Ecumenical Council - Circumstances of The First Ecumenical Councils

Circumstances of The First Ecumenical Councils

Of the seven councils recognized in whole or in part by both the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church as ecumenical, all were called by the Roman Emperor, not by the Pope. The emperor gave them legal status within the entire Roman Empire. All were held in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. The Pope did not attend, although he sent legates to some of them.

The ecumenical councils are seen as traditional and as a continuation of previous councils or synods, which had already been held in the Empire before Christianity was made legal. Pre-ecumenical councils (also known as synods) include the Council of Jerusalem (c. 50), the Council of Rome (155 AD), the Second Council of Rome (193 AD), the Council of Ephesus (193 AD), the Council of Carthage (251 AD), the Council of Iconium (258 AD), the Council of Antioch (264 AD), the Councils of Arabia (246–247 AD), the Council of Elvira (306 AD), the Council of Carthage (311 AD), the Synod of Neo-Caesarea (c. 314 AD), the Council of Ancyra (314 AD) and the Council of Arles (314 AD).

The first seven councils recognized in both East and West as ecumenical and several others to which such recognition is refused were called by the Byzantine emperors. In the first millennium, various theological and political differences such as Nestorianism or Dyophysitism caused parts of the Church to separate after councils such as those of Ephesus and Chalcedon, but councils recognized as ecumenical continued to be held.