Jerusalem (Acts 15:2)

When and where: 49.
Crisis or controversy: Gentile converts must follow Mosaic Law; "Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved." Acts 15:1
Attendees: "Apostles and presbyters" Acts 15:6, and the following notables:
Paul and Barnabas,
Peter, James (Acts 15:6-22)
Decrees and resolutions: "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities." Acts 15:28

Nicea I

When and where: 325. (Now Iznik, Turkey, 70 miles from Constantinople on the Asiatic shore of the Bosporus)
Crisis or controversy: Christ was a pure creature; made out of nothing; liable to fall; the Son of God by adoption, not by nature: Arianism.
Attendees: 318 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Constantine I, Emperor;
Eusebius of Caesarea, historian;
St. Athanasius, theologian;
Ratified: Silvester I, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: The Nicene Creed;
The Consubstaniality of the Word: homousion with the Father;
Solved how the date of Easter should be calculated.

Constantinople I

When and where: 381. (Now Istanbul, Turkey)
Crisis or controversy: The need to insist on homousion;
Demonstrate to the world that Christians of the East are not Arians;
Apollinaris was teaching that Christ was not true man.
Attendees: 186 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Theodosius I, Emperor;
St. Basil the Great;
St. Gregory of Nyssa;
St. Gregory of Naz., theologians;
Ratified: Damasus, Pope
Decrees and resolutions: Renewed the work of Nicaea;
Condemned the heresy of the Macedonians (the Holy Spirit was not really God);
Condemned the heresy of Apollinaris (that Christ was not really a man).

Ephesus

When and where: 431.
Crisis or controversy: Nestorius was teaching that Mary was not the mother of God;
Proponents of Nestorius began claiming that Christ was actually two separate persons, human and divine.
Attendees: 250 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Theodosius II, Emperor;
St. Cyril of Alexandria;
St. John Chrysostom;
Ratified: Celestinus I, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Condemned Nestorius;
Decreed that Mary was also Theotokos, mother of God;
Declared that Christ is true God and true man, that he has two natures (human and divine) joined in one person.

Chalcedon

When and where: 451. (Ancient seaport of Bithynia on the sea of Marmara)
Crisis or controversy: Monophysites were teaching that Christ had a single divine nature and no human nature.
Attendees: 600 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Marcianus, Emperor;
Ratified: Leo I, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Condemned Monophysitism;
Declared that Christ had two distinct natures and was both true God and true man;
Promulgated canons of church discipline.

Constantinople II

When and where: 553.
Crisis or controversy: Emperor Justinian I wanted the Church to consider the orthodoxy of three Greek theologians: Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyrrhus, and Ebas of Edessa.
Attendees: 150 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Justinian I, Emperor;
Decrees and resolutions: Condemned the writings of theologians as having been infested with Nestorianism.

Constantinople III

When and where: 680.
Crisis or controversy: Monothelism was teaching that Christ did not possess a human will.
Attendees: 174 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Constantine IV, Emperor;
Ratified: Leo II, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Condemned Monothelism;
Declared that Christ has two wills, human and divine.

Nicaea II

When and where: 787.
Crisis or controversy: Iconoclasts taught that using sacred images was idolatry.
Attendees: 390 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Irene, Empress;
Ratified: Adrian I, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Condemned Iconoclasts;
Declared that sacred images may be honored without idolatry.
Promulgated canons of church discipline.

Constantinople IV

When and where: 870.
Crisis or controversy: Needed to decide the right of Patriarch Photius or the restoration of Ignatius.
Attendees: 102 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Basil, Emperor;
Ratified: Adrian II, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Photius was condemned in 27 canons.

Lateran I

When and where: 1123. (Basilica in Rome, Italy)
Crisis or controversy: Needed to face the social and religious problems of the day;
First ecumenical council in the West.
Attendees: 300 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Callistus II, Pope;
Ratified: Callistus
Decrees and resolutions: Promulgated canons of mixed matters.

Lateran II

When and where: 1139.
Crisis or controversy: A double papal election and ensuing schism when two rivals claiming to be pope divided the church.
Attendees: 1000 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Innocent II, Pope;
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Ratified: Innocent II.
Decrees and resolutions: Took measures against schism of antipope Anacletis II;
Promulgated canons of church discipline

Lateran III

When and where: 1179.
Crisis or controversy: Reorganization had to be faced; there was the ever-needed pressure to reform; restraint of abuses.
Attendees: More than 300 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Alexander III, Pope;
Ratified: Alexander III, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Decreed that papal elections required two-thirds majority of cardinals at the conclave;
Promulgated numerous disciplinary canons.

Lateran IV

When and where: 1215.
Crisis or controversy: Albigensian heresy: two supreme beings, Evil and Good; Christ did not die; all material things must.
Attendees: 412 bishops; 388 priests, and the following notables:
Convened: Innocent III, Pope;
Ratified: Innocent III, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Declaration of Canon Law: the law of the Church;
Decrees against Albegensians and Waldensians.

Lyons I

When and where: 1245. (City in E. France)
Crisis or controversy: The difficult and heretical behavior of Emperor Frederick II;
The persecution of religion.
Attendees: 140 bishops; more than 300 in toto, and the following notables:
Convened: Innocent IV, Pope;
Ratified: Innocent IV, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Excommunication and deposition of Frederick II.

Lyons II

When and where: 1274.
Crisis or controversy: A marked decline of the detachment of the popes from the things of the world;
Chronic restiveness of the Greeks toward Roman primacy.
Attendees: 500 bishops; 570 priests, and the following notables:
Convened: Gregory X, Pope;
St. Thomas Aquinas,
St. Bonaventure;
Ratified: Gregory X, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: General reformation of the morals of clergy and bishops;
Dogmatic constitution of filioque;
Profession of faith of Greek Emperor Michael VIII.

Vienne

When and where: 1312. (City in E. France near Lyons)
Crisis or controversy: Problems with the religious order of Knights Templars.
Attendees: 122 bishops; 300 abbots, and the following notables:
Convened: Clemens V, Pope;
Ratified: Clemens V, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Templars were suppressed;
Canon Law enacted;
Three definition of dogmas;
Disciplinary decrees written.

Constance

When and where: 1414 - 1418. (City in Germany on Swiss border)
Crisis or controversy: The Great Western Schism: two sets of popes.
Attendees: 32 Cardinals; 183 bishops; 100 abbots; 350 priests, and the following notables:
Convened: Segismund, Emperor;
Ratified: Martin V, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Reformation of the Church;
Material organization of religion.

Florence

When and where: 1438. (City of N. Italy)
Crisis or controversy: East/West reunion;
Constantinople was being threatened by Mohammedans.
Attendees: more than 150 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Eugene IV, Pope;
Ratified: Eugene IV, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Reunion of oriental churches.

Lateran V

When and where: 1512 - 1517.
Crisis or controversy: Needed reform in church administration;
Rise of atheistic philosophy;
Friction between bishops and orders of friars.
Attendees: 115 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Julius II, Pope;
Cajetan;
Ratified: Leo X, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Condemned the Averroes philosophy: the soul of man is not immortal;
Promulgated reform decrees;
Established principles of book censorship;
Rights of bishops defined.

Trent

When and where: 1545 - 1563. (in Hapsburg's Germany; now N. Italy)
Crisis or controversy: Martin Luther;
Revolt against the Pope;
Widespread heresy.
Attendees: 70 - 252 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Paul III, Pope;
Ratified: Pius IV, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Doctrinal decrees: restatement of belief in opposition to the new theologies;
The Catholic Reformation: the reformation of Catholic life.

Vatican I

When and where: 1870. (St. Peter's Bascilica)
Crisis or controversy: A return to life of the Catholic Church: needed a revival of religious life
General restoration and restatement of the faith was needed;
Christian marriages and education needed safeguarding.
Attendees: 747 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: Pius IX, Pope;
Ratified: Pius IX, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Promulgated decrees on the Catholic Faith and on the Church;
Condemned the Rationalists and Semirationalists;
Defined the charism of infallibility.

Vatican II

When and where: 1962 - 1965.
Crisis or controversy: Constant need for reform and revival;
Needed translation of faith into modern era: communication media;
Christians and Jews; religious freedom, etc.
Attendees: 2908 bishops, and the following notables:
Convened: John XXIII, Pope;
Ratified: Paul VI, Pope.
Decrees and resolutions: Issued 16 documents:
On Divine Revelation;
The Pastoral Constitution;
On The Church in the Modern World;
On The Church

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