General Councils of the Church:
- When and where
- 49.
- Crisis or controversy
- Gentile converts must follow Mosaic Law; 'Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.' Acts 15:1
- Attendees
- 'Apostles and presbyters' Acts 15:6, and the following notables: Paul and Barnabas, Peter, James (Acts 15:6-22)
- Decrees and resolutions
- 'It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities.' Acts 15:28
- When and where
- 325. (Now Iznik, Turkey, 70 miles from Constantinople on the Asiatic shore of the Bosporus)
- Crisis or controversy
- Christ was a pure creature; made out of nothing; liable to fall; the Son of God by adoption, not by nature: Arianism.
- Attendees
- 318 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Constantine I, Emperor; Eusebius of Caesarea, historian; St. Athanasius, theologian; Ratified: Silvester I, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- The Nicene Creed; The Consubstaniality of the Word: homousion with the Father; Solved how the date of Easter should be calculated.
- When and where
- 381. (Now Istanbul, Turkey)
- Crisis or controversy
- The need to insist on homousion; Demonstrate to the world that Christians of the East are not Arians; Apollinaris was teaching that Christ was not true man.
- Attendees
- 186 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Theodosius I, Emperor; St. Basil the Great; St. Gregory of Nyssa; St. Gregory of Naz., theologians; Ratified: Damasus, Pope
- Decrees and resolutions
- Renewed the work of Nicaea; Condemned the heresy of the Macedonians (the Holy Spirit was not really God); Condemned the heresy of Apollinaris (that Christ was not really a man).
- When and where
- 431.
- Crisis or controversy
- Nestorius was teaching that Mary was not the mother of God; Proponents of Nestorius began claiming that Christ was actually two separate persons, human and divine.
- Attendees
- 250 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Theodosius II, Emperor; St. Cyril of Alexandria; St. John Chrysostom; Ratified: Celestinus I, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Condemned Nestorius; Decreed that Mary was also Theotokos, mother of God; Declared that Christ is true God and true man, that he has two natures (human and divine) joined in one person.
- When and where
- 451. (Ancient seaport of Bithynia on the sea of Marmara)
- Crisis or controversy
- Monophysites were teaching that Christ had a single divine nature and no human nature.
- Attendees
- 600 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Marcianus, Emperor; Ratified: Leo I, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Condemned Monophysitism; Declared that Christ had two distinct natures and was both true God and true man; Promulgated canons of church discipline.
- When and where
- 553.
- Crisis or controversy
- Emperor Justinian I wanted the Church to consider the orthodoxy of three Greek theologians: Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyrrhus, and Ebas of Edessa.
- Attendees
- 150 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Justinian I, Emperor;
- Decrees and resolutions
- Condemned the writings of theologians as having been infested with Nestorianism.
- When and where
- 680.
- Crisis or controversy
- Monothelism was teaching that Christ did not possess a human will.
- Attendees
- 174 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Constantine IV, Emperor; Ratified: Leo II, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Condemned Monothelism; Declared that Christ has two wills, human and divine.
- When and where
- 787.
- Crisis or controversy
- Iconoclasts taught that using sacred images was idolatry.
- Attendees
- 390 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Irene, Empress; Ratified: Adrian I, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Condemned Iconoclasts; Declared that sacred images may be honored without idolatry. Promulgated canons of church discipline.
- When and where
- 870.
- Crisis or controversy
- Needed to decide the right of Patriarch Photius or the restoration of Ignatius.
- Attendees
- 102 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Basil, Emperor; Ratified: Adrian II, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Photius was condemned in 27 canons.
- When and where
- 1123. (Basilica in Rome, Italy)
- Crisis or controversy
- Needed to face the social and religious problems of the day; First ecumenical council in the West.
- Attendees
- 300 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Callistus II, Pope; Ratified: Callistus
- Decrees and resolutions
- Promulgated canons of mixed matters.
- When and where
- 1139.
- Crisis or controversy
- A double papal election and ensuing schism when two rivals claiming to be pope divided the church.
- Attendees
- 1000 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Innocent II, Pope; St. Bernard of Clairvaux Ratified: Innocent II.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Took measures against schism of antipope Anacletis II; Promulgated canons of church discipline
- When and where
- 1179.
- Crisis or controversy
- Reorganization had to be faced; there was the ever-needed pressure to reform; restraint of abuses.
- Attendees
- More than 300 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Alexander III, Pope; Ratified: Alexander III, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Decreed that papal elections required two-thirds majority of cardinals at the conclave; Promulgated numerous disciplinary canons.
- When and where
- 1215.
- Crisis or controversy
- Albigensian heresy: two supreme beings, Evil and Good; Christ did not die; all material things must.
- Attendees
- 412 bishops; 388 priests, and the following notables: Convened: Innocent III, Pope; Ratified: Innocent III, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Declaration of Canon Law: the law of the Church; Decrees against Albegensians and Waldensians.
- When and where
- 1245. (City in E. France)
- Crisis or controversy
- The difficult and heretical behavior of Emperor Frederick II; The persecution of religion.
- Attendees
- 140 bishops; more than 300 in toto, and the following notables: Convened: Innocent IV, Pope; Ratified: Innocent IV, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Excommunication and deposition of Frederick II.
- When and where
- 1274.
- Crisis or controversy
- A marked decline of the detachment of the popes from the things of the world; Chronic restiveness of the Greeks toward Roman primacy.
- Attendees
- 500 bishops; 570 priests, and the following notables: Convened: Gregory X, Pope; St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure; Ratified: Gregory X, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- General reformation of the morals of clergy and bishops; Dogmatic constitution of filioque; Profession of faith of Greek Emperor Michael VIII.
- When and where
- 1312. (City in E. France near Lyons)
- Crisis or controversy
- Problems with the religious order of Knights Templars.
- Attendees
- 122 bishops; 300 abbots, and the following notables: Convened: Clemens V, Pope; Ratified: Clemens V, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Templars were suppressed; Canon Law enacted; Three definition of dogmas; Disciplinary decrees written.
- When and where
- 1414 - 1418. (City in Germany on Swiss border)
- Crisis or controversy
- The Great Western Schism: two sets of popes.
- Attendees
- 32 Cardinals; 183 bishops; 100 abbots; 350 priests, and the following notables: Convened: Segismund, Emperor; Ratified: Martin V, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Reformation of the Church; Material organization of religion.
- When and where
- 1438. (City of N. Italy)
- Crisis or controversy
- East/West reunion; Constantinople was being threatened by Mohammedans.
- Attendees
- more than 150 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Eugene IV, Pope; Ratified: Eugene IV, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Reunion of oriental churches.
- When and where
- 1512 - 1517.
- Crisis or controversy
- Needed reform in church administration; Rise of atheistic philosophy; Friction between bishops and orders of friars.
- Attendees
- 115 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Julius II, Pope; Cajetan; Ratified: Leo X, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Condemned the Averroes philosophy: the soul of man is not immortal; Promulgated reform decrees; Established principles of book censorship; Rights of bishops defined.
- When and where
- 1545 - 1563. (in Hapsburg's Germany; now N. Italy)
- Crisis or controversy
- Martin Luther; Revolt against the Pope; Widespread heresy.
- Attendees
- 70 - 252 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Paul III, Pope; Ratified: Pius IV, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Doctrinal decrees: restatement of belief in opposition to the new theologies; The Catholic Reformation: the reformation of Catholic life.
- When and where
- 1870. (St. Peter's Bascilica)
- Crisis or controversy
- A return to life of the Catholic Church: needed a revival of religious life General restoration and restatement of the faith was needed; Christian marriages and education needed safeguarding.
- Attendees
- 747 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: Pius IX, Pope; Ratified: Pius IX, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Promulgated decrees on the Catholic Faith and on the Church; Condemned the Rationalists and Semirationalists; Defined the charism of infallibility.
- When and where
- 1962 - 1965.
- Crisis or controversy
- Constant need for reform and revival; Needed translation of faith into modern era: communication media; Christians and Jews; religious freedom, etc.
- Attendees
- 2908 bishops, and the following notables: Convened: John XXIII, Pope; Ratified: Paul VI, Pope.
- Decrees and resolutions
- Issued 16 documents: On Divine Revelation; The Pastoral Constitution; On The Church in the Modern World; On The Church
