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| − | {{Ecumenical council|council_name=Second Council of Constantinople|council_date=553|accepted_by=[[Catholicism]] <br/>[[Eastern Orthodoxy]] <br/>[[Lutheranism]]|previous=[[Council of Chalcedon]]|next=[[Third Council of Constantinople]]|convoked_by=Emperor [[Justinian I]]|presided_by=[[Patriarch Eutychius of Constantinople|Eutychius of Constantinople]]|attendance=150 (some 18 from Italy and 6 from Africa)|topics=[[Nestorianism]] <br/>[[Origenism]]|documents="Constitutum" of [[Pope Vigilius]]}}
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| − | The Second Council of Constantinople is believed to have been the '''Fifth [[Ecumenical Council]]''' by the [[Eastern Orthodox]], the [[Roman Catholics]], the [[Old Catholics]], and a number of other [[Western Christian]] groups. It was held from 5 May-2 June, 553, having been called by [[Emperor Justinian]]. Participants were overwhelmingly Eastern bishops; only six Western (Carthaginian) bishops were present. It was presided over by [[Eutychius]], [[Patriarch of Constantinople]].
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| − | :''For the events which led to this council see [[Pope Vigilius]].
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| − | ==Background==
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| − | {{details|Three-Chapter Controversy}}
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| − | The Council was the last phase of the long and tumultuous conflict which began with the edict of Justinian in 543 against [[Origen]]ism<ref>P.G., LXXXVI, 945-90.</ref>. Justinian had been convinced that [[Nestorianism]] continued to draw its strength from the writings of [[Theodore of Mopsuestia]] (d. 428), [[Theodoret of Cyrus]] (d. 457), and [[Ibas (Assyrian bishop)|Ibas of Edessa]] (d. 457), with the writings of Theodore and Theodoret being highly regarded by many in the Church.
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| − | Due to his intitial refusal to join in the condemnation of the [[Three Chapters]] (i.e the [[anathema]] upon Theodore, Theodoret and their writings against St. [[Cyril of Alexandria]] and the [[Council of Ephesus]], and also upon the letter written by Ibas of Edessa to Maris, Bishop of Hardaschir in Persia) [[Pope Vigilius]] had been forcibly detained in Constantinople since January of 547C.E.
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| − | Whilst he had condemned the Three Chapters, Vigilius maintained the authority of the [[Council of Chalcedon]] (451) at which Theodoret and Ibas had been restored to their places after Nestorius had been condemned. Many in the West saw this a weakening of the Church before the civil powers as well as injustice to men long dead; also the ecclesial leaders of the West had no accurate knowledge of the theological situation in the Eastern part of the Church. Vigilius persuaded Emperor Justinian to proclaim a truce on all sides until a general council could be called to decide on these matters. However, in 551 the emperor, with the backing of Eastern bishops, later published an edict renewing the condemnation of the Three Chapters.
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| − | Vigilius was virtually imprisoned by the civil authorities and eventually retired to [[Chalcedon]], in the very church of St. Euphemia where the great council had been held; from here Vigilius sought to inform the Church of his position. Soon the Eastern bishops sought reconciliation with Vigilius, persuaded him to return to the city, and withdrew their condemnation of Three Chapters. The new [[Patriarch of Constantinople]], [[Eutychius]], presented (6 January 553) his profession of faith to Vigilius and, in union with other Eastern bishops, urged the calling of a general council. Vigilius was willing to convoke such a council but suggested that it meet either on the Italian peninsula or [[Sicily]], in order to secure the attendance of bishops from the West. However, Justinian would not agree and instead proposed a commission composed up of delegates from each of the [[patriarchate]]s. Vigilius suggested that an equal number be chosen from the East and the West; but this was not acceptable to the emperor, who convoked the council by his own authority. Vigilius refused to attend the gathering. Eight sessions were held, the result of which was the final condemnation of the Three Chapters by the 165 bishops present at the last session (2 June 553).
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| − | Meanwhile, Vigilius had sent to the emperor (14 May) a document known as the first "Constitutum,"<ref>[[J. D. Mansi]] IX, 61-106.</ref> signed by himself and sixteen, mostly Western, bishops, in which sixteen propositions of Theodore of Mopsuestia were condemned as being [[heretical]]. However, Theodore himself was not condemned, nor were the writings of Theodoret or Ibas.
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| − | ==Aftermath==
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| − | The decisions of the Council were executed with severity, though the desired reconciliation of the Monophysites did not follow. Vigilius, together with other opponents the emperor, seems to have been banished<ref>[[Hefele]], II, 905.</ref>, either to [[Upper Egypt]] or to an island in the [[Propontis]].
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| − | During the seventh session of the council Justinian had Vigilius' name removed from the [[diptych]]s, but without severing communion with the Church in the West. When Rome was freed from the [[Goths|Gothic]] yoke, the clergy and people requested the emperor to permit the return of Vigilius. Justinian agreed on condition that Vigilius would recognise the Second Council of Constantinople, and Vigilius accepted, publishing two documents<ref>: a letter to Eutychius of Constantinople, 8 Dec., 553, and a second "Constitutum" of 23 February, 554, probably addressed to the Western episcopate,</ref> condemning the Three Chapters<ref>Mansi, IX, 424-20, 457-88; cf. Hefele, II, 905-11.</ref>, on his own authority and without mention of the council.
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| − | In Northern Italy the ecclesiastical provinces of [[Milan]] and [[Aquileia]] broke communion with the Rome. Milan accepted the condemnation only toward the end of the sixth century, whereas Aquileia did not do so until about 700<ref>Hefele, op. cit., II, 911-27.</ref><ref>See the judgment of Bois, in Dict. de théol. cath., II, 1238-39.</ref>
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| − | ==Acts==
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| − | The original acts of the council are lost[http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-14/Npnf2-14-110.htm#P5504_1142201], but an old Latin version exists, possobly made for Vigilius. The Baluze edition is reprinted in Mansi, "Coll. Conc.," IX, 163 sqq. In the next [[Third Council of Constantinople|General Council of Constantinople (680)]] it was found that the original Acts of the Fifth Council had been tampered with (Hefele, op. cit., II, 855-58) in favour of Monothelitism; nor is it certain that in their present shape we have them in their original completeness (ibid., pp. 859-60). This has a bearing on the much disputed question concerning the condemnation of Origenism at the council.
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| − | ==Notes==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | ==References
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| − | {{catholic}}
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| − | ==External links==
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| − | *[http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-14/Npnf2-14-109.htm#TopOfPage Second Council of Constantinople in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers]
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| − | *[http://www.legionofmarytidewater.com/faith/ECUM05.HTM Second Council of Constantinople]
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| − | <!--Navigation boxes—>
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| − | {{Ecumenical councils|uncollapsed}}
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| − | {{Christian History|collapsed}}
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| − | {{History of the Catholic Church|collapsed}}
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| − | [[Category:philosophy and religion]]
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| − | [[Category:religion]]
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| − | [[Category:Christianity]]
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| − | {{credit|265701762}}
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