five members, in which the teaching is set out: about the Holy Spirit, about the Church, about the sacraments, about the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Thus, the Nikeotsaregradsky was compiled Creed, which serves as a guide for the Church for all times.

THIRD ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

The Third Ecumenical Council was convened in 431 city, in the mountains Ephesus, under Emperor Theodosius 2nd the Younger.

The Council was convened against the false teaching of the Archbishop of Constantinople Nestoria, who wickedly taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave birth to the simple man Christ, with whom God then united morally and dwelt in Him as in a temple, just as He previously dwelt in Moses and other prophets. That is why Nestorius called the Lord Jesus Christ Himself a God-bearer, and not a God-man, and called the Most Holy Virgin Christ-bearer, and not the Mother of God.

200 bishops were present at the Council.

The Council condemned and rejected the heresy of Nestorius and decided to recognize the union in Jesus Christ, from the time of the Incarnation, of two natures: Divine and human; and determined: to confess Jesus Christ as perfect God and perfect Man, and the Most Holy Virgin Mary as the Mother of God.

The cathedral also approved Nikeotsaregradsky Creed and strictly forbade making any changes or additions to it.

FOURTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

The Fourth Ecumenical Council was convened in 451 year, in the mountains Chalcedon, under the emperor Marcians.

The Council was convened against the false teaching of the archimandrite of a Constantinople monastery Eutyches who denied human nature in the Lord Jesus Christ. Refuting heresy and defending the Divine dignity of Jesus Christ, he himself went to extremes and taught that in the Lord Jesus Christ human nature was completely absorbed by the Divine, why only one Divine nature should be recognized in Him. This false teaching is called monophysitism, and his followers are called Monophysites(same-naturalists).

650 bishops were present at the Council.

The Council condemned and rejected the false teaching of Eutyches and determined the true teaching of the Church, namely, that our Lord Jesus Christ is true God and true man: according to Divinity He is eternally born of the Father, according to humanity He was born from the Blessed Virgin and is like us in everything except sin . At the Incarnation (birth from the Virgin Mary) Divinity and humanity were united in Him as one Person, unmerged and unchangeable(against Eutyches) inseparably and inseparably(against Nestorius).

FIFTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

The Fifth Ecumenical Council was convened in 553 year, in the city Constantinople, under the famous emperor Justinians I.

The council was convened over disputes between the followers of Nestorius and Eutyches. The main subject of controversy was the writings of three teachers of the Syrian Church, who enjoyed fame in their time, namely Theodore of Mopsuetsky, Theodoret of Cyrus And Willow of Edessa, in which Nestorian errors were clearly expressed, and at the Fourth Ecumenical Council nothing was mentioned about these three works.

The Nestorians, in a dispute with the Eutychians (Monophysites), referred to these writings, and the Eutychians found in this a pretext to reject the 4th Ecumenical Council itself and slander the Orthodox Ecumenical Church, saying that it had allegedly deviated into Nestorianism.

165 bishops were present at the Council.

The council condemned all three works and Theodore of Mopset himself as unrepentant, and regarding the other two, the condemnation was limited only to their Nestorian works, but they themselves were pardoned, because they renounced their false opinions and died in peace with the Church.

The Council again repeated its condemnation of the heresy of Nestorius and Eutyches.

SIXTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

The Sixth Ecumenical Council was convened in 680 year, in the city Constantinople, under the emperor Constantine Pogonata, and consisted of 170 bishops.

The council was convened against the false teaching of heretics - monothelites who, although they recognized in Jesus Christ two natures, Divine and human, but one Divine will.

After the 5th Ecumenical Council, the unrest caused by the Monothelites continued and threatened the Greek Empire with great danger. Emperor Heraclius, wanting reconciliation, decided to persuade the Orthodox to make concessions to the Monothelites and, by the force of his power, commanded to recognize in Jesus Christ one will with two natures.

The defenders and exponents of the true teaching of the Church were Sophrony, Patriarch of Jerusalem and Constantinople monk Maxim the Confessor, whose tongue was cut out and his hand cut off for his firmness of faith.

The Sixth Ecumenical Council condemned and rejected the heresy of the Monothelites, and determined to recognize in Jesus Christ two natures - Divine and human - and according to these two natures - two wills, but so that The human will in Christ is not contrary, but submissive to His Divine will.

It is worthy of note that at this Council the excommunication was pronounced, among other heretics, by the Roman Pope Honorius, who recognized the doctrine of unity of will as Orthodox. The Council's resolution was also signed by the Roman legates: Presbyters Theodore and George, and Deacon John. This clearly indicates that the highest authority in the Church belongs to the Ecumenical Council, and not to the Pope.

After 11 years, the Council again opened meetings in the royal chambers called Trullo, to resolve issues primarily related to church deanery. In this respect, it seemed to complement the Fifth and Sixth Ecumenical Councils, which is why it is called Fifth-sixth.

The Council approved the rules by which the Church should be governed, namely: 85 rules of the Holy Apostles, rules of 6 Ecumenical and 7 local Councils, and rules of 13 Fathers of the Church. These rules were subsequently supplemented by the rules of the Seventh Ecumenical Council and two more Local Councils, and constituted the so-called " Nomocanon"and in Russian" Helmsman's Book", which is the basis of the church government of the Orthodox Church.

At this Council, some innovations of the Roman Church were condemned that did not agree with the spirit of the decrees of the Universal Church, namely: forced celibacy of priests and deacons, strict fasts on the Saturdays of Great Lent, and the image of Christ in the form of a lamb (lamb).

SEVENTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

The Seventh Ecumenical Council was convened in 787 year, in the mountains Nicaea, under the empress Irina(widow of Emperor Leo Khozar), and consisted of 367 fathers.

The Council was convened against iconoclastic heresy, which arose 60 years before the Council, under the Greek emperor Leo the Isaurian, who, wanting to convert the Mohammedans to Christianity, considered it necessary to destroy the veneration of icons. This heresy continued under his son Constantine Kopronima and grandson Lev Khozar.

The Council condemned and rejected the iconoclastic heresy and determined - to deliver and place in St. churches, together with the image of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, and holy icons, venerate and give them worship, raising the mind and heart to the Lord God, the Mother of God and the Saints depicted on them.

After the 7th Ecumenical Council, the persecution of holy icons was again raised by the subsequent three emperors: Leo the Armenian, Michael Balba and Theophilus and worried the Church for about 25 years.

Veneration of St. icons was finally restored and approved Local Council of Constantinople in 842, under Empress Theodora.

At this Council, in gratitude to the Lord God, who granted the Church victory over the iconoclasts and all heretics, it was established Feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy which is supposed to be celebrated in first Sunday of Great Lent and which is still celebrated throughout the entire Ecumenical Orthodox Church.

NOTE: The Roman Catholic Church, instead of seven, recognizes more than 20 Universes. councils, incorrectly including in this number the councils that were in the Western Church after the division of the Churches, and the Lutherans, despite the example of the Apostles and the recognition of the entire Christian Church, do not recognize a single Ecumenical Council.

Ecumenical councils

Ecumenical councils - meetings of the highest clergy and representatives of local Christian churches, at which the foundations of Christian doctrine were developed and approved, canonical liturgical rules were formed, various theological concepts were evaluated and heresies were condemned. The Church, as the Body of Christ, has a single conciliar consciousness, guided by the Holy Spirit, which receives its definite expression in the decisions of church councils. The convening of councils is an ancient practice for resolving emerging church issues (in Acts 15, 6 and 37, the rule of St. App.). Due to the emergence of issues of general church significance, Ecumenical Councils began to be convened, by which a number of basic doctrinal truths were precisely formulated and approved, thus becoming part of the Holy Tradition. The status of the council is established by the Church on the basis of the nature of the decisions of the council and their correspondence with the church experience, the bearer of which is the church people.

The Orthodox Church recognizes seven Councils as “Ecumenical”:

• I Ecumenical Council - Nicaea 325
• II Ecumenical Council - Constantinople 381
• III Ecumenical Council - Ephesus 431
• IV Ecumenical Council - Chalcedon 451
• V Ecumenical Council - 2nd Constantinople 553
• VI Ecumenical Council- Constantinople 3rd (680-)
• VII Ecumenical Council - Nicaea 2nd. 787

FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

SIXTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

The Sixth Ecumenical Council was convened in 680, in Constantinople, under Emperor Constantine Pogonatus, and consisted of 170 bishops. The Council was convened against the false teaching of the heretics - the Monothelites, who, although they recognized in Jesus Christ two natures, Divine and human, but one Divine will. After the 5th Ecumenical Council, the unrest caused by the Monothelites continued and threatened the Greek Empire with great danger. Emperor Heraclius, wanting reconciliation, decided to persuade the Orthodox to make concessions to the Monothelites and, by the force of his power, commanded to recognize in Jesus Christ one will with two natures. The defenders and exponents of the true teaching of the Church were Sophronius of Jerusalem and the Constantinople monk Maximus the Confessor. The Sixth Ecumenical Council condemned and rejected the heresy of the Monothelites, and determined to recognize in Jesus Christ two natures - Divine and human - and according to these two natures - two wills, but in such a way that the human will in Christ is not contrary, but submissive to His Divine will.

After 11 years, the Council again opened meetings in the royal chambers called Trullo, to resolve issues primarily related to church deanery. In this respect, it seemed to complement the Fifth and Sixth Ecumenical Councils, which is why it is called the Fifth and Sixth. The Council approved the rules by which the Church should be governed, namely: 85 rules of the Holy Apostles, rules of 6 Ecumenical and 7 local Councils, and rules of 13 Fathers of the Church. These rules were subsequently supplemented by the rules of the Seventh Ecumenical Council and two more Local Councils, and constituted the so-called “Nomocanon”, or in Russian “Kormchaya Book”, which is the basis of the church government of the Orthodox Church.

At this Council, some innovations of the Roman Church were condemned that did not agree with the spirit of the decrees of the Universal Church, namely: forced celibacy of priests and deacons, strict fasts on the Saturdays of Great Lent, and the image of Christ in the form of a lamb (lamb).

SEVENTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL

The Seventh Ecumenical Council was convened in 787, in Nicaea, under Empress Irene (widow of Emperor Leo the Khazar), and consisted of 367 fathers. The Council was convened against the iconoclastic heresy, which arose 60 years before the Council, under the Greek emperor Leo the Isaurian, who, wanting to convert the Mohammedans to Christianity, considered it necessary to destroy the veneration of icons. This heresy continued under his son Constantine Copronymus and grandson Leo the Khazar. The Council condemned and rejected the iconoclastic heresy and determined - to deliver and place in St. churches, together with the image of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, and holy icons, venerate and give them worship, raising the mind and heart to the Lord God, the Mother of God and the Saints depicted on them.

After the 7th Ecumenical Council, the persecution of holy icons was again raised by the subsequent three emperors (Leo the Armenian, Michael Balbus and Theophilus) and worried the Church for about 25 years. Veneration of St. icons was finally restored and approved at the Local Council of Constantinople in 842, under Empress Theodora. At this Council, in gratitude to the Lord God, who gave the Church victory over the iconoclasts and all heretics, the holiday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy was established, which is supposed to be celebrated on the first Sunday of Great Lent and which is still celebrated throughout the entire Ecumenical Orthodox Church.

A number of councils were convened as Ecumenical Councils, but for some reason were not recognized by the Orthodox Church as Ecumenical. Most often this happened because the Pope refused to sign their decisions. Nevertheless, these councils enjoy the highest authority in the Orthodox Church and some Orthodox theologians believe that they should be included in the Ecumenical Councils.

• Fifth-sixth Cathedral (Trullo)
• IV Council of Constantinople -880
• V Council of Constantinople - gg.

Trullo Cathedral

The Council of Trullo was created by Emperor Justinian II in 691 in Constantinople. The Fifth and Sixth Ecumenical Councils did not make any definitions, focusing on the dogmatic needs of the Church and the fight against heresies. Meanwhile, the decline of discipline and piety intensified in the Church. The new Council was conceived as an addition to previous Councils, designed to unify and supplement church norms. The council was assembled in the same hall as the VI Ecumenical Council, clearly representing its continuation, and with the same universal significance. The same hall with vaults, the so-called "trulls", and the entire cathedral was officially given the name of Trullo in documents. And the task of completing the canons of two ecumenical councils - V and VI - is indicated by the addition to its name: “Fifth-Sixth - πενθεκτη” (Quinsextus).

The result of the activities of the Trullo Council were 102 canonical rules adopted at it (some of these canons repeat the rules of previous Ecumenical Councils). They formed the basis for the development of Orthodox canon law.

The Orthodox Church united the Trullo Council with the VI Ecumenical Council, considering it as a continuation of the VI Council. Therefore, the 102 canons of the Trullo Council are sometimes called the Rules of the VI Ecumenical Council. The Roman Catholic Church, recognizing the Sixth Council as Ecumenical, did not recognize the resolutions of the Trullo Council, and, of necessity, considers it as a separate council.

The 102 canons of the Trullo Council openly paint a broad picture of ecclesiastical and moral disorders and strive to eliminate all of them, reminding us of the tasks of our Russian councils: the Vladimir Council of 1274 and the Moscow Council of 1551.

Canons of Trullo Cathedral and the Roman Church

Many of the canons were polemically directed against the Roman Church or, in general, were alien to it. For example, canon 2 asserts the authority of 85 canons of the apostolic and other eastern councils, which the Roman Church did not consider binding on itself. The Romans used a collection of 50 apostolic rules of Dionysius the Less, but they were not considered binding. Canon 36 renewed the famous 28th canon of the Council of Chalcedon, which was not accepted by Rome. Canon 13 went against the celibacy of the clergy. Canon 55 went against the Roman post on the Sabbath. And other canons: the 16th about the seven deacons, the 52nd about the liturgy of the presanctified, the 57th about giving milk and honey into the mouth of the newly baptized - all this was against the customs of the Roman Church, sometimes openly called so.

Papal representatives in Constantinople signed the acts of the Council of Trullo. But when these acts were sent to Pope Sergius for signature in Rome, he flatly refused to sign them, calling them errors. Subsequently, before the division of churches, Constantinople made repeated attempts to convince Rome to accept the acts of the Trullo Council (from an attempt to forcefully bring the Pope from Rome to Constantinople to “resolve” this issue, to persuasion to revise the 102 rules, correct, reject what the pope finds necessary, and accept the rest), which gave varying results, but in the end the Roman Church never recognized the Council of Trulla.

Robber Cathedrals

Robber councils are church councils that the Church rejected as heretical; such councils were often held under external pressure or with violations of procedure. Below are the robber councils, which were organized as ecumenical councils:

• Ephesus "robber" council of 449
• Iconoclastic Cathedral
• Constantinople Robber Council 869-870.
• Florentine Cathedral 1431-1445 - revered by Catholics as Ecumenical.

For many centuries, since the birth of the Christian faith, people have tried to accept the revelation of the Lord in all its purity, and false followers distorted it with human speculation. To expose them and discuss canonical and dogmatic problems in the early Christian church, Ecumenical Councils were convened. They united adherents of the faith of Christ from all corners of the Greco-Roman Empire, shepherds and teachers from barbarian countries. The period from the 4th to the 8th centuries in church history is usually called the era of strengthening the true faith; the years of the Ecumenical Councils contributed to this in all their strength.

Historical excursion

For living Christians, the first Ecumenical Councils are very important, and their significance is revealed in a special way. All Orthodox and Catholics should know and understand what the early Christian Church believed in and what it was moving toward. In history one can see the lies of modern cults and sects that claim to have similar dogmatic teachings.

From the very beginnings of the Christian Church, there was already an unshakable and harmonious theology based on the basic doctrines of faith - in the form of dogmas about the Divinity of Christ, the spirit. In addition, certain rules of internal church structure, time and order of services were established. The first Ecumenical Councils were created specifically in order to preserve the dogmas of faith in their true form.

First holy meeting

The first Ecumenical Council took place in 325. Among the fathers present at the holy meeting, the most famous were Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, Archbishop Nicholas of Myra, Bishop of Nizibia, Athanasius the Great and others.

At the council, the teachings of Arius, who rejected the divinity of Christ, were condemned and anathematized. The unchangeable truth about the Face of the Son of God, his equality with the Father God, and the Divine essence itself were affirmed. Church historians note that at the cathedral, the definition of the very concept of faith was announced after lengthy tests and research, so that no opinions would arise that would give rise to a split in the thoughts of Christians themselves. The Spirit of God brought the bishops to agreement. After the end of the Council of Nicea, the heretic Arius suffered a difficult and unexpected death, but his false teaching is still alive among sectarian preachers.

All the decisions that the Ecumenical Councils adopted were not invented by its participants, but were approved by the church fathers through the participation of the Holy Spirit and solely on the basis of Holy Scripture. In order for all believers to have access to the true teaching that Christianity brings, it was set out clearly and briefly in the first seven members of the Creed. This form continues to this day.

Second Holy Assembly

The Second Ecumenical Council was held in 381 in Constantinople. The main reason was the development of the false teaching of Bishop Macedonius and his adherents of the Arian Doukhobors. Heretical statements ranked the Son of God as not consubstantial with God the Father. The Holy Spirit was designated by heretics as the ministering power of the Lord, like angels.

At the second council, the true Christian teaching was defended by Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory of Nyssa, and George the Theologian, who were among the 150 bishops present. The Holy Fathers established the dogma of the consubstantiality and equality of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In addition, the church elders approved the Nicene Creed, which continues to guide the church to this day.

Third Holy Assembly

The Third Ecumenical Council was convened in Ephesus in 431, and about two hundred bishops gathered there. The Fathers decided to recognize the union of two natures in Christ: human and divine. It was decided to preach Christ as a perfect man and a perfect God, and the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God.

Fourth Holy Assembly

The Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in Chalcedon, was convened specifically in order to eliminate all the Monophysite disputes that began to spread around the church. The Holy Assembly, consisting of 650 bishops, defined the only true teaching of the church and rejected all existing false teachings. The Fathers decreed that the Lord Christ is the true, unshakable God and true man. According to his divinity, he is eternally reborn from his father; according to humanity, he was brought into the world from the Virgin Mary, in all likeness to man, except for sin. At the Incarnation, the human and the divine were united in the body of Christ unchangeably, inseparably and inseparably.

It is worth noting that the heresy of the Monophysites brought a lot of evil to the church. The false teaching was not completely eradicated by conciliar condemnation, and for a long time disputes continued to develop between the heretical followers of Eutyches and Nestorius. The main reason for the controversy was the writings of three followers of the church - Fyodor of Mopsuet, Willow of Edessa, Theodoret of Cyrus. The mentioned bishops were condemned by Emperor Justinian, but his decree was not recognized by the Universal Church. Therefore, a dispute arose about the three chapters.

Fifth Holy Assembly

To resolve the controversial issue, the fifth council was held in Constantinople. The bishops' writings were harshly condemned. To highlight the true adherents of the faith, the concept of orthodox Christians and the Catholic Church arose. The Fifth Council failed to achieve the desired results. The Monophysites formed into societies that completely separated from the Catholic Church and continued to instill heresy and generate disputes within Christians.

Sixth Holy Assembly

The history of the Ecumenical Councils says that the struggle of orthodox Christians with heretics lasted for quite a long time. The sixth council (Trullo) was convened in Constantinople, at which the truth was finally to be established. At the meeting, which brought together 170 bishops, the teachings of the Monothelites and Monophysites were condemned and rejected. In Jesus Christ two natures were recognized - divine and human, and, accordingly, two wills - divine and human. After this council, Monothelianism fell, and for about fifty years the Christian church lived relatively calmly. New vague trends appeared later regarding the iconoclastic heresy.

Seventh Holy Assembly

The last 7th Ecumenical Council was held in Nicaea in 787. 367 bishops took part in it. The holy elders rejected and condemned the iconoclastic heresy and decreed that icons should not be given God-worship, which befits only God alone, but reverence and reverence. Those believers who worshiped icons as God himself were excommunicated from the church. After the 7th Ecumenical Council was held, iconoclasm troubled the church for more than 25 years.

The Meaning of Holy Assemblies

The Seven Ecumenical Councils are of paramount importance in the development of the basic tenets of Christian doctrine, on which all modern faith is based.

• The first - confirmed the divinity of Christ, his equality with the Father God.
• The second condemned the heresy of Macedonius, who rejected the divine essence of the Holy Spirit.
• The third - eliminated the heresy of Nestorius, who preached about the split faces of the God-man.
• The fourth dealt the final blow to the false teaching of Monophysitism.
• The fifth - completed the defeat of heresy and established the confession of two natures in Jesus - human and divine.
• The sixth - condemned the Monothelites and decided to confess two wills in Christ.
• The seventh - overthrew the iconoclastic heresy.

The years of Ecumenical Councils made it possible to introduce certainty and completeness into orthodox Christian teaching.

Eighth Ecumenical Council

Instead of a conclusion