5
May 553 A.D. 2nd
Council of Constantinople Convened.
Christianity.com tells the story at: http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/301-600/2nd-council-of-constantinople-11629713.html
Controversy
over the God-man nature of Christ disturbed both church and empire throughout
the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries. Theological quarrels became party
politics and several church-wide or "general" councils met to resolve
the issues. The first of these councils, the famous Nicea Council, denounced
Arianism, a teaching that Christ was a created being. The three councils that
followed took up other aspects of the relationship between Christ's divinity
and humanity. But heresies continued to spring up like weeds, as they still do
today. On this day, May 5, 553,
Emperor Justinian convoked a fifth general council, the second to be held at
Constantinople.
Emperor Justinian was a vigorous
ruler. Unfortunately, he thought the only way his empire could enjoy unity was
to compel religious uniformity. Consequently, he closed heathen schools and
baptized pagans by force. He all but wiped out the Montanists in fierce
persecution. (The Montanists believed in ecstatic spiritual experiences and
end-of-the-world prophecies.) Justinian also built church sanctuaries,
including the breathtaking Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom).
Empress Theodora favored the
monophysite views taught by Eutyches the Archmandrite (an archmandrite was the
head of a monastery or several monasteries). Monophysites deny that Christ had
both a divine nature and human nature. Eutyches' form of monophysitism held
that Christ's two natures, the Divine and the human, united so completely that
they became physically one, with the Divine absorbing the human. Its
theological rival was Nestorianism, which was said to overemphasize the
distinctions between Christ's two natures. Under Theodora's influence,
Justinian called the council to condemn writings that supported
Nestorianism--the Three Chapters.
The Three Chapters had already
been dealt with in the important Council of Chalcedon. The writings were
rebuked but the writers were not condemned. Apparently, the monophysites hoped
by re-opening the issue to win condemnation of the three writers. In so doing,
they would discredit the Council of Chalcedon by making its judgments appear
incomplete or inadequate, creating an opening for further Monophysite advances.
The council opened on this day, May 5, 553. In eight sessions, it
upheld Chalcedon on the two natures of Christ, but condemned "those who
say that there are two Sons and two Christs. For one is he who is preached by
us and you, as we have said, Christ, the Son and Lord, only begotten as man, according
to the saying of the most learned Paul." They condemned the writings but
spared the reputation of two of the three writers of the Three Chapters.
Pope Vigilius swayed back and
forth on the issues. Although he refused to attend the council, he was at a disadvantage,
because Justinian would not let him return to Rome unless he subscribed to the
council's findings. Vigilius capitulated, putting himself at odds with his own
previous writings and possibly even with the council of Chalcedon. A western
synod excommunicated him and he had to change his position again before the
western church would accept him back.
Bibliography:
1. Jedin, Hubert. Ecumenical
Councils of the Catholic Church. (Herder and Herder, 1960).
2. Raab, Clement. The Twenty
Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church. Westminster, Maryland: Newman
Press, 1959.
3. Shahan, Thomas J. "Second
Council of Constantinople." Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert
Appleton, 1914.
4. "Three Chapters" and
"Vigilius." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by
F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1997.
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