Sinodul IV Ecumenic

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Al patrulea Sinod Ecumenic s-a ținut la Calcedon în anul 451 d.Hr., fiind cunoscut și ca Sinodul de la Calcedon.

Istoric

Al patrulea Sinod Ecumenic s-a ocupat de următoarele chestiuni:

• Natura și Persoana lui Hristos
• organizarea văzută a Bisericii.

În anul 449, între al treilea și al patrulea Sinod Ecumenic, s-a ținut un alt sinod la care succesorul Sfântului Chiril, Dioscor al Alexandriei, "a insistat că în Hristos exita o singură natură (physis)". Această poziție este cunoscută sub numele de monofizită; conform acestei doctrine, Mântuitorul ar fi "din două naturi, dar după Întruparea Lui exită 'o singură natură întrupată a lui Dumnezeu-Cuvântul'." Sfântul Chiril folosise și el aceste cuvinte, dar Dioscor a omis multe din afirmațiile acestuia menite să completeze și echilibreze acest punct de vedere. Astfel că, după numai doi ani, împăratul Marcian a convocat o nouă întrunire a Episcopilor pentru a tranșa asupra acestei chestiuni. Acest Sinod, care a avut loc la Calcedon, este considerat al patrulea mare Sinod Ecumenic.

Cu privire la natura și persoana lui Hristos, Sinodul a respins poziția lui Dioscor și a proclamat că:

"...în timp ce Hristos este o singură Persoană neîmpărțită, El nu este din două firi, ci în două firi. Episcopii au salutat Tomosul lui Leon cel Mare, Papă al Romei (adormit în anul 461), în care este clar afirmată distincția dintre cele două naturi, fiind totodată subliniată și unitatea Persoanei lui Hristos. În mărturisirea lor de credință, ei și-au afirmat credința în 'Unul şi acelaşi Fiu, Domnul nostru Iisus Hristos, Însuşi desăvârşit întru dumnezeire cât şi întru omenitate, Însuşi Dumnezeu adevărat şi om adevărat... cunoscându-se în două firi, fără amestecare, fără schimbare, fără împărţire, fără despărţire, deosebirea firilor nefiind nicidecum stricată din pricina unimii, ci mai degrabă păstrându-se însuşirile fiecărei firi într-o singură persoană şi într-un singur ipostas'."

while Christ is a single, undivided person, He is not only from two natures but in two natures. The bishops acclaimed the Tome of St. Leo the Great, Pope of Rome (died 461), in which the distinction between the two natures is clearly stated, although the unity of Christ's person is also emphasized. In their proclamation of faith they stated their belief in 'one and the same son, perfect in Godhead and perfect in humanity, truly God and truly human... acknowledged in two natures unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the difference between the natures is in no way removed because of the union, but rather the peculiar property of each nature is preserved, and both combine in one person and in one hypostasis."

This definition, where the distinction between Christ's two natures and the unity of His personhood are both emphasized, was aimed not only at the Monophysites, but also the followers of Nestorius.

Concerning the visible organization of the Church, Canon 28 confirmed Canon 3 of the Second Council and left the assignment of Constantinople, or New Rome, second in honor after 'old' Rome. This was a blow to the Alexandrians and their desire to "rule supreme" in the east. Leo of Rome rejected this canon, but the east has always recognized its validity. The Council also freed Jerusalem from the jurisdiction of Ceasarea and gave it the fifth place in honor, thus creating what is known by the Orthodox as the 'Pentarchy'. This Pentarchy settled the order of precedence. In order of rank:

1. Rome
2. Constantinople
3. Alexandria
4. Antioch
5. Jerusalem

All five sees claimed Apostolic foundation. The first four were the most important cities in the empire, and Jerusalem was added because it is where Christ suffered and rose from the dead. Also, it was during this council that the bishops in each city received the title "Patriarch." The Patriarchates then divided the whole of the known world into spheres of jurisdiction, except for Cyprus, which had been granted independence by the third Council and remains self-governing to this day.

There are two misunderstandings of this Pentarchy that must be avoided:

• the system of patriarchs and metropolitans is based on ecclesiastical structure
• the Bishop of Rome (Pope) has supremacy over the other bishops

Regarding the first misunderstanding, the Orthodox do not view the Church from the standpoint of ecclesiastical order, but from the perspective of divine right. They see all bishops as essentially equal, regardless of the prominence of the city which they oversee. They are all divinely appointed teachers of the faith, they all share in Apostolic succession and they all have sacramental powers. If a dispute arises, it is not enough for any one bishop to express his opinion; all diocesan bishops have the right to attend a general council, express their opinion and cast a vote. The system of the Pentarchy does not impair the essential quality of each bishop nor does it strip the local community of the significance Ignatius assigned it.

Regarding the second misunderstanding, the Orthodox do not accept the doctrine of Papal authority as established in 1870 by the Vatican Council and taught in the Roman Catholic Church today. But neither do they deny Rome its place of primacy, as she is first in honor as set up by the second Council. It was Rome, after all, who stayed most true to the faith during many of the heresies over the centuries. Where the Orthodox see Rome going wrong is when they turned this place of 'primacy' in love (as St. Ignatius called it) into a place of supremacy of external jurisdiction and power. And so the primacy assigned to Rome does not overthrow the essential quality of all bishops. The Pope may be the 'first Bishop in the Church,' but he is first among equals.

Commemoration

The Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council are commemorated on July 16 and also on the 9th Sunday after Pentecost the Sunday of the Fathers of the First Six Councils.

Source

• The Orthodox Church, Bishop Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia

See also

• Category:Coptic interpretations of the Fourth Ecumenical Council
  • The Chalcedon Crisis and Monophysitism
  • Agreed Official Statements on Christology with the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches
  • Pastoral Agreement between the Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Patriarchates of Alexandria (2001)
  • Article by Fr. John S. Romanides
  • Chalcedon (An Analysis)
  • After Chalcedon - Orthodoxy in the 5th/6th Centuries
  • Pope Saint Dioscorus I of Alexandria (Coptic POV)
  • The Orthodox Christology of St. Severus of Antioch
  • Problems with the Chalcedonian Formula
  • The Humanity of Christ (What Oriental Orthodox Believe)
  • The One Will and the One Act - By HH Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria
  • Additional/Miscellaneous Notes

External Links

• Canons of the seven ecumenical councils

Citat din [[Kallistos (Ware) de Diokleia|Kallistos WARE, The Orthodox Church, cit. în en:Fourth Ecumenical Council; citatul din Hotărârile Sinodului de la Calcedon este redat în traducerea românească de aici