Fourth Council of Constantinople

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The Fourth Council of Constantinople as an ecumenical council is a name given to one of two meetings in Constantinople: the first in 869-870; the second in 879-880. The second basically reversed the key decision of the first. Today, the Roman Catholic Church recognizes the council in 869-870 as "Constantinople IV", while the Eastern Orthodox Churches recognize the councils in 879-880 as "Constantinople IV", but during the time that these councils were being held this division was not yet clear.

These two councils represent a break between East and West. The previous seven ecumenical councils are recognized as ecumenical and authoritative by both Greek-literate Eastern Christians and Latin-literate Western Christians. This division led eventually to the East-West Schism of 1054.

Contents

[edit] The Council of 869-870

Fourth Council of Constantinople (869-870)
Date 869-870
Accepted by Roman Catholicism
Previous council Second Council of Nicaea
Next council Roman Catholic: First Council of the Lateran
Convoked by Emperor Basil I and Pope Adrian II
Presided by papal legates
Attendance 20-25 (first session 869), 102 (last session 870)
Topics of discussion Photius' patriarchate
Documents and statements Deposition of Photius, 27 canons
Chronological list of Ecumenical councils

This Council, recognized today as an ecumenical council by the Roman Catholic Church, met from October 5, 869 to February 28, 870.

It was called by Emperor Basil I the Macedonian and Pope Adrian II. It condemned Photius and deposed him as patriarch and reinstated his predecessor Ignatius. It also ranked Constantinople before the other three Eastern patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem and anathematized the teaching, supposedly held by Photius, that there are two human souls, one spiritual and immortal, one earthly and mortal.

This council was subsequently repudiated by the Council of 879-880 as a latrocinium.

[edit] The Council of 879-880

Fourth Council of Constantinople (879-880)
Date 879 - 880
Accepted by Eastern Orthodoxy
Previous council Second Council of Nicaea
Next council Fifth Council of Constantinople
Convoked by Emperor Basil I and Pope Adrian II
Attendance 383 bishops
Topics of discussion Photius' patriarchate
Documents and statements Restoration of Photius, protection of Nicene creed
Chronological list of Ecumenical councils

After the death of Ignatius in 877, Photius mounted the See of Constantinople for a second time. A Council, comprising the representatives of all the five patriarchates, including that of Rome (all in all 383 bishops), was called in 879 and reinstated Photius as Ecumenical Patriarch.

The council also condemned any alteration whatsoever to the original Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, thereby condemning the addition of the Filioque clause to the creed as heretical — a view strongly espoused by Photius in his polemics against Rome. Late on, Roman Catholics came to separate the two issues and insist on the theological orthodoxy of the clause. According to Philip Schaff, "To the Greek acts was afterwards added a (pretended) letter of Pope John VIII to Photius, declaring the Filioque to be an addition which is rejected by the church of Rome, and a blasphemy which must be abolished calmly and by, degrees."[1]

Whether and how far the council was confirmed by Pope John VIII is also a matter of dispute: The council was held in the presence of papal legates, who approved of the proceedings, Roman Catholic historian Francis Dvornik argues that Pope accepted the acts of the council and annulled those of the Council of 869-870. Other Catholic historians, such as Warren Carroll, dispute this view, arguing that the pope rejected the council. Philipp Schaff opines that the Pope, deceived by his legates about the actual proceedings, first applauded the Emperor but later denounced the council.[1]

In any case, the Pope de facto accepted the reinstatement of Photius as Patriarch. However later, in the wake of further conflicts between East and West in the 11th century, the council was repudiated.

Though this council has been hailed by some Orthodox Christians as the "Eighth Ecumenical Council" it has not been universally accepted as such, though it is held in high esteem at least as a local council and is referred to as the First-and-Second Council by Byzantine canonists John Zonaras, Theodore Balsamon, Matthew Blastaris and others.

[edit] The status of Photius as a Saint

Photius is now considered a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church; in part for having refused to acquiesce to the decision of the council of 869-870 and to what the Eastern Orthodox consider to have been overweening monarchical aspirations on the part of Rome's patriarch.

Photius is also considered a saint by Eastern Catholics, who praise Photius' personal life as virtuous and admire his remarkable talents, even genius, and the wide range of his intellectual aptitudes. Eastern Orthodox Christians object to this attitude, arguing that there is a logical contradiction between accepting a person as a saint and at the same time accepting a council that anathematized him.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Philip Schaff, Conflict of the Eastern and Western Churches

[edit] External links

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Ecumenical councils
Oriental Orthodox
R. Catholic & Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox
Roman Catholic
The Assyrian Church of the East accepts Nicea I and Constaninople I; Anglicans and most Protestant churches accept the first seven Catholic/Eastern Orthodox Councils.