Ecumenical council facts for kids
An Ecumenical Council is a very important meeting where leaders of the Christian church, called bishops, come together from all over the world. They meet to talk about important beliefs and rules for the church.
The word "Ecumenical" comes from the Greek language word "Οικουμένη". This word means "inhabited" or "the whole world." In ancient times, it often referred to the area of the Roman Empire. This is because the first councils were called by Roman emperors. Later, the word came to mean "world-wide" or "general."
Important Church Meetings: The Ecumenical Councils
Ecumenical Councils are like big conferences where church leaders decide on key ideas. These meetings have shaped Christian beliefs over many centuries.
The First Seven Ecumenical Councils
The time in Christianity from the First Council of Nicaea (in 325 AD) to the Second Council of Nicaea (in 787 AD) is known as the period of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. These councils were very important for setting down many basic Christian beliefs.
- 1. First Council of Nicaea (325 AD): This council created the first version of the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed is a statement of Christian faith that many churches still use today.
- 2. First Council of Constantinople (381 AD): This meeting updated the Nicene Creed to the form we know today. It added more details about the Holy Spirit.
- 3. Council of Ephesus (431 AD): At this council, the leaders declared that the Virgin Mary is the Theotokos. This Greek word means "God-bearer" or "Mother of God." It means that Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is God.
- 4. Council of Chalcedon (451 AD): This council said that the idea of monophysitism was wrong. Monophysitism was a belief that Jesus only had one nature, a divine one. The council instead taught that Jesus has two natures: fully human and fully divine. Some churches, like the Oriental Orthodox churches, do not accept this council or the ones that came after it.
- 5. Second Council of Constantinople (553 AD): This council further explained the decisions made at the Council of Chalcedon. It condemned certain writings that were seen as going against earlier council decisions.
- 6. Third Council of Constantinople (680–681 AD): This council confirmed that Jesus had both a human will and a divine will. This means he had both human desires and God's perfect will.
- Quinisext Council (692 AD): Also called the Council in Trullo, this meeting is seen by the Eastern Orthodox Church as part of the Third Council of Constantinople. However, Catholic churches do not accept it. It made rules about church life and discipline.
- 7. Second Council of Nicaea (787 AD): This council brought back the practice of honoring icons (religious images). It also ended the first period of iconoclasm, which was when people destroyed religious images. Many Protestant churches do not accept this council. Instead, they prefer a council from 754 AD that had condemned the use of icons.
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