Goal • Having switched the Disciple 4 & 5 weeks, we looks at an overview of the Sacraments

last week (Disciple 5), and explored the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. These Sacraments are two of the three that initiate us into the Church community, and into Christ’s body and mission. This week we’ll continue to unpack the meaning of Church by looking broadly at its history one the last 2000 years. We’ll also explore it’s role as Teacher. How does the Church function in and through history? How does God walk with the Church through it all?

Agenda • Welcome/Housekeeping (10)

• Questions & Answers • Introduction to the Rosary (15)

Discussion (15): • If the Church is The Body of Christ, what does this mean for Christ’s presence in the

world through history and in the world today? • What do I admire about the Catholic Church’s activity in history? Does any part of the

Church’s activity in history disturb or upset me? • How do I (might I) listen to what the Church has to say today? What is my

approach/attitude to the Church as “Teacher”? • Presentation: The Church: History (35) • Break (10) • Presentation: The Church: Teaching & Belief (30) • Discussion (time permitting):

• What is special to this moment in history? • What is the Good News of Christ & the Church that speaks to this moment in

history? • How can the body of Christ proclaim & witness the Gospel and walk with others

today? Housekeeping Notes

• Rite of Acceptance: February 10th at the 11:30am and 5:30 Masses. Come with your sponsor. See the Participants Guide Part 2 for the sample script.

• Christians seeking initiation or reception into the Catholic Church • Please look for or request a copy of your baptismal certificate • Contact the place you were baptized. If they don’t keep records, get a letter from

a family member. If records were lost, talk to us. Handouts

• Session Overview (this sheet) • Questions & Answers • Introduction to the Rosary (handout) • Slides: The Church – History • Slides: The Church—Teaching & Belief • Acts 15 • Nicene Creed (with notes on heresies) • Wikipedia article: Ecumenical Councils

Disciple

4January

15St. Dominic’s RCIA Program

The Church: History & Teaching

Preparing for next week (Disciple 6–Eucharist 1)

✝Consider a special meal or frequent meal ritual that your family shared recently or when you were younger? What traditions did your family practice at that meal? ✝What sets apart family dinners from eating alone? ✝Why do we gather at Mass (why is it communal?) ✝(If you have time) what happens at Mass? What should happen at Mass?

• Try praying the Rosary: On your own time, and at your own pace. It’s most helpful if you have the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be prayers memorized.

Questions and Answers: January 15, 2019Total questions: 75Questions answered: 42

No new questions from last week

Questions Answered on January 15, 2019 (Disciple 5)Answers

Can the Church function without a hierarchy? Does it have to have a Pope and Cardinals? - or could it just have aPope, without Cardinals? i.e., Could lay people be trusted to choose the Pope? (Importance: Curious, Topics:Church)

The hierarchy

The hierarchy is an inherent aspect of the Church, which was built on the foundation of the Apostles [Greek apostoloi:emissaries] chosen by Jesus for the continuation of His ministry and sent on mission to make disciples of all thenations. (Matthew 28:16) He constituted them in the form of “a college or permanent assembly, at the head of whichhe placed Peter, chosen from among them.” (Lumen Gentium 19) In choosing Peter to lead the Apostles, He said, “Youare Peter [Greek Petrus: rock], and upon this rock, I will build my Church.” (Matthew 16:18) To the Apostles as agroup, He said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you… Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sinsyou retain are retained.” (John 20:21, 23) As successor to Peter, the Pope is Bishop of Rome and is the “foundation ofthe unity of both the bishops and the whole company of the faithful.” (Lumen gentium22)

The Bishops have a responsibility to preach the Gospel to all. “Faith comes from what is heard.” (Romans 10:17) Onecannot give one self the mandate and mission to proclaim the Gospel; one only receives it and acts on Christ’sauthority. One cannot bestow grace on oneself; it must be given. Therefore, ministers of grace receive the missionand faculty to act in “persona Christi Capitis” (in the person of Christ the head), not in their own power. The termhumbles rather than exalts the minister, linking the sacramental role to its character as service. As it says in Lumengentium, “The holders of office, who are invested with a sacred power, are, in fact, dedicated to promoting theinterests of their brethren, so that all who belong to the People of God may obtain salvation.” (Lumen gentium18)

The ecclesial ministry is collegial. Chosen and sent out together, the Apostles had a fraternal unity at the service of allthe faithful, reflecting and witnessing the communion of the divine persons (John 17:21-23) Each Bishop acts fromwithin the ecclesial college in communion with the Bishop of Rome. While acting in communion with one another, theyalso act in a personal way, bearing personal witness and having responsibility within the common mission. (John 20:22)This balance between the personal and collegial character of the ecclesial ministry supports not only the people ofGod, but also the Church in her universal (catholic) capacity. “In the Church there is diversity of ministry but unity ofmission.” (Apostolicam actuositatem)

Cardinals (and Papal Elections)

The College of Cardinals is a separate (albeit overlapping) group, appointed by the Pope. Cardinals serve as hisadvisors, and elect the next Pope when he dies or retires. As an example of their advisory role, Pope Francis hasappointed a group of nine cardinals to advise him on the reformation of the Curia. Cardinals serve in many governingfunctions of the Church, for example, as Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith or as Secretary ofState for the Vatican.

While many of the cardinals are bishops or archbishops, there is no canonical requirement that a cardinal be a priestor bishop, although over time Popes have established and modified rules about this. Indeed, there would be nodoctrinal impediment to the Pope appointing even a laywoman to this role, though at this point in history, it wouldrequire setting aside current church law (which Popes can and have done) and undoubtedly create an uproar.

Through history there have been various rules as to which Cardinals may participate in the conclave to elect a newPope. It was actually only in 1059 that the authority to elect a Pope was given to Cardinals; in 1970 Pope Paul VIlimited this to those Cardinals under 80 years of age and later limited the number who could participate in theconclave to 120.

The Cardinals’ role in the election of a new Pope is to be guided by the Holy Spirit in their deliberations and ultimatedecision. Prior to 1059, there were other ways of electing a new Pope and, theoretically, alternative ways could be

established in the future. The current conclave of Cardinals has, however, overall been an effective means of allowingfor the operation of the Holy Spirit in this process of prayerful discernment and election.

Note: As a final note, while the hierarchy shares in the holiness of the Church instituted by Christ, it is also made upof individuals. There is a tension between the holiness of the Church and the failings of individual members. We needto recognize both that the sinfulness of individual members does not alter the holiness of the Church and that all haveneed of our prayers.

Church

Growth & History

What Changes in History

• World– Political systems, Worldview, Technology,– Views of: humanity (class, dignity, etc.), creation

• Church– Self-understanding

• Understanding of Jesus, heresies• How to best respond to Jesus, lived examples (Saints)

– Relationship to society• Response to crises, relationship to political

structure, relationship to other religions,

The Council of Jerusalem• Acts 15

– ~50 AD

• The Practical & Theological Question– Do Gentiles need to become Jews before becoming Christians?– (i.e., keep all of the laws including circumcision)

• Church leaders gather to debate– Reflecting on the Scriptures– Guided by the Holy Spirit

• Decision• Gentiles need not become Jews, but all should hold to the laws

that keep us together as community (i.e., food & marriage)

Major Periods of Christian HistoryTransition Transition Event Notes

100 Bible written Faith spreads, periodic persecution, martyrdom, other writings, house churches

313 Christianity legalized

Church gathers publically (worship, resolve issues), dominant religion of the Empire, Bible defined

476 Rome falls “Dark Ages,” conversion of Germanic tribes, incorporation of new worldview

1054 East/West schism Scholastic movement, Mendicant movement, populations shifting to the cities, Black Plague

1453Fall of Byzantine Empire Printing press

1521Protestant Reformation

Reformation and counter-reformation, Christianity continues to fracture

1610 Enlightenment Scientific movement, split between faith and reason, heliocentric worldview, French Revolution

Apologies by Pope Saint John Paul II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_apologies_made_by_Pope_John_Paul_II

• The legal process on the Italian scientist and philosopher Galileo (1992)• Catholics' involvement with the African slave trade (1993)• The Church's role in burnings at the stake and the religious wars that followed

the Protestant Reformation (1995)• The injustices committed against women, the violation of women's rights and for

the historical denigration of women (1995) The inactivity and silence of many Catholics during the Holocaust (1998)

• For the execution of Jan Hus in 1415 (1999)• For the sins of Catholics throughout the ages for violating "the rights of ethnic

groups and peoples, and [for showing] contempt for their cultures and religious traditions." (2000)

• For the actions of the Crusader attack on Constantinople in 1204.• Catholic sex abuse cases (2001)• The Church-backed "Stolen Generations" of Aboriginal children in

Australia (2001)• To China for the behavior of Catholic missionaries in colonial times. (2001)

Ecumenical Councils• Nicea I (325)• Constantinople I (381)• Ephesus (431)• Chalcedon (451)• Constantinople II (553)• Constantinople III (680)• Nicaea II (787)• Constantinople IV (870)• Lateran I (1123)• Lateran II (1139)

• Lateran III (1179)• Lateran IV (1215)• Lyon I (1245)• Lyon II (1274)• Vienne (1312)• Constance (1414-1418)• Florence (1438)• Lateran V (1512-1517)• Trent (1545-1563)• Vatican I (1869-1870)• Vatican II (1962-1965)

Martin Luther (1483-1546)• Augustinian, Theology professor

– “I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailer and hangman of my poor soul.”

• 1517 - The Ninety-Five Theses– “Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences”

• Justification by Faith– By his faith the believer has been restored to Paradise and

created anew; he has no need of works to achieve righteousness (grace).

• Council of Trent– Man [cannot] be justified before God by his own works– Free will of man, moved and aroused by God, [can] co-operate…

to the awakening call of God• Joint Catholic Lutheran Declaration – 1999

Reformation: Faith vs. Works• Martin Luther

– By his faith the believer has been restored to Paradise and created anew; he has no need of works to achieve righteousness (grace).

• Council of Trent– Man [cannot] be justified before God by his own works– Free will of man, moved and aroused by God, [can] co-operate… to the awakening call

of God

• Joint Catholic Lutheran Declaration – 1999– Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because

of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.

– When the justified live in Christ and act in the grace they receive, they bring forth, in biblical terms, good fruit… an obligation they must fulfill.

What About Galileo?● One of the greatest scientific minds ever● Builds on Copernicus (Heliocentrism)● Great theories, could not prove them with

the limited tools of the time● Supporters and opponents (other scientists) within the Church● Galileo’s primary problems

o Stating as definitive things that he could not yet proveo Moving beyond science into areas of philosophy and theologyo Putting the Pope’s words in his Dialogo in the mouth of

Simplicio● The Church’s response was not her best moment,

but not a rejection of science

Monsignor Georges Lemaître

1927 - Proposed the Expanding UniverseAlbert Einstein, who believed in a static

universe, responded, “Your calculations are correct, but your physics is atrocious.”

1930 - Described his theory as... “the Cosmic Egg exploding at the moment of

the creation” (later Fred Hoyle would call it the “Big Bang theory”)

1936 - Named to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences

Church

Mission & History

Discussion

• What do I admire about the Catholic Church’s activity in history? Does any part of the Church’s activity in history disturb or upset me?

• How do I (might I) listen to what the Church has to say today? What is my approach/attitude to the Church as “Teacher”?

A Christian cannot think of his or her mission on earth without seeing it as a path of holiness, for “this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3).

Each saint is a mission, planned by the Father to reflect and embody, at a specific moment in history, a certain aspect of the Gospel.

That mission has its fullest meaning in Christ, and can only be understood through him. At its core, holiness is experiencing, in union with Christ, the mysteries of his life.

~Pope Francis~ Guadete et Exsultate (19-20)

The Church IS a Mission

How Does The Church Function?• Sanctifying

– Sacraments/Liturgy– Prayer/Devotions– Works of mercy (traditionally: feeding the hungry, clothing the

naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, sheltering the homeless, and burying the dead)

• Teaching– Preaching/Teaching– Clarifying (through documents, synods, councils)– Lived experience of the faithful

• Governing– Local communities (Bishops/Pastors/Pastoral Councils)– Union with others and Rome– Mission (focus on the world)

Complete, Not Explicit

“Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries.”-Catechism of the Catholic Church, 66

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises

to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart

a desire to know the truth… so that, by knowing and loving God,

men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves”

Pope Saint John Paul II, Faith and Reason, 1

The Church

Teaching & Belief

The Five D’s of Church Tradition (by David Currie)

Deposit Primary Revelation given to the apostles by Christ.

Dogma Creeds, conciliar, and ex cathedra definitions of the faith. Core beliefs Not “unmade,” but subject to better articulation.

Doctrine Teaching, subject to change, yet claiming a allegiance. Includes moral teaching.

Discipline Facilitates Christian life.Devotion A spiritual expression valued by some.

Deposit (aka, Newman’s “acorn” analogy)

» The Scriptures » Gospels are most important» Epistles include early professions of a faith

and doctrine» All Scripture is a primary revelation,

inspired by God, interpreted in light of Christ

Dogma

• What?– Creeds, conciliar, and ex cathedra definitions of

the faith. – Core beliefs (Creation, Fall, Incarnation, Resurrection,

Trinity, Eternal Life, etc). – Not “unmade,” but subject to better articulation.

• Who?– Magisterium (Pope & Bishops together, when

done in a formal, official capacity)

Magisterium • Magister, meaning teacher• It is everyone’s task to share & explain the

Gospel– But we have “teachers” to protect, explain and

articulate the Living Faith, i.e., the Magisterium• Apostles• Council (First was the Jerusalem Council)• Bishops & Pope• Local Synods of Bishops & Conferences of Bishop

– We give them our docility, i.e. teachable. • Not all teachings have the same weight or

authority.

Truth in the Church Universal

» Episcopal Magisterium—Bishops» Theological magisterium—Consultation,

reason, sciences» sensus fidelium—The people of God

Role of Bishops

• From the word for “overseer.”• Successors of the Apostles

– Authority comes from the Apostles – Not from the Pope

• Responsible for Shepherding their local Church.– Roles: Guiding, Teaching, Governing.– Together they form the College of Bishops in

communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.

Role of the Pope

• A special ministry of unity for the entire Church – Primacy– Infallibility

• Not a guarantee of holiness or answers. Peter was both bedrock of the Church and denier. Therefore, we speak of the Petrine Office. In the New Testament, Peter was:– Speaker and representative of the other disciples– Given the role to strengthen the disciples– Role recognized by the other apostles– Authority to bind and loose ... Binding decisions

Infallibility Expressed

• Ordinary – Constant teaching of the Magisterium– Over time and space– Not necessarily “defined”

• Extraordinary– Ecumenical Councils– The Pope, Ex Cathedra

Expressing the Faith: Creeds • “Communion in faith needs a common language

of faith” (CCC 185)– Educate, Correct, Unify, & Explore

• Began with Baptism: A kernel of the entire faith collected from scripture. (profession, confession)

– Symbol of faith (Symbolum), yardstick of correct belief & recognition of faithful.

• Response to heresy: identified those united in the shared belief of the community.

• Not identically the faith, by a summary.

Example of the idea of a symbolon (Greek)

Nicene Creed & Heresies

(ADOPTIONISM)

(ARIANISM)

(ADOPTIONISM) (APOLLINARIANISM)

(DOCETISM)

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,

begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; Through him all things were made.For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

Doctrine

• Teaching, subject to development and change, yet claiming an allegiance. Includes moral teaching.

• Some examples– Truths celebrated in Liturgy and Sacraments– Slavery– Religious freedom– Marriage & annulments– Usury– Birth control– Limbo

Hierarchy of Truth

The mutual connections between dogmas, and their coherence, can be found in the whole of the Revelation of the mystery of Christ. "In Catholic doctrine there exists an order or ‘hierarchy' of truths, since they vary in their relation to the foundation of the Christian faith.“CCC 90

Check your sources!

✦Media, pundits, and tweets can distort and mislead the message

✦There are different levels of authority and interpretation of promulgated Church Doctrine✦ Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations✦ Encyclicals, Apostolic Exhortations✦ Pastoral Letters✦ Speeches, Audiences, Homilies

Develop Listening Skills

• Blindly following and blindly ignoring are both bad– Extremes:

• Downgrading authority• Upgrading authority

• Questions– Who am I listening to (e.g., the Church or one voice

within the Church)?– With what authority are they speaking?– Do I really understand what they are saying?– How does this apply to my lived experience?– What other statements/insights also apply?

Faith, Reason, & Conscience.• Faith enables us to trust, accept, and receive divine truth.• Reason enables us to think, understand, and judge the truth.• Conscience guides us to discern and judge what is right vs. wrong action.

1776 MORAL CONSCIENCE “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment. . . . For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.”

The Church is “called to form consciences, not to replace them.” ~Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia.

Discipline

• Facilitates Christian life.

• Examples– Liturgical norms– Structure of Hierarchy– Fasting and Feasting– Celibate priesthood

• These could change at any time they no longer point us to Christ.

Devotions

• A spiritual expression valued by some.• Example

– The Rosary– Novenas– Focus on a particular Saint

Church

Witness & History

How do we live Christ’s call?

• Each new age wrestles with this question– The Church as a whole– Each individual

• Is the life of holiness just for a few (saints, priests, nuns, etc), or are we all called to holiness?

Universal Call to Holiness

“Thus it is evident to everyone, that all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status,

are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity; by this holiness as such a more human manner of living is promoted in this earthly society.”

(Vatican II – Lumen Gentium, 40)

St. Ignatius of Antioch• Convert & Disciple of St. John the Evangelist • Appointed Bishop of Antioch by St. Peter • Seized under the order Emperor Trajan (107 AD)• Taken in chains to Rome

(along the way)– Wrote seven letters– Met the faithful

• Devoured by lions in the amphitheater

Church

Solidarity &History

Deep Solidarity“The joys and hopes, the grief and the anguish of the people of our time, especially those who are poor or

afflicted, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well. Nothing

that is genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts. For theirs is a community of people united in

Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit in their pilgrimage towards the Father’s kingdom, bearers of

a message of salvation for all of humanity. That is why they cherish a feeling of deep solidarity with

the human race and its history.” (Vatican II – Gaudium et Spes, 1)

St. Damien of Moloka‘i

• 1873 – Volunteered to minister to the lepers on Moloka‘i “I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ.”

• 1884 – Contracted leprosy• 1889 – Died of the disease at the age of 49

– Criticized by a local Protestant Pastor, C.M. Hyde• 1890 – Defended by Robert Louis Stevenson

“when we have failed, and another has succeeded; when we have stood by, and another has stepped in; when we sit and grow bulky in our charming mansions, and a plain, uncouth peasant steps into the battle, under the eyes of God, and succors the afflicted, and consoles the dying, and is himself afflicted in his turn, and dies upon the field of honor – the battle cannot be retrieved as your unhappy irritation has suggested”

• 2009 – Declared a Saint

Praxis (LIFE, FAITH, RESPONSE)» LIFE: What is my experience? What are

others’ experiences?

» FAITH: What does Christ teach? What is the Church’s wisdom? What do I believe? What does reason show me? What does love reveal?

» RESPONSE: What is God calling me to do or say in this situation? What is my vocation? What is the loving, just response?

Flawed Notions Of Church

• The Church doesn’t change– Grows in understanding and structure– Responds to new situations in the world

• Church = The hierarchy– Church = People of God– Hierarchy in service of the whole community

• Call = Call to religious life (only for a few)– We are all called to holiness by God– Some focus on the Church, most on the world

• Priest/Prophet/King = Roles of the hierarchy– Laity share in a unique way in the roles of Christ

Flawed Notions of Sanctifying• Priest = conduit between us and God

– Sacramental view (encounter the divine through symbols)– Priest stands in persona Christi (in the person of Christ)

• Divine access depends on minister’s holiness – Jesus is the mediator between humanity & divinity. – Jesus works through flawed community

• Further up the hierarchy = more perfect, more holy– Hopefully, but not necessarily connected. Still flawed people.– Holiness is connection to Christ

• Seeing actions as “magic” (control God)– Actions as response to God’s goodness– God takes the initiative; our task is to remove

our barriers

Flawed Notions of Teaching• Revelation = Doctrine/Pronouncements of Church

– Revelation = God’s disclosing himself– Leads to Relationship & Participation

• Pope receives new revelations from God– Public revelation is complete, since it is ultimately person, i.e.

Jesus Christ himself. No new revelation beyond Jesus. • Church teachings don’t change

– Church hands on (“traditions”) the community’s faith– Our understanding and articulation does change.

• All truths/doctrines have the same weight– Hierarchy of Truths: some are more central.

• Can’t question authority– Blindly following and blindly ignoring are extremes.– Only through questioning do we come to understand

Flawed Notions of Governing

• Pope = Head of the Church – Jesus Christ = Head of the Church– Pope = “Vicar of Christ” (vicar = stands in the place of)

• Church = Monarchy– Church = The Body of Christ– Different members, different roles (all necessary)

• Unity = Uniformity– Catholicity & Unity = Togetherness in our differences– One Body, Many Parts

• Church = Rome– Local manifestation (The Church in San Francisco)– In union with Rome

• Confusing teaching and governing roles

Suggestion: Commit to a Community• We are a part of the Body

– Community ≠ Uniformity– Every part is needed– True community requires commitment– Connect with a small group, like Torch

• We draw closer to God in community– We become ourselves through relationship– We offer ourselves in service

• Cultivate a Spirit of Unity– Unity ≠ everyone agreeing with me– Unity = we are more together than apart

Suggestion: Connect with History• Apostolic succession (“From the apostles)

– Usually used for Bishops (as their successors)– But it includes also the whole community

• Community through time– A Dynamic Reality with growth & failures.• Learn from failures (i.e., don’t whitewash)

• Communion of Saints – Living and dead.

Suggestion: Discover Your Gifts

• Given to us by God through the Holy Spirit• Clues to our unique role and call• Help us to understand our part in the Body

– Called & Gifted Workshop

Discussion

• How might I approach Church teachings or the contemporary statements of the Magisterium with a hermeneutic of faith?

• How can the The Body of Christ…– Proclaim the Gospel in the language of our time– Witness to the value of the Gospel– Walk with people, especially the poor and

suffering

Acts 15:1-31: The Council of Jerusalem

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved." Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters about this question. They were sent on their journey by the church, and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, as well as by the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported what God had done with them. But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law."

The apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said to them, "My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts. Why, then, are you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they." The whole assembly fell silent, and they listened while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles through them.

After they had fallen silent, James responded, "My brothers, listen to me. Symeon has described how God first concerned himself with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name. The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:

'After this I shall return and rebuild the fallen hut of David;

from its ruins I shall rebuild it and raise it up again,

so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord, even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.

Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things, known from of old.'

It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God, but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood. For Moses, for generations now, has had those who proclaim him in every town, as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath."

Then the apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole church, decided to choose representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers. This is the letter delivered by them: "The apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch,

Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings. Since we have heard that some of our number (who went out) without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind, we have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we are sending Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word of mouth: 'It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.'"

And so they were sent on their journey. Upon their arrival in Antioch they called the assembly together and delivered the letter. When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;

Through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and

I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and

the life of the world to come. Amen.

Gnosticism &

Marcionism

Adoptionsim

Adoptionsim

Docetism

Arianism

Apollinarianism

Early Church Heresies Around Jesus

Ebionism (a form of Adoptionism): Ebionites saw Jesus as a normal human adopted by God at the moment of his baptism. This adoption was GodOs reward because Jesus obeyed the law. Through this method Jesus didnOt release us from the law, but gave us an example to follow. Our path to God becomes our own effortQjust try harder. This heresy feeds our human desire to remain in control.

Docetism: Derived from the word dokein, meaning Sto appear.T Docetists believed that Jesus only appeared to suffer, to weep, to die, etc. Some believed that Simon of Cyrene was crucified in JesusO place. This leads to belief in a God who only took on part of the human condition, and therefore only redeemed those parts. Docetism feeds our human desire to avoid or escape our suffering.

Arianism: Arius saw Jesus as a lesser deity, created by God. He used the term homoiousios (of like substance) to describe JesusO relation to God and to humanity (i.e. not fully divine or fully human). Others countered with the term homoousios (of the same substance; this difference in one UiO [Greek iota] gave rise to the term, SIt doesnOt matter one iotaT). The problem with Arianism is that if Jesus isnOt one with God and one with humanity there can be no atonement (at-one-ment), no salvation.

Apollinarianism (AKA Monophysitism): Apollinarius saw the importance of Jesus being fully divine, but he couldnOt reconcile this with full humanity too. His solution was that Jesus was fully human except for his mind (i.e. only having one nature Z divine). Human will is therefore destroyed in the process of salvation. This heresy survives on the simple truth that freedom brings complexity. Apollinarianism answers, SdonOt think, just believe.T

Nestorianism: Nestorian believed in JesusO full divinity and humanity, but he saw them as separate persons instead of one. Jesus united himself to his Father by conforming his human will to his divine will. Like Adoptionism, we are saved by trying harder, uniting our will with JesusO.

Gnosticism: Derived from the Greek word gnosis, meaning Sknowledge.T Gnostics believed that the secret to salvation was special knowledge. They believed in many gods. They saw the God of the Jews as evil and responsible for creation (i.e. creation is evil). Gnostics were basically dualists; they believed that humans consisted of a good spirit trapped inside an evil body. The intellectual elite were the only ones capable of grasping the special knowledge required to release the spirit. This often led to so devaluing life that suicide, euthanasia, murder, etc. became acceptable solutions. This heresy feeds the human desires to be recognized as intellectually superior, and to be freed from the messiness of the physical world.

Ecumenical council 1

Ecumenical councilAn ecumenical council (or oecumenical council; also general council) is a conference of the bishops of the wholeChristian Church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. The word derives from theGreek language "οἰκουμένη", which literally means "the inhabited world",[1] which first referred to the RomanEmpire and later was extended to apply to the world in general. Due to schisms, the acceptance of these councilsvaries widely between different branches of Christianity.

Those churches that parted ways with the others over christological matters accept the councils prior to theirseparation; the Church of the East (Nestorian) accepts as ecumenical only the first two, the Oriental OrthodoxyChurches the first three. From the 4th to the 9th century, seven councils recognized as ecumenical by both theRoman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church were held, before the East-West Schism divided them.The Eastern Orthodox Church has not generally accepted any later council or synod as ecumenical, but the RomanCatholic Church continues to hold general councils of the bishops in full communion with the Pope, reckoning themas ecumenical, twenty-one to date. Anglicans and confessional Protestants, accept either the first seven or the firstfour as Ecumenical councils.

Council documentsChurch councils were, from the beginning, bureaucratic exercises. Written documents were circulated, speechesmade and responded to, votes taken, and final documents published and distributed. A large part of what we knowabout the beliefs of heresies comes from the documents quoted in councils in order to be refuted, or indeed only fromthe deductions based on the refutations.

Most councils dealt not only with doctrinal but also with disciplinary matters, which were decided in canons("laws"). In some cases other survives as well. Study of the canons of church councils is the foundation of thedevelopment of canon law, especially the reconciling of seemingly contradictory canons or the determination ofpriority between them. Canons consist of doctrinal statements and disciplinary measures — most Church councilsand local synods dealt with immediate disciplinary concerns as well as major difficulties of doctrine. EasternOrthodoxy typically views the purely doctrinal canons as dogmatic and applicable to the entire church at all times,while the disciplinary canons apply to a particular time and place and may or may not be applicable in othersituations.

List of ecumenical councils

Council of JerusalemThe Acts of the Apostles records the Council of Jerusalem, which addressed the question of observation of biblicallaw in the early Christian community which included Gentile converts. Although its decisions are accepted by allChristians, and still observed in full by the Greek Orthodox,[2] and later definitions of an ecumenical council appearto conform to this sole biblical Council, no Christian church calls it a mere ecumenical council, instead it is calledthe "Apostolic Council" or "Council of Jerusalem".

Ecumenical council 2

Fourth-century inscription, representing Christ as the GoodShepherd.

The first seven ecumenical councils

• 1. First Council of Nicaea (325) repudiated Arianism,declared that Christ is "homoousios with the Father" (of thesame substance as the Father), and adopted the originalNicene Creed, fixed Easter date; recognized primacy of thesees of Rome, Alexandria and Antioch and granted the Seeof Jerusalem a position of honor.

• 2. First Council of Constantinople (381) repudiatedArianism and Macedonianism, declared that Christ is "bornof the Father before all time", revised the Nicene Creed inregard to the Holy Spirit

• 3. Council of Ephesus (431)repudiated Nestorianism, proclaimed the Virgin Mary asthe Theotokos ("Birth-giver to God", "God-bearer","Mother of God"), repudiated Pelagianism, and reaffirmedthe Nicene Creed.This and all the following councils in this list are not recognized by the Assyrian Church of the East.

• Second Council of Ephesus (449) declared Eutyches orthodox and attacked his opponents.Though originally convened as an ecumenical council, this council is not recognized as ecumenical anddenounced as a Robber Council by the Chalcedonians (Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants).

• 4. Council of Chalcedon (451) repudiated the Eutychian doctrine of monophysitism, adopted the ChalcedonianCreed, which described the hypostatic union of the two natures of Christ, human and divine. Reinstated thosedeposed in 449 and deposed Dioscorus of Alexandria. Elevation of the bishoprics of Constantinople andJerusalem to the status of patriarchates. This is also the last council explicitly recognised by the AnglicanCommunion.This and all the following councils in this list are rejected by the Oriental Orthodoxy.

• 5. Second Council of Constantinople (553) repudiated the Three Chapters as Nestorian, condemned Origen ofAlexandria, decreed the Theopaschite Formula.

• 6. Third Council of Constantinople (680-681) repudiated Monothelitism and Monoenergism.

• Quinisext Council, also called Council in Trullo [3] (692) addressed matters of discipline (in amendment to the5th and 6th councils).The Ecumenical status of this council was repudiated by the western churches.

• 7. Second Council of Nicaea (787) restored the veneration of icons (condemned at the Council of Hieria, 754)and repudiated iconoclasm.This council is rejected by some Protestant denominations, which condemn the veneration of icons.

Councils recognised as ecumenical in the Roman Catholic ChurchAs late as the 11th century, only seven councils were recognized as ecumenical in the Roman Catholic Church.[4]

Then, in the time of Pope Gregory VII (1073–1085), canonists who in the Investiture Controversy quoted theprohibition in canon 22 of the Council of Constantinople of 869-870 against laymen influencing the appointment ofprelates elevated this council to the rank of ecumenical council.[4] Only in the 16th century was recognition asecumenical granted by Catholic scholars to the Councils of the Lateran, of Lyon and those that followed.[4]

• 8. Fourth Council of Constantinople (869-870) deposed Patriarch Photios I of Constantinople as an usurper andreinstated his predecessor Saint Ignatius. Photius had already been declared deposed by the Pope, an act which theChurch of Constantinople accepted at this council.

Ecumenical council 3

• 9. First Council of the Lateran (1123) addressed investment of bishops and the Holy Roman Emperor's roletherein.

• 10. Second Council of the Lateran (1139) reaffirmed Lateran I and addressed clerical discipline (dress,marriages).

• 11. Third Council of the Lateran (1179) restricted papal election to the cardinals, condemned simony, andintroduced minimum ages for ordination (thirty for bishops).

• 12. Fourth Council of the Lateran (1215) defined transubstantiation, addressed papal primacy and clericaldiscipline.

• 13. First Council of Lyon (1245) deposed Emperor Frederick II and instituted a levy to support the Holy Land.• 14. Second Council of Lyon (1274) attempted reunion with the Eastern churches, approved Franciscan and

Dominican orders, a tithe to support crusades, and conclave procedures.• 15. Council of Vienne (1311–1312) disbanded the Knights Templar.

• Council of Pisa (1409) attempted to solve the Great Western Schism.The council is not numbered because it was not convened by a pope and its outcome was repudiated atConstance.

• 16. Council of Constance (1414–1418) resolved the Great Western Schism and condemned John Hus. Alsobegan conciliarism.

• Council of Siena (1423–1424) addressed church reform.Not numbered as it was swiftly disbanded.

• 17. Council of Basel, Ferrara and Florence (1431–1445) addressed church reform and reunion with the EasternChurches, but split into two parties. The fathers remaining at Basel became the apogee of conciliarism. Thefathers at Florence achieved union with various Eastern Churches and temporarily with the Eastern OrthodoxChurch.

• 18. Fifth Council of the Lateran (1512–1514) addressed church reform.• 19. Council of Trent (1545–1563, with interruptions) addressed church reform and repudiated Protestantism,

defined the role and canon of Scripture and the seven sacraments, and strengthened clerical discipline andeducation.Temporarily attended by Lutheran delegates.

• 20. First Council of the Vatican (1870; officially, 1870–1960) defined pope's primacy in church governance andhis infallibility, repudiated rationalism, materialism and atheism, addressed revelation, interpretation of scriptureand the relationship of faith and reason.

• 21. Second Council of the Vatican (1962–1965) addressed pastoral and disciplinary issues dealing with theChurch and its relation to the modern world, including liturgy and ecumenism.

Councils recognised as ecumenical by some Eastern OrthodoxMany Eastern Orthodox consider the Council of Constantinople of 879–880,[5] that of Constantinople in 1341–1351and that of Jerusalem in 1672 to be ecumenical:

• Fourth Council of Constantinople (879-880) restored Photius to the See of Constantinople. This happened afterthe death of Ignatius and with papal approval.

• Fifth Council of Constantinople (1341–1351) affirmed hesychastic theology according to Gregory Palamas andcondemned the Barlaam of Seminara.

• Synod of Jerusalem (1672) defined Orthodoxy relative to Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, defined theorthodox Biblical canon.

It is unlikely that formal recognition as ecumenical will be granted to these three councils, despite the acknowledgedorthodoxy of their decisions, so that only seven are universally recognized among the Eastern Orthodox asecumenical.[6]

Ecumenical council 4

The Pan-Orthodox Council now being prepared has sometimes been referred to as an "Eighth EcumenicalCouncil".[7]

Acceptance of the councils

Assyrian Church: accept #1, and #2The Assyrian Church of the East only accepts the First Council of Nicaea and the First Council of Constantinople. Itwas the formulation of Mary as the Theotokos which caused a schism with the Assyrian church. The Unia in the 16thcentury of the Catholic Church led to the Chaldeans being reconciled into full communion with Rome. Meetingsbetween Pope John Paul II and the Assyrian Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV led to common Christological declarations inthe 1990s stating that the differences between the Western and Eastern were primarily linguistic and historical ratherthan theological (owing to the difficulty of translating precise theological terms from Greek and/or Latin toAramaic.) Aramaic is believed to have been the native language of Jesus.

Oriental Orthodoxy: accept #1, #2, #3Oriental Orthodoxy only accepts Nicaea I, Constantinople I and Ephesus I. The formulation of the ChalcedonianCreed caused a schism in the Alexandrian and Syriac churches. Reconciliatory efforts between Oriental Orthodoxwith the Eastern Orthodox and the Catholic Church in the mid- and late-20th century have led to commonChristological declarations. The Oriental and Eastern Churches have also been working toward reconciliation as aconsequence of the ecumenical movement.

Eastern Orthodoxy: accept #1-#7; some also accept #8(EO), #9(EO), #10(EO) as ecumenicalAs far as some Eastern Orthodox are concerned, since the Seventh Ecumenical Council there has been no synod orcouncil 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 Orthodoxjurisdictions are party to 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 withinEastern Orthodoxy, and it leads to mistaken impressions that these are ersatz ecumenical councils rather than purelylocal councils to which nearby Orthodox hierarchs, regardless of jurisdiction, are invited.

Others, including 20th century theologians Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Naupactus, Fr. John S. Romanides,and Fr. George Metallinos (all of whom refer repeatedly to the "Eighth and Ninth Ecumenical Councils"), Fr. GeorgeDragas, and the 1848 Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs (which refers explicitly to the "Eighth EcumenicalCouncil" and was signed by the patriarchs of Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria as well as the HolySynods of the first three), regard other synods beyond the Seventh Ecumenical Council as being ecumenical.

Before the 20th century, the council of 879 AD was recognized as the 8th ecumenical council by people like thefamous expert on Canon Law, Theodore Valsamon (11th century), St. Neilos of Rodes, St. Mark Evgenicus (15thcentury), St. Symeon of Thessaloniki (15th century), and the Patriarch of Jerusalem Dositheus, in his Tome of Joy(17th century).

Roman Catholicism: accept #1- #7, #8-#21(RC)Both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches recognize seven councils in the early years of the church,but Roman Catholics also recognize fourteen councils called in later years by the Pope. The status of these councilsin the face of a Catholic-Orthodox reconciliation would depend upon whether one accepts Roman Catholicecclesiology (papal primacy) or Orthodox ecclesiology (collegiality of autocephalous churches). In the former case,the additional councils would be granted Ecumenical status. In the latter case, they would be considered to be localsynods with no authority among the other autocephalous churches.

Ecumenical council 5

The first seven councils were called by the Emperor. Most historians agree that the emperors called the councils toforce the Christian bishops to resolve divisive issues and reach consensus. One motivation for convening councilswas the hope that maintaining unity in the Church would help maintain unity in the Empire. The relationship of thePapacy to the validity of these councils is the ground of much controversy between Roman Catholicism and EasternOrthodox Churches and to historians.

The Roman Catholic Church holds that the dogmatic decrees of these ecumenical councils approved subsequently bythe pope are infallible.

Anglicanism: accept #1-#7, but conditionally[8] While the Councils are part of the "historic formularies" of Anglican tradition, it is difficult to locate an explicitreference in Anglicanism to the unconditional acceptance of all Seven Ecumenical Councils. There is little evidenceof dogmatic or canonical acceptance beyond the statements of individual Anglican theologians and bishops.

The Reverend Canon Chandler Holder Jones, SSC, explains:

We indeed and absolutely believe all Seven Councils are truly ecumenical and catholic - on the basis of thereceived Tradition of the ancient Undivided Church of East and West. The Anglican formularies address onlyparticular critical theological and disciplinary concerns of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and thatcertainly by design. Behind them, however, stands the universal authority of the Holy and Apostolic Tradition,which did not have to be rehashed or redebated by Anglican Catholics.

Dr Bill Tighe supports this position:

...despite the fact that advocates of all sides to the 16th-century religious conflict, Catholic, Lutheran andReformed alike, were given to claiming that their particular doctrinal stances and, in some cases, distinctivepractices, were in accord with those of the Early Church Fathers, or at least with those of high standing (suchas St. Augustine), none [but Anglicanism] were willing to require, or even permit, their confessional stances tobe judged by, or subordinated to, a hypothetical ‘patristic consensus’ of the first four or five centuries ofChristianity.' But Anglicanism most certainly did, and does so to this day.

Article XXI teaches: "General Councils ... when they be gathered together, forasmuch as they be an assembly ofmen, whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and word of God, they may err and sometime have erred, even inthings pertaining to God. Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength norauthority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture."[9]

The 19th Canon of 1571 asserted the authority of the Councils in this manner: "let preachers take care that they neverteach anything...except what is agreeable to the doctrine of the Old and New Testament, and what the CatholicFathers and ancient Bishops have collected from the same doctrine."[10] This remains the Church of England'steaching on the subject. A modern version of this appeal to catholic consensus is found in the Canon Law of theChurch of England and also in the liturgy published in Common Worship:

The Church of England is part of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, worshipping the one trueGod, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It professes the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forthin the catholic creeds, which faith the Church is called upon to proclaim afresh in each generation. Led by theHoly Spirit, it has borne witness to Christian truth in its historic formularies, the Thirty-nine Articles ofReligion, The Book of Common Prayer and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons.

I, AB, do so affirm, and accordingly declare my belief in the faith which is revealed in the Holy Scriptures andset forth in the catholic creeds and to which the historic formularies of the Church of England bear witness;and in public prayer and administration of the sacraments, I will use only the forms of service which areauthorized or allowed by Canon.[11]

Ecumenical council 6

Lutherans and Methodists: accept #1-#7 with reservationsMany Protestants (especially those belonging to the magisterial traditions, such as Lutherans, or those such asMethodists, that broke away from the Anglican Communion) accept the teachings of the first seven councils but donot ascribe to the councils themselves the same authority as Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox do. TheLutheran World Federation, in ecumenical dialogues with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has affirmedall of the first seven councils as ecumenical and authoritative.

Other Protestantism: accept noneSome, including some fundamentalist Christianity, condemn the ecumenical councils for other reasons.Independency or congregationalist polity among Protestants may involve the rejection of any governmental structureor binding authority above local congregations; conformity to the decisions of these councils is therefore consideredpurely voluntary and the councils are to be considered binding only insofar as those doctrines are derived from theScriptures. Many of these churches reject the idea that anyone other than the authors of Scripture can directly leadother Christians by original divine authority; after the New Testament, they assert, the doors of revelation wereclosed and councils can only give advice or guidance, but have no authority. They consider new doctrines notderived from the sealed canon of Scripture to be both impossible and unnecessary whether proposed by churchcouncils or by more recent prophets (even though the canon itself was fixed by these councils).

Nontrinitarian churches: accept noneThe first and subsequent councils are not recognized by nontrinitarian churches: Unitarians, The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints and other Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. The leadership of some groups—such asthe Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormon denominations—lay claim to a divine authority to lead the church todayand sees the ecumenical councils as misguided human attempts to establish doctrine, as though true beliefs were tobe decided by debate rather than by revelation.

See also• Buddhist councils

References[1] YourDictionary - ecumenical definition (http:/ / www. yourdictionary. com/ ecumenical) © 1996-2010 LoveToKnow, Corp. All Rights

Reserved.[2] Karl Josef von Hefele's commentary on canon II of Gangra (http:/ / www. ccel. org/ fathers2/ NPNF2-14/ Npnf2-14-40. htm#P2106_422027)

notes: "We further see that, at the time of the Synod of Gangra, the rule of the Apostolic Synod with regard to blood and things strangled wasstill in force. With the Greeks, indeed, it continued always in force as their Euchologies still show. Balsamon also, the well-knowncommentator on the canons of the Middle Ages, in his commentary on the sixty-third Apostolic Canon, expressly blames the Latins becausethey had ceased to observe this command. What the Latin Church, however, thought on this subject about the year 400, is shown by St.Augustine in his work Contra Faustum, where he states that the Apostles had given this command in order to unite the heathens and Jews inthe one ark of Noah; but that then, this command concerning things strangled and blood had lost its meaning, and was only observed by few.But still, as late as the eighth century, Pope Gregory the Third 731 forbade the eating of blood or things strangled under threat of a penance offorty days. No one will pretend that the disciplinary enactments of any council, even though it be one of the undisputed Ecumenical Synods,can be of greater and more unchanging force than the decree of that first council, held by the Apostles at Jerusalem, and the fact that its decreehas been obsolete for centuries in the West is proof that even Ecumenical canons may be of only temporary utility and may be repealed bydisuser, like other laws."

[3] The appellation "troullos" (Latin trullus, dome) comes from a dome-roofed palace in Constantinople, where the council was hosted.[4] Francis Dvornik, “Which Councils are Ecumenical?” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 3(2), 1966, pp. 314-328 (http:/ / www.

orthodoxchristianity. net/ index. php?option=com_content& view=article& catid=14:articles& id=22:which-councils-are-ecumenical)[5] "In 879, two years after the death of Patriarch Ignatius, another council was summoned (many consider it the Eighth Ecumenical Council),

and again St. Photius was acknowledged as the lawful archpastor of the Church of Constantinople" ( Orthodox Church in America). (http:/ /ocafs. oca. org/ FeastSaintsViewer. asp?FSID=100442)

[6] Orthodox Answers: Documents (http:/ / www. orthodoxanswers. org/ details. asp?ID=551)

Ecumenical council 7

[7] Towards the "Eighth" Ecumenical Council (http:/ / www. orthodoxinfo. com/ ecumenism/ towards. aspx)[8] For additional references to this section and for more on the Anglican position, see Dr CB Moss The Church of England and the Seventh

Council (http:/ / anglicanhistory. org/ cbmoss/ seventh. pdf)[9] An Exposition Of The Thirty-Nine Articles V2: Historical And Doctrinal by Edward Harold Browne.[10] The Sufficiency of Holy Scripture as the Rule of Faith By Daniel Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta.[11] See Common Worship ISBN 071512000X

Further reading• Tanner, Norman P. The Councils of the Church, ISBN 0824519043.• Tanner, Norman P. Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, ISBN 0878404902.• Michalopoulos, Dimitris, " The First Council of Nicaea: The end of a conflict or beginning of a struggle?",

Uluslarasi Iznik Semposyumu, Iznik (Turkey), 2005, pp. 47–56. ISBN 975-7988-30-8.

External links• All Catholic Church Ecumenical Councils - All the Decrees (http:/ / www. piar. hu/ councils/ ~index. htm)*

Council (http:/ / 90. 1911encyclopedia. org/ C/ CO/ COUNCIL. htm) in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica• Catholic Encyclopedia: The 21 Ecumenical Councils (http:/ / www. newadvent. org/ library/ almanac_14388a.

htm)• Catholic Encyclopedia: General Councils (http:/ / www. newadvent. org/ cathen/ 04423f. htm)• Multilingual Full Documentations of the 21 Ecumenical Councils (http:/ / www. documentacatholicaomnia. eu/

01_10_Concilia_Oecumenica. html) and Mansi JD, Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova Amplissima Collectio (http:/ /www. documentacatholicaomnia. eu/ 01_50_1692-1769-_Mansi_JD. html), all the Latin documents of all theCouncils

• FAQ Ecumenical Synods (http:/ / www. greekorthodox. org. au/ general/ faq/ faqhistoryofchristianity/ ) GreekOrthodox Archdiocese of Australia

Article Sources and Contributors 8

Article Sources and ContributorsEcumenical council  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=409952373  Contributors: AKeckarov, Aaronkmthomas, Addihockey10, Alessandro57, Ambrosius007, Andrew c,Anger22, Anglicanus, Arcadian, Asdamick, AstroNomer, Babajobu, Barticus88, Basil and Nigel, Bepimela, Bertelin, Bluezy, BoNoMoJo (old), Bobo192, Buckstar12, CapitalR, Carlaude, CatWhisperer, Catgut, Charlesdrakew, Chekaz, Chonak, Chrismon, Civilizededucation, Clicketyclack, Cnyborg, Conversion script, Countakeshi, Cracker017, Craig Pemberton, Craig.Scott,CrazytalesPublic, Crnorizec, Csernica, Cuchullain, D.Michalo, Da monster under your bed, DabMachine, Dabbler, Dampinograaf, David.Monniaux, Davidkinnen, Deb, Debresser, Dembqs,Deusveritasest, Didactohedron, Dimadick, Dirk math, Djordjes, Dkusic, Dlm36, Docpierson, Dogface, Dougweller, Dr mindbender, Dycedarg, Dúnadan, ElevatedStork, Elonka, Elwikipedista,Emhoo, Emmo827, Energyfreezer, ErrantX, Esoglou, EugeneZelenko, Ewawer, FKmailliW, Firien, Fred114, Fuzlogic, FyzixFighter, GaelicWizard, Gary D, Gdr, Geoffroy, Ghaly, Glenn,Glorthac, Grailknighthero, Gurch, Guy Peters, Guðsþegn, Hairy Dude, Hayabusa future, Hectorian, Henrygb, Heracletus, Hmains, Iceberg3k, Ihcoyc, Ija10388, InfernoXV, Infrogmation,JASpencer, JBogdan, Jaba1977, Jackel, Jackturner3, Jacob Haller, Jasoncpetty, Jayetheartist, John K, Johnbod, Johndarrington, Jpers36, KenDenier, Koavf, Korossyl, Kresadlo, Kricxjo, Kurykh,Kusunose, Lanternix, Lightmouse, Lima, Llywrch, LoveMonkey, Loyd415, Ltwin, LutherTwo, Lzur, M.e, M77, Martynas Patasius, Matt57, Mattissa, Maximaximax, Mcorazao, Mctaviix,Mddake, Merovingian, Michael C Price, Michael Hardy, Michless90, MisfitToys, Mishaweis, Mkmcconn, MnJWalker, Mondain, Moni3, Morenooso, Mpolo, MrH, MrKIA11, Musical Linguist,Nasugbu batangas, Neddyseagoon, Nino Gonzales, Nscheffey, Nuno Tavares, Olivier, Originz, PeterDeWachter, Pill, Portillo, Preost, Pseudo-Richard, Ptolemy Caesarion, Qfwfq, Rchamberlain,Richard75, Rillian, Robertgreer, RoyBoy, Rreagan007, Rst20xx, Rumping, Runwiththewind, SDC, SMcCandlish, Sam Hocevar, Sam Spade, Samuelel, Savidan, Shenme, Signalhead, Sir rupertorangepeel, Skomorokh, Smith2006, Spirals31, Storm Rider, Str1977, Sunray, Sweetpoet, Tabletop, Tb, The Anonymous One, Thw1309, TimBentley, Tkleinsc, Tompw, Tresiden, Troy 07,Tslocum, Tuleytula, Unschool, Ute in DC, Uvaduck, Vaquero100, Veledan, Venera 7, VirtualDelight, VolatileChemical, Wesley, Wetman, Wiki Roxor, Wiki libs, Wjhonson, Wmahan,Woohookitty, Xiaopo, 295 anonymous edits

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