INTRODUCTION TO CHURCH DOCUMENTS

INTRODUCTION TO CHURCH DOCUMENTS

By

Prof. Sylvester Idemudia Odia, KSP

Church documents are written materials that address issues in the Catholic Church. There are three (3) categories of Church documents: (i) Papal (ii) Ecumenical Councils (iii) Regional Bishop Conferences. This paper takes a look at the ecumenical councils of the Catholic Church.

ECUMENICAL COUNCILS:

          Ecumenical Councils are worldwide meetings of church officials under the leadership of the Pope. It can be of (i) the Catholic Bishops alone, (ii) the Catholic Bishops and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, (iii) the Catholic Bishops and the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Byzantine Churches). We should note that the Catholic Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic; and that it experienced a monumental divide between the Western and Eastern Roman Empire in 395Ad.

          There are about twenty-one (21) recorded ecumenical councils. Below is a summary of some of the ecumenical councils and the decisions reached.

The Council of Jerusalem (AD 50, cf. Acts 15):

          This council resolved the dispute between the Jewish Christians and the Gentiles who have embraced Christianity. Apostle Paul was instrumental to the conveying of this council by St. Peter. The main decision reached was that Gentiles are not to become Jews in other to be Christians. Thus, Gentiles do not need circumcision, but they should abstain from certain practices that are pagan. We still have the challenge today of practicing Christianity as Africans and not as Europeans.

The First Council of Nicaea (325 AD by Pope Sylvester 1.)

          This council addressed the heresy of Arius (Arianism) which states that Jesus Christ is not divine. The council said that Jesus Christ is God: “God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father”, that is, of the same substance with the Father (consubstantiation).

The First Council of Constantinople (381 AD by Pope Damasus)

          This council condemned Macedonianism that said the Holy Spirit is not divine, and emphasized the divinity of the Holy Spirit who is “the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; together with the Father and the Son He is adored and glorified.”

The Council of Ephesus (431 AD by Pope Celestine)

          This council condemned Nestorianism which denied the union of the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ, and the dispute over the title of Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ as Man or as the mother of Jesus Christ who is both God and Man was resolved. The council resolved that since Jesus Christ was both God and Man while on earth, Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ who is both God and Man. She was pronounced “The Mother of God” (theotokos).

The Council of Chalcedon (451 AD by Pope Leo the Great)

At this council, Monophysitism which denied the human nature of Jesus Christ was condemned, and the two natures of Jesus Christ – the human nature and the divine nature – were further emphasized. The council further said that the Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Constantinople are equal.

The Second Council of Nicaea (787 AD by Pope Hadrian I)

          The dispute over the use of icons and images in the church (iconoclasm) was resolved. We can use them as reminders of the life of Christ and the roles the persons they represent played in the body of Christ, the Church. However, they are not objects of worship.

The Second Council of the Lateran (1139 AD by Pope Innocent II)

          This council re-emphasized celibacy for priests, that is, Catholic priests are not to marry to enable discharge their duties single-mindedly without the distractions of the married life. In addition, Catholic priests are to continue to practice chastity like all lay faithful (married or single) are expected to do.

The Third Council of the Lateran (1179 AD by Pope Alexander III)

          This council outlawed simony, human slavery, and Catharism – the heresy that the god of the Old Testament is the devil that made earth, while God of the New Testament made heaven; and that the human spirits are fallen angels who need the exorcism or ritual called “consolamentum.”

The Fourth Council of the Lateran (1215 AD by Pope Innocent III)

          This council made the laws of going to confession at least once in a year especially during the Easter season, the reception of Holy Communion at Easter, and the further emphasized transubstantiation.

The Second Council of Lyon (1274 AD by Pope Innocent IV)

          This council defined purgatory as a temporary place of purification for the elect. The elects are holy souls who are yet to satisfy divine justice regarding full restitution for sins committed. We should note that good works and indulgences are helpful in this regard.

The First Vatican Council (1869 – 1878 AD by Pope Pius IX)

          This council, reacting to the Protestant Reformation, emphasized the infallibility and primacy of the Pope, and the unity of faith and reason on religious matters.

          The Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965 AD by Pope John XXIII)

          This council addressed a lot of issues in the Church and came out with sixteen (16) documents comprising of nine (9) Decrees, four (4) Constitutions, three (3) Declarations. This council gave room for permanent diaconate (allowing married men to become deacons without transiting to the priesthood), recognized Judaism as a legitimate religion and condemned the view that the Jews killed Jesus Christ as well as anti-Semitism, altars should be turned around for the priest to face the people, masses can be celebrated in the vernacular, ecumenism was encouraged, etc.

Conclusion:

The brief history of Church documents above brings to mind the nature of the Catholic Church as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. The Church is constantly at dialogue with her members with dissenting issues or challenges of faith, as well as members of other religions towards a better understanding of her faith. Note that the Church has never changed any dogma or doctrine. Changes are only made in the made of worship or abuses in the cause of living out one’s life as a Catholic. As we continue to journey with the Church, let us keep studying her documents, including papal encyclicals, which will form the second part of this work. Where we have challenges of faith we should ask questions; and, if that challenge of faith continues, we can always take it to God in prayers trusting in the words of Our Lord to Peter, the First Pope: “. . .thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”