+ Ecumenical :
The word “ecumenical” is a translation of the Greek word “economini,” which is one of the terms that began to be used extensively since the beginning of the second half of the twentieth century. In Church terms, the word “ecumenical” means something which concerns all Christians everywhere.
The term is associated with anything that is ecumenical; whether a council, a law, a faith, theology, an organization, or a work. Based on this, the first three ecclesiastical councils were called ecumenical councils.
The Ecumenical Work: It refers to the exerted efforts to gather all the Christians all over the world, in complete fellowship, upon one faith (Eph. 4:5), without the dissolving of one Church into another.
The Ecumenical Councils: They are Councils which include representatives from ecclesiastical families. They meet together for consultation, theological dialogue and joint work, in pursuit of Church unity. These councils have no authority over any Church, and their decisions are considered recommendations and suggestions.
The Ecumenical Patriarch: He is the Patriarch of Constantinople (currently located in Istanbul, Turkey). He is the lead patriarch among the patriarchs and archbishops of the Greek Orthodox Churches.
+ The Ecumenical Councils :
They are councils held because of heresy or schism, and at the invitation of the Christian emperor. They were attended by the majority of the Church bishops (or their representatives) from the East and West, to embody ecumenism. The decisions of these councils are adhered to by all the Churches in the world. The Coptic Orthodox Church and its Eastern Orthodox family believe in three councils only:
1) The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD: It was at the invitation of Emperor Constantine the Great, because of the heresy of Arius, the Alexandrian priest, who was calling for the Son to be less than the Father.
2) The Council of Constantinople 381 AD: It was upon the invitation of Emperor Theodosius the Great, because of Macedonius; the enemy of the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed that the Holy Spirit was created.
3) The Council of Ephesus 431 AD: It was upon the invitation of Emperor Theodosius the Younger, because of the heresy of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, who proclaimed that Christ was two persons and two hypostases, separating the divine and human natures.
As for the Greek Orthodox, in addition to these councils, they believe in four other councils as ecumenical councils: Chalcedon 451 AD, the Second of Constantinople 553 AD, the Third of Constantinople 680-681 AD, and the Second of Nicaea 787 AD.
The Catholic Church recognizes twenty-one ecumenical councils.
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