St. Charles Borromeo and the Council of Trent
St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) became known as The Soul of the Council of Trent. He became a Doctor of Civil and Canon Law at the tender age of twenty-one. The following year (1560) his uncle, the newly elected Pope Pius IV summoned him to Rome. Pius recognized the extraordinary abilities of his nephew and as a result […]
The First Council of Nicaea
First Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church, held in 325 on the occasion of the heresy of Arius (Arianism). As early as 320 or 321 St. Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria, convoked a council at Alexandria at which more than one hundred bishops from Egypt and Libya anathematized Arius. The latter continued to officiate in his […]
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
Victor R. Claveau, MJ The first Synod at which the books of the Bible were made the subject of a special ordinance was that of Laodicea, but the precise date of this Synod, as well as the integrity of the canon in question, has been warmly debated. This Synod of Laodicea[i] in Phrygia Pacatiana[ii] held […]
ST. CHARLES BORROMEO AND THE COUNCIL OF TRENT
St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) became known as The Soul of the Council of Trent. He became a Doctor of Civil and Canon Law at the tender age of twenty-one. The following year (1560) his uncle, the newly elected Pope Pius IV summoned him to Rome. Pius recognized the extraordinary abilities of his nephew and as […]
What was the teaching of the Second Council of Nicea on the proper use of images? In what council was this teaching affirmed? What purposes are images intended to serve, as shown by the blessing?
The Council of Nicea declared: “We decree with full precision and care that, like the figure of the honored and life-giving cross, the revered and holy images, whether painted or made of mosaic or other suitable material, are to be exposed in the holy churches of God, on sacred instruments and vestments, on walls and […]
The Greek Schism[1]
Victor R. Claveau, MJ “If any man follows him that makes a schism in the Church, he shall not inherit the kingdom of God. If anyone walks according to a strange opinion, he agrees not with the passion [of Christ]. (The Epistle of St. Ignatius to the Philadelphians, III). Orthodoxy normally signifies true and correct doctrine. But its historical usage […]
Councils of the Church
Victor R. Claveau, MJ A Council is an assembly of the bishops of the Church, called together by their lawful head, in order to decide questions of Faith, or Morals, or church discipline. The following are the chief kinds of Councils: (1) A General or Ecumenical Council, being one to which the Bishops of the […]
Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue
The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue promotes and supervises relations with members and groups of non-Christian religions, with the exception of Judaism. Following the method and criteria of dialogue established by the Second Vatican Council, and reached a milestone with the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity in 2019. Alessandro Di Bussolo The mission of […]
Church Councils
1. The First General Council of Nicaea, 325 A.D. 2. The First General Council of Constantinople, 381 A.D. 3. The General Council of Ephesus, 431. A.D. 4. The General Council of Chalcedon, 451 A.D. 5. The Second General Council of Constantinople, 553 A.D. 6. The Third General Council of Constantinople, 680-681. A.D. 7. The Second General Council of Nicaea, 787 A.D. 8. The […]
Vatican I and Vatican II
Vatican I 1869-1870 The purpose of Vatican I was, besides the condemnation of contemporary errors, to define the Catholic doctrine concerning the Church of Christ. In fact, in the three forgoing sessions, there was discussion and approval of only two constitutions: “Dogmatic constitution on the Catholic faith” and “First dogmatic constitution on the Church of […]