Council of Sardica

The Council of Serdica was convened by the emperors Constans and Constantius II for 342 after Serdica (today's Sofia) to ensure religious peace in the Roman Empire. The Council of Lords failed and was not recognized by the Church as an ecumenical council.

Convening and target

Constantius II, who ruled the Eastern Roman Empire and even minded Arian, had not wanted to accept the anti-Arian Nicene and sent staunch supporters of the Nicene faith as Athanasius of Alexandria and Markell of Ancyra in exile. This had found refuge in Rome and can win the Western Church for the Nicene faith.

This, in turn, the theologians of the East was very suspect. In the tradition of Origen, they took the doctrine of the three hypostases of God and the suspected Nizäner and especially Markell, who spoke of a hypostasis of God the Sabellianism.

In this situation, the theological tensions Constans, ruler suggested the Western Roman Empire, his brother Constantius to hold a Council of Lords to safeguard the religious peace. Constantius, always rely on military support from his brother, left to it.

Splitting into two Teilkonzilien

The bishops of the East refused to participate together with Athanasius and Markell to a council, since they were condemned and deposed by synods - Athanasius 336 The bishops of the West insisted by the Synod of Tyre 335, Markell by the Synod of Constantinople Opel turn it the two had been rehabilitated by a Roman synod 341.

Thus the designed as a unifying empire council meeting split into two rival synods condemned each other.

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