Council of Chalcedon

The Council of Chalcedon was an important meeting of Christian Church leaders. It happened in the city of Chalcedon, which is now called Kadıköy in Istanbul, Turkey, from October 8 to November 1 in the year 451. The Roman emperor Marcian called this meeting together.

More than 520 bishops, or people standing for the bishops, came to this council. It was the biggest and best-recorded meeting of the first seven big church councils. The main reason for this council was to talk about important beliefs about who Jesus was.

The Council of Chalcedon made a clear statement called the Chalcedonian Definition. It said that Jesus is fully God and fully human. The decisions made at this council helped shape how many Christians understand the nature of Jesus.

Agenda

The Council of Chalcedon was a big meeting of Christian leaders. They agreed that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human, with two natures that are separate but united.

This decision caused some disagreements among Christian groups. The council also talked about church rules and approved important statements of belief, including the Creed of Nicaea and the Creed of Constantinople.

Background

In 325, the first big meeting of Christian leaders, called the First Council of Nicaea, decided that Jesus Christ was God, the same as the Father. This idea was supported at later meetings in Constantinople in 381 and Ephesus in 431.

Eutychian controversy

Main article: Eutyches

A few years after a leader named Cyril of Alexandria died, an older monk named Eutyches began teaching new ideas about who Jesus was. He wanted to stop a belief called Nestorianism. Eutyches said Jesus had only one nature after he became human. This caused disagreement among Christian leaders. In 448, a leader named Flavian, Bishop of Constantinople, asked Eutyches to explain his beliefs. When Eutyches could not explain clearly, he was asked to leave his position.

Latrocinium of Ephesus

Main article: Second Council of Ephesus

In 449, another big meeting was held in Ephesus. This meeting was led by a leader named Dioscorus, who supported Eutyches. Flavian and another leader, Eusebius, were asked to leave because they believed Jesus had two natures. There were many disagreements during this meeting, and it was later called a "meeting of robbers" by Pope Leo I because of how unfair it was.

Convocation and session

Council of Chalcedon, fresco at Ferapontov Monastery, c. 1502.

The Council of Chalcedon was called by Emperor Marcian after the death of Emperor Theodosius II. It wanted to fix problems in the Christian Church. The council started on October 8, 451, in the city of Chalcedon, near Constantinople. About 520 bishops came to the council. They talked about who Jesus Christ was and agreed on beliefs about him. The council supported the old rules and letters about these beliefs.

Acceptance

The Council of Chalcedon made important decisions about Christian beliefs. Many Christian groups, including the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches, agree with its teachings. However, some churches, called Oriental Orthodox, do not accept these decisions.

The council taught that Jesus has two natures — both fully human and fully divine — united in one person. They also created rules to help organize church leadership and activities.

Main article: Chalcedonian Definition

The status of the sees of Constantinople and Jerusalem

The council made special rules for the church leaders in Jerusalem and Constantinople. Jerusalem became its own church and was very important.

The council also made Constantinople very important. It said Constantinople should be second only to Rome. Before, Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch were important, but Constantinople grew because it was close to the emperor's court. The council said Constantinople should be honored almost as much as Rome because it was the new capital.

Consequences: Chalcedonian Schism

Main article: Chalcedonian Schism

The Council of Chalcedon caused a big split in the Christian Church. Some church leaders did not agree with the council's decisions. This led to a separation between different groups of Christians, especially in areas like Egypt and Syria.

In Egypt, the church split into two groups. One group followed the decisions of the council, while the other group did not. This caused problems for many Christians. Over time, these divisions made it harder to defend against invaders. Even years later, some Christian groups still remember this split and keep their traditions separate from those who followed the Council of Chalcedon.

Oriental Orthodox view

Many Oriental Orthodox theologians, saints, and modern clergy believe their faith is different from others. Today, Coptic Orthodox Christians call themselves Miaphysites. They show this belief in their daily prayers, which say, "Christ's divinity was always with His humanity, even for a tiny moment."

Liturgical commemorations

The Eastern Orthodox Church remembers the important leaders who met in Chalcedon on a special Sunday close to July 13. In some places, like Russia, they celebrate this day as a feast for the leaders of the first six big church meetings.

Special church services have been created for these celebrations. One service, made in the 14th century, honors the leaders of the meeting in Chalcedon and praises their teachings. The other service celebrates all six important church meetings and speaks highly of their leaders.