ecumenical council

Other forms: ecumenical councils

Definitions of ecumenical council

1. noun

   (early Christian church) one of seven gatherings of bishops from around the known world under the presidency of the Pope to regulate matters of faith and morals and discipline
   “the first seven councils through 787 are considered to be ecumenical councils by both the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church but the next fourteen councils are considered ecumenical only by the Roman Catholic church”

   types:

   First Council of Nicaea, Nicaea

   the first ecumenical council in 325 which produced the wording of the Nicene Creed and condemned the heresy of Arianism

   Constantinople, First Council of Constantinople

   the second ecumenical council in 381 which added wording about the Holy Spirit to the Nicene Creed

   Council of Ephesus, Ephesus

   the third ecumenical council in 431 which declared Mary as mother of God and condemned Pelagius

   Chalcedon, Council of Chalcedon

   the fourth ecumenical council in 451 which defined the two natures (human and divine) of Christ

   Constantinople, Second Council of Constantinople

   the fifth ecumenical council in 553 which held Origen's writings to be heretic

   Constantinople, Third Council of Constantinople

   the sixth ecumenical council in 680-681 which condemned Monothelitism by defining two wills in Christ, divine and human

   Nicaea, Second Council of Nicaea

   the seventh ecumenical council in 787 which refuted iconoclasm and regulated the veneration of holy images

   type of:

   council

   (Christianity) an assembly of theologians and bishops and other representatives of different churches or dioceses that is convened to regulate matters of discipline or doctrine