What happened at the Council of Constantinople?

Response

The First Council of Constantinople took place in AD 381 in the city of the same name (modern Istanbul, Turkey). It is recognized as the second of the Ecumenical Councils, following Nicea in 325. During the Council of Constantinople, Christian bishops gathered to resolve various doctrinal disputes arising from unrest in the religious leadership of the city. Although not as renowned as the Council of Nicea, this council dealt a decisive blow to Arianism, clarified the terminology used to explain the Trinity, and accentuated the differences between the Eastern and Western branches of the church.

The primary reason for convening the first Council of Constantinople was a series of controversies. More than fifty years earlier, the Council of Nicea had convened to address the Arian controversy, a dispute regarding the divinity of Jesus. Despite the council’s overwhelming rejection of Arianism with a vote of nearly 300 to 2, this viewpoint persisted and continued to sow discord among Christians. Constantinople itself was known as an “Arian” city until a new Emperor, Theodosius I, sought to replace its Arian church leaders by force.

This attempted removal met with resistance, leading to further turmoil. Theodosius tried to appoint Gregory Nazianzus as the Bishop of Constantinople. However, before Gregory could be officially consecrated, a rival faction stormed the cathedral and tried to consecrate Maximus the Cynic instead. Their consecration ceremony was disrupted by an enraged crowd, prompting Theodosius to seek counsel from Pope Damasus. Damasus instructed Theodosius to convene a gathering of bishops to reject Maximus formally and resolve (once again) the Arian controversy.

As expected, the outset of the Council of Constantinople was marked by turmoil. The initial choice to preside over the Council, Meletius of Antioch, passed away shortly after the council commenced. Subsequently, Gregory was elected to lead the discussions, but a

Late-arriving contingent of bishops opposed Gregory’s leadership of the council and his installment as Bishop of Constantinople. This led to an argument that threatened to derail the entire process. Gregory offered to resign both offices, a solution that ended the controversy and allowed the council to continue.

Once underway, the Council of Constantinople again strongly denounced Arianism. Council members also discussed the hierarchy of bishops, rules for bringing heretics back into the church, and disciplinary issues among church leaders. Central to these discussions were careful applications of correct terminology when discussing the Trinity. In particular, it extended the language of the Nicene Creed to more precisely reflect the orthodox position. Here is the Nicene Creed with the changes made by the Council of Constantinople in brackets:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker [of heaven and earth], and of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the [only-begotten] Son of God, begotten of the Father [before all worlds], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down [from heaven], and was incarnate [by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary], and was made man; he [was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and] suffered, [and was buried], and the third day he rose again, [according to the Scriptures, and] ascended into heaven, [and sitteth on the right hand of the Father]; from thence he shall come [again, with glory], to judge the quick and the dead; [whose kingdom shall have no end]. And in the Holy Ghost, [the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.]

Much as a p

Prior to the emperor Constantine, who had called the Council of Nicaea to define the boundaries of “orthodox” Christianity, Theodosius I aimed to unite Roman Christians under a shared core of beliefs through the Council of Constantinople. This objective was partially accomplished as several doctrinal issues were clarified, leading to the decline and eventual disappearance of Arianism.

Simultaneously, the Council of Constantinople exacerbated the growing rift between the Eastern and Western Churches. A declaration of the council stated that “the Bishop of Constantinople shall have the honor next to the Bishop of Rome, as Constantinople is New Rome.” This sparked debates regarding the significance of the five major Christian jurisdictions: Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. When the Great Schism occurred centuries later, a key point of contention was the hierarchy between Rome and Constantinople.