Synod

Council ( Lat. concilium "council ", " meeting " ) or Synod ( altgr. σύνοδος synodos " meeting ", " common way " ) refers to a gathering, usually in church affairs. A voting participant is referred to as a Council Father or Synod (r). The two words are used interchangeably in many cases, especially in the history of Christianity in the first millennium. On the other hand, certain church gatherings are often referred specifically to one of the two words, eg Second Vatican Council, Würzburg Synod or Diocesan Synod.

In Orthodox area is generally spoken of " the " Synod. Moreover, in the Russian Orthodox Church is the seat of the Church Association in Kiev, Moscow 1326, referred to as Synod. From 1721 to 1918, the Russian Patriarch was replaced by a Holy Synod, which was under secular control. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is guided by the supreme body of the Church, the Holy Synod, consisting of all the bishops of the Church, which meets twice a year in plenary session.

Old Church

In the old church council and synod were used synonymously.

The first Christian traditional council is the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem, which was held about the year 49, and is reported by the New Testament in Acts 15:1-29.

Of the second century there were numerous local councils at different levels, in which the bishops of a region gathered to decide on certain matters of doctrine or church structure. These decisions applied only to the region in question and had no generality, except when their decisions were later adopted by ecumenical councils, as did the 6th Ecumenical Council with regard to some local synods of the 4th century.

There was in the first millennium seven general episcopal assemblies of the whole Church, which today are called ecumenical councils. The teachings of these councils are recognized by the Orthodox, Catholic and many Protestant churches:

• First Council of Nicaea (325 )
• First Council of Constantinople Opel (381)
• Council of Ephesus (431 )
• Council of Chalcedon (451 )
• 2nd Council of Constantinople Opel (553)
• 3rd Council of Constantinople Opel ( 680/681 )
• Second Council of Nicea ( 787)

The incidence of councils varied greatly over the centuries.

The last three ecumenical councils by the Roman Catholic count were:

• Council of Trent (1545-1563)
• First Vatican Council (1870 )
• Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)

Decisions of ecumenical councils had in the old church universal validity - however, there were often groups that they are not recognized and therefore separated from the church.

According to the Catholic view, there were 21 ecumenical councils - the membership was often resolved until years or centuries later. The word is ecumenical not to be understood here in the sense that different religions perform a common council, but that participate within the Catholic Church fathers from around the world (and not just one or a few states ), and the resolutions adopted in the whole Church validity.

Orthodox churches

In Orthodoxy, the highest decision-making body is the ecumenical council. However, it is not considered per se as infallible, because several times been councils who had described himself as "ecumenical", this status, discussed later due to lack of consent of the people, by another council again. Only the church as a whole applies to the orthodoxy as infallible, which remains open, in which institutions, bodies or movements expressed this infallibility.

In addition to the first seven ecumenical councils and the per - Photius - Council of 879 and the palamitische Council of 1351 will be recognized as ecumenical councils in the Orthodox Church by some people. Most, however, refer to these councils concerning only as panorthodox, so all Orthodox churches.

Roman Catholic Church

The Council and understanding different levels of councils and synods in the Catholic Church are listed under Council ( Roman Catholic Church ). Similar synods are also councils episcopal assemblies that perform consultations on specific topics. However, from the church right ago the council holds the rank over a synod, as the entire College successors of the Apostles gathered at the Council.

Evangelical churches

In the Protestant churches, the early church meetings as councils, called the current regular ( annual or semi- annual ) meetings on church county, state, church, EKD - or SEC - level synod. A special feature is the Grisons synod, which is a pure registry body for the supervision of the official leadership of the pastor.