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Concile De Nice Ii

Icon representing the Seventh Ecumenical Council

The Second Council of Nicaea was in 787. It aimed to end the political-religious conflict caused by the iconoclasm. The council affirmed the need to venerate the relics and images: the honor is not given to images or relics, but through them to the person they represent.

Summary

/ / The reasons for the council

Background

Since the first Council of Nicaea in 325 , the councils had a common theme "God." The Second Council of Nicaea was a total specificity, since it deals with theological questions schedules compared to questions about the divine nature.

The eighth century was the history of the papacy a particularly troubled time. Indeed, it has grown from a Byzantine influence to Frankish protection.

Rome took the outset, the defense of sacred images, a position it maintained before and after the Second Council of Nicaea. Rome during the council has played a decisive role, with the aid of Pope Adrian I , who is in favor of image worship.

The definition of faith of the Second Council of Nicaea

The quarrel has erupted icons over fifty years ago, in 726 , under Emperor Leo III. In 754 , the Church has solemnly recognized as the official doctrine of iconoclasm at the Council of Hireia.

Traditionally, the icon is designed to awaken the memory of Christ and the saints, it belongs to sacred things. The icons are part of the beautiful order of the churches of their ornaments: Such is the tradition of the Christian church that wants the churches are decorated, and objects used for worship are honored as they should be. The Council of Nicea says we can not reject or even destroy the icons without failing at the same time respectful to other sacred objects.

The Council recalls especially the usefulness of the images, he rejects the accusation of idolatry and affirms the conformity of worship images with the tradition of the Church.

Although the worship of images, like the relics of the Gospel or the cross, is a proper and legitimate traditions of the Church, is to reject a much broader scope than that the only question of images and involves a conception of theology and tradition.

The conduct of the council

The emperors Irene and Constantine convene a council.

Nicaea was chosen as Constantinople remained a city where iconomaques and stirred iconophiles could come to blows and hinder the work of the council. In addition, Nicaea was not far from Constantinople and had hosted the first of the ecumenical councils. The council would be chaired by Tarasios in 787.

The various sessions of the council

  • The first session (September 4): The council opened in St. Sophia in Nicaea where they had seen fit to give voice to those who had suffered for the holy images. After entering the meeting and having their self-criticism, three bishops iconomaques lurent a profession of faith where they venerated the relics and the saints, the accepted images of Jesus Christ.
  • The second session (26 September): The purpose of this session was to act in communion with the churches (especially that of Rome) and thus unite with Pope Hadrian.
  • The third session (28 September) aims to adhere to the dioceses of the East.
  • The fourth session (October 1): In line with tradition, we must respect the images because they lead to miracles of God (healing, conversions ...). The icon is one of those traditions that fathers have bequeathed to the Church and the bishops need to keep faithful.
  • The fifth session (October 4): Patriarch Tarasios denounced the origin and inspiration of iconoclasm. We wanted to remind that the iconoclasts were not really Christians and should be regarded as heretics.
  • The sixth session (October 6) can not be the Seventh Ecumenical Council as neither the Pope of Rome nor the patriarchs of the East were present there. The meeting wondered whether Christ can be shown in pictures. So she says that when the Church of Christ painted in human form, it does not break its unity. (That is to say that it is not a fourth person in the Trinity).
  • The seventh session (13 October): The "Horus" reminds us that Christ has promised to attend his church and extend its help to the faithful of apostles today. The responsibility of the bishops is clearly indicated. According to the council, these bad shepherds are unable to distinguish between the sacred and the profane, were seen in images of Christ and the saints as idols evil.
  • The eighth session (23 October): The imperial authority was considered better not to attend meetings in person, but Irene would participate in the triumph. She now invited the Fathers to come to Constantinople for a final celebration. The Empress stared So one day when she could celebrate the restoration of holy images.

the canons of the Council

The Acts of the Nicene Council have a series of twenty-two guns, which is nothing to how they were developed and when they were enacted. They have been prepared by a commission that included guns issued to the First Council of Nicaea to Chalcedon , to the Council in Trullo and the "Canons of the Apostles." Five guns (2, 4, 8, 9, 17) are new. This regulation deals mainly bishops and their duties, independence of clerics and monks, the legacy of iconoclasm and behavior of monks and priests with women. The deposition or excommunication are the major sanctions we have provided against the stubborn.

Observing the holy canons

The council opens (barrel 1) Recalled by the obligation of fidelity to the canonical norms which are the precepts of Christian life. They had suffered severely as iconoclasm. It is important especially as one who has attained the dignity of the priesthood (the bishops) observes these rules "without adding anything or remove anything." This will put themselves in the tradition of the Apostles and councils. The council here refers to the Canons of the Apostles, a collection which may date from the early fifth century , in the East recognizes that tradition.

A difficult recognition of the council

The images and their supporters were triumphant, but the current iconomaque was deposed. A cons-council was held in Frankfurt in order to disapprove Nicaea. The pope, Adrian I , and will defend Nicea based on the use of Scripture. Then Irene imposed by images represent inert, painted or sculpted, the Blessed Virgin and the saints and venerate them. The first and main criticism against the iconoclasts the culture of images is idolatry.

The council of 815 antinicen therefore forbidden to make images and condemn their worship. Tarasios invalid Nicaea and its practices and accept the council of St. Mary of Blachernae of 754.

To restore the images, the Council of Paris ( 1 November 825 ) will want to reorder the images that were in the church. The Frankish Church felt that the Roman Church was wrong in the quarrel images by exaggerating their religious value. Under Michael II , the images begin to reappear in the churches. There were even some who were venerated in the imperial palace by Theodora and her daughters. The persecution did not take violent forms for those opposed to the emperor. Lazarus, a monk artist, was whipped and imprisoned and you end up burning his hands.

The recovery images will be in 843 when all the churches and their ornaments were recovered from the ornate splendor of the venerable images. It establishes the priests and chiefs loyal to orthodoxy. It remained only to withdraw all iconomaques churches. This is the case for example of the former Patriarch John , who in a monastery had gouged out his eyes with an image he could not bear to look. It was so castigated by order of the Empress. On 11 March 844 (first Sunday of Lent fasting) is the official date of the restoration of images.

See also

Bibliography

  • Gervais Dumeige, Nicaea II, Orante Publishing, Paris, 1978, 302p.
  • Christoph von Schnborn, OP , The Icon of Christ: Theological Foundations, Editions Universitaires, Fribourg, 1976, 245p.
  • Extract of universal and comprehensive dictionary of the councils of the canon Adolphe-Charles Peltier, published in the Encyclopedia of theological Abb Jacques Paul Migne (1847), Volumes 13 and 14.
  • In Nicaea II, 787-1987. Twelve centuries of religious images. Proceedings of International Symposium Nicene II held at the College de France, Paris 2, 3, 4 October 1986, Editions du Cerf, Paris, 1987:
    • Emmanuel Lanne, Rome and Nicaea II, p.219-p. 229,
    • Jean-Claude Schmitt , The West, Nicaea II and images of the eighth to the thirteenth century, p.271-p.303
    • Andr Chastel , The Council of Nicaea and the theologians of the Catholic Reformation, p.333-p.339

Internal Links

External Links

Latin Cross.svg The 10 councils general Christianity prior to 1054
Nicaea I Constantinople I Ephesus I Chalcedon Agde * Constantinople II Constantinople III Quinisexte * Nicaea II Constantinople IV *
* Council not ecumenical

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