Second Council of Constantinople

Second Council of Constantinople 553, regarded generally as the fifth ecumenical council. It was convened by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I to settle the dispute known as the Three Chapters. In an attempt to reconcile moderate Monophysite parties to orthodoxy, Justinian had issued (544) a declaration of faith. The last three chapters anathematized the writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia , Theodoret of Cyrus, and Ibas of Edessa for Nestorianism . While the charge was true of their writings to a certain extent, the Council of Chalcedon had cleared those men of any personal heresy. Justinian's edict had the effect of slighting the council and encouraging Monophysitism ; it was deeply resented in the West. Pope Vigilius , resisting at first, was constrained to support the edict. Under pressure from the Western bishops he then reversed himself. In retaliation, Justinian called a council at Constantinople; it was attended by only six Western bishops, boycotted by Vigilius, and dominated by Justinian and the Eastern bishops. The council approved the imperial edict and seems to have censured Vigilius. The pope was forced to ratify the council's work the following year. The West, in general, was slow in recognizing it as an ecumenical council, though ultimately it was accepted, chiefly because of the orthodoxy of its pronouncements.

Constantinople, Second Council of (553). The Fifth Oecumenical Council, convoked by the Emp. Justinian to settle the controversy over the Three Chapters (q.v.). The Council, attended mainly by E. bishops, condemned the Three Chapters and anathematized their authors. Meanwhile Pope Vigilius, who refused to attend the Council, drew up the so-called ‘Constitutum’; this condemned 60 propositions of Theodore of Mopsuestia but refused to anathematize his person, on the ground that he had not been condemned at Ephesus (431) or Chalcedon (451) and that it was not the custom of the Church to condemn the dead. Pressed by the Emperor, Vigilius finally agreed to accept the Council and annulled his former decisions in favour of the Three Chapters.