Home
 
 Stamps from Past Ecumenical Councils: Council of Calchedon (Scott 149, 1951) Council of Trent (Scott 110, 1946) First Vatican Council (Scott 486, 1970) Second Vatican Council (Scott 349, 1962) Today marks the 1700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, the First Council of Nicaea. A pivotal event in early Christianity, historians have given the start date of the council as May 20, 325, although it may have started later in June. The council was held in what is now Iznik, Turkey, located in the northwest region of the country. Ecumenical councils, also called general or universal councils, are convened by church authorities to discuss and rule on issues related to Christian doctrine, Church administration, and other Church matters. To date, a total of twenty-one recognized ecumenical councils have been convoked. A list of these councils is given at the end of this article.  First Council of Nicaea Painting by Michael Damaskinos (1591) From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain Following the issuance of the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, which granted Christians the freedom to practice Christianity without state interference, and the subsequent consolidation of power by Emperor Constantine the Great in 324 AD, he called for the convening of a church council. Attended by at least 200 bishops, the main accomplishment was the settlement of the Arian controversy and led to a firm definition of the consubstantial nature of Jesus Christ. In addition to defining the divine nature of Christ and his relationship to God the Father, the council also constructed the Nicene Creed, mandated a uniform observance of the date of Easter, and codified early canon law. Turning to Vatican City philately, four ecumenical councils have been depicted on its stamps, with examples presented at the top of this article. A stamp to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea is scheduled for release this year, but an image has not been released as of the time of this Daily Email. In addition, prior to his death Pope Francis had indicated a desire to travel to Turkey for the anniversary of the Council. It remains to be seen if Pope Leo XIV will travel to the site during the anniversary year. The Council of Nicaea was a foundational event in the history of the Church. There will surely be reports on the anniversary in the Catholic press in the coming days. A list of resources is provided in the References. LIST OF ECUMENICAL COUNCILS: 1. First Council of Nicaea (325) 2. The First Council of Constantinople (381) 3. The Council of Ephesus (431) 4. The Council of Chalcedon (451) 5. Second Council of Constantinople (553) 6. The Third Council of Constantinople (680–681) 7. The Second Council of Nicaea (787) 8. Fourth Council of Constantinople (Catholic) (869–870) 9. First Council of the Lateran (1123) 10. Second Council of the Lateran (1139) 11. Third Council of the Lateran (1179) 12. Fourth Council of the Lateran (1215) 13. First Council of Lyon (1245) 14. Second Council of Lyon (1274) 15. Council of Vienne (1311–1312) 16. Council of Constance (1414–1418) 17. Council of Basel, Ferrara and Florence (1431–1445) 18. Fifth Council of the Lateran (1512–1517) 19. Council of Trent (1545–1563, with interruptions) 20. First Council of the Vatican (1869–1870) 21. Second Council of the Vatican (1962–1965) Some additional ecumenical councils were convened but not recognized and are not included on this list. Click on the Wikipedia reference on Ecumenical Councils for an in-depth look at the councils and the issues discussed at each. REFERENCES: Resources: National Catholic Register Catholic News Agency Vatican News website Vatican State website Holy See website |
