The Gold Standard
Article Eight:
The Ecumenical Councils
Click on each name to open the link to a document or a council:
As an autocephalous synod, the United Holy Caribbean Apostolic Church outlines her specific canons to govern her churches accordingly. In addition to the local synodal canons, the Caribbean Patriarchate *accepts* the several Church Councils and their dogmas.
~ The Declaration of Reception Into The Worldwide Communion of Catholic & Apostolic Churches, 2015
~ The Declaration of Establishment of the Caribbean Patriarchate
~ The Canons of Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome
~ The First Council of Nicea, 325 A.D.
Rejected the heresy of Arianism, which held that Christ is a creature less than God the Father. The council declared that Christ is "of the same substance with the Father" and "God from God." The Son is co-eternal with the Father. It also adopted the Nicene Creed, established the date for celebrating Easter, recognized Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch as important jurisdictions, granted the See of Jerusalem a place of special honor.
~ The Council of Constantinople, 381 A.D.
Declared that Christ is fully human with a human soul. The council also stated that the Holy Spirit is worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son. The Father is the source, the Son is begotten, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. Made changes to the Nicene Creed in regards to the Holy Spirit.
~ The Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D.
Declared that the dogma known as Nestorianism (the doma that says there was "Two Sons, one God and one Man, merged to be the one Christ) was heresy. It also declared that it is wrong to teach Pelagianism, a teaching that there was no Original Sin and we can achieve salvation on our own good acts and works. It proclaimed the Virgin Mary as Theotokos (“God-Bearer,” or “Mother of God”). It also reaffirmed the Nicene Creed.
~ The Council of Chalcedon, 451 A.D.
Hosted by Saint Anatolius, Archbishop of Constantinople. Declared that the divine and human natures of Christ are permanently united, but without being mixed or confused or changed into some third entity. The council concluded that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly human and stated this in the Chalcedonian Creed. It established the Sees of Constantinople and Jerusalem as patriarchates, making them the primary jurisdictions of Christianity.
~ The Second Council of Constantinople, 553 A.D.
Reaffirmed the church's teaching regarding the two natures of Christ and corrected certain misunderstandings of the teaching, such as Nestorianism that taught that Christ did not only possess two natures, but was in fact two persons–one human and one divine. The Catholic Church taught and teaches that Christ has two natures but is one person. It condemned the teachings of Origen of Alexandria, and it decreed that only one person of the Trinity suffered in the flesh.
~ The Third Council of Constantinople, 680-681 A.D.
Asserted that the two natures of Christ carried out their own independent wills without conflict or confusion.
~ The Second Council of Nicea, 787 A.D.
Declared that images of Jesus Christ could be made and used in worship since Jesus Christ, in addition to being God is also human and human beings can be depicted in art. This ended the Iconoclast Controversy that taught that using images in worship was wrong and destroyed religious art. Icons can be used and venerated according to the whole church.
~ The Fourth Council of Constantinople, 879-880 A.D.
Hosted by Saint Photius, Archbishop of Constantinople. Declares and confirmed the FIlioque Clause to be heretical
~ The Council of Crete, 2016 A.D.
Hosted by Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople & Ecumenical Patriarch. Further upheld the Orthodox decrees of the Church, while establishing a standard for ecumenical dialogue with other Christian entities. Though not in attendance, the United Holy Caribbean Apostolic Church accepts the council and it's decisions, and has agreed to sign off on the various documents. Click here for the official website of the Eastern Orthodox Council of Crete.
(*Note*: The theological doctrines of the Ecumenical Councils are fully accepted. However, due to what can be identified as ecclesiastical inconsistencies, administrative errors and even cruelties expressed by imperfect men, certain canon laws from these councils are not accepted, and therefore not adhered to by the Caribbean Patriarchate. In addition, the Caribbean Patriarchate adheres to its set of localized Canon Laws, as do all Churches.)