The Council of Constantinople, AD 381
After Pope Athanasius had struggled against the Arian heresy for many years, the Church enjoyed a period of relief from this grievous and extremely dangerous heresy. However, several heresies emerged toward the end of the fourth century AD. This occurred during the reign of the Orthodox Christian Emperor Theodosius the Great, who issued an imperial decree in AD 381 ordering the demolition of pagan temples and their conversion into churches.
The heresies that emerged at that time were:
The heresy of Apollinarius, Bishop of Laodicea.
The heresy of Eusebius, who revived the teachings of Sabellius.
The heresy of Macedonius, the deposed Bishop of Constantinople.
The Location of the Council
The Second Ecumenical Council convened in Constantinople, the new capital of the Roman Empire. Constantine had established the city on the site of Byzantium and founded the first Christian government there on May 11, AD 330. Arcadius later made it the capital of the Eastern Empire in AD 395.
Constantinople was chosen as the location of the Second Ecumenical Council because of its geographical position. The council convened in May AD 381 under the presidency of Saint Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch. It was attended by 150 bishops. Prominent among them were Timothy, Pope of Alexandria, accompanied by some of his bishops; Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem; Nectarius; Gregory of Nyssa, Bishop of Nyssa; Gregory the Theologian; and Pelagius, Bishop of Laodicea.
The Bishop of Rome declined to attend, but accepted the council’s decisions and canons. The total number of bishops attending the council was 150.
A Dispute over the Presidency of the Council
At the beginning of the council, when a president was being nominated, some proposed Saint Gregory the Theologian. This followed the repose of Saint Meletius, who had been nominated before the council began and had fallen asleep in the Lord before its sessions.
The Pope of Alexandria and the Egyptian bishops opposed the nomination. When Saint Gregory saw this, he uttered his famous words:
“Cast me into the sea like Jonah, so that the turmoil may subside.”
He then relinquished the presidency to Bishop Nectarius, who gained everyone’s approval.
The Heresy of Macedonius
When Macedonius was called to present his teaching before the council, he said:
“The Holy Spirit is a divine activity spread throughout the universe, not a distinct hypostasis from the Father and the Son. Rather, He is a created being resembling the angels and holding no rank higher than theirs.”
Saint Athanasius had previously refuted this heresy after returning from exile in AD 362. He exposed its error and pronounced an anathema against Macedonius and his teaching. The bishops subsequently tried to convince Macedonius that he and his corrupt doctrine were mistaken. However, he refused and insisted on maintaining his belief.
The council therefore pronounced an anathema against him and excluded him from the communion of the Church. The emperor also sentenced him to exile.
The council fathers declared that the Holy Spirit is the third hypostasis of the Holy Trinity and is equal to the Father and the Son. They then decided to complete the Nicene Creed with the words:
“Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father.”
The Heresy of Apollinarius, Bishop of Laodicea
Apollinarius was known for opposing Arianism and vigorously defending the divinity of the Lord Christ, to whom be glory. Yet, while doing so, he fell into a grievous heresy. He claimed that the divinity of the Lord Christ had taken the place of His bodily spirit and had undergone suffering, crucifixion, and death together with the body.
He also believed that there were differences in rank among the hypostases, saying:
“The Holy Spirit is great, the Son is greater, and the Father is the greatest.”
Saint Athanasius had also refuted this heresy at a local council in Alexandria in AD 362 and exposed its error. Nevertheless, Apollinarius did not abandon his position.
After the saint had debated with him at the council, Apollinarius still refused to change his views and persisted in his obstinacy. He was therefore anathematized and deposed from his ecclesiastical office.
The Heresy of Eusebius
Eusebius believed that the Trinity was one essence and one hypostasis. Pope Timothy tried to persuade him, but he would not abandon his position. The council therefore ordered his deposition from ecclesiastical office and the exposure of the errors of his heresy.
The council also issued seven new canons for the governance of the Church.
