Conciliarity (Synodality)
The Church discerns the truth not by one voice alone but by bishops gathered in council
Conciliarity is the conviction that the Church governs and discerns truth through councils of bishops gathered in the Spirit, a pattern traced to the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 and the ecumenical councils. The relative weight of conciliar versus papal authority distinguishes Orthodox from Catholic ecclesiology, so the traditions differ on this point. The related term 'sobornost' is a nineteenth-century Russian coinage, not an ancient word.
How it traveled
- The Fourth Ecumenical Council. The Council of ChalcedonChalcedon · c. 451 CEexplains
- The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of TheodoretCyrrhus · c. 458 CEexplains
- The Letters and Sermons of Leo the GreatRome · c. 461 CEexplains
- The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the GreatRome · c. 604 CEexplains
Key passages(20)
Each passage is tagged by what it does with the idea: explains it, applies it in practice, redefines it with a new meaning, or challenges it. Relevance shows how directly the passage is about this idea.
The Fourth Ecumenical Council. The Council of Chalcedon · The Ecumenical Councils
Constantine, the secretary, read from a book handed him by Aëtius, the archdeacon; Canon Six of the 318 holy Fathers. “Let the ancient customs prevail, those of Egypt, πρεσβεῖα) be preserved to the ch
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The Second Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Constantinople · The Ecumenical Councils
Canon II. The bishops are not to go beyond their dioceses to churches lying outside of their bounds, nor bring confusion on the churches; but let the Bishop of Alexandria, according to the canons, al
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Selected Epistles of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
Epistle LX. To Theodebert, King of the Franks Cf. VI. 58, note 1. Gregory to Theodebert, &c. One who receives with willing mind and embraces in the bosom of his heart words of fatherly admonition
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The Church History of Eusebius · Eusebius of Caesarea
22. But since, as it happens, some, forgetful both of their own salvation and of the reverence due to the most holy religion, do not even yet bring hostilities to an end, and are unwilling to conform
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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus
CLIII. Report of the same to the Empresses Pulcheria and Eudoxia. We had expected to be able to report to your pious majesties in different terms, but we are now compelled to make known to you the fo
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Concerning councils of bishops we give no other instructions than those laid down for the Church’s health by the holy FathersGod forbid) concerning one of the greater sins, such as cannot be decided b
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The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of Ephesus · The Ecumenical Councils
Note on the Emperor’s Edict to the Synod. Neither of the Emperors could personally attend the Council of Ephesus and accordingly Theodosius II. appointed the Count Candidian, Captain of the imperial
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The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of Ephesus · The Ecumenical Councils
The Definition of the Holy and Ecumenical Synod of Ephesus Against the Impious Messalians Who are Also Called Euchetæ and Enthusiasts. (Found in Latin only. Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. III., co
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The Fifth Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Constantinople · The Ecumenical Councils
Extracts from the Acts. Session I. (Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. V., col. 419.) [The Emperor’s Letter which was read to the Fathers.] In the Name of our Lord God Jesus Christ. The Emperor Fla
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Book II. Of Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons · Constitutions of the Holy Apostles
Do thou therefore, O bishop, together with thy subordinate clergy, endeavour rightly to divide the word of truth. For the Lord says: “If you walk cross-grained to me, I will walk cross-grained to you.
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Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen · Gregory of Nazianzus
Oration XLII. The Last Farewell in the Presence of the One Hundred and Fifty Bishops. ThisOration was delivered during the Second Œcumenical Council, held at Constantinople a.d. 381. Historical as w
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The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
The charity wherewith I am greatly bound to you allows me by no means to keep silence, that your Holiness may know all that is going on among us, and, deceived by no false rumours, may keep more perfe
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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus
Notwithstanding the endeavours of that divine assembly of bishops to apply this medicine to the Meletian disease, vestiges of his infatuation remain even to this day; for there are in some districts b
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The Fourth Ecumenical Council. The Council of Chalcedon · The Ecumenical Councils
Canon IX. If any Clergyman have a matter against another clergyman, he shall not forsake his bishop and run to secular courts; but let him first lay open the matter before his own Bishop, or let the
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The Life of Constantine with Orations of Constantine and Eusebius · Eusebius of Caesarea
For endless literature of the Paschal controversy, compare articles in all the religious encyclopædias, especially perhaps Steitz, in the Schaff-Herzog; and for history and discussion of the question
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Defence Against the Arians. (Apologia Contra Arianos.) · Athanasius of Alexandria
Coustant in loc. fairly insists on the word “all,” as shewing that S. Julius does not here claim the prerogative of judging by himself all Bishops whatever, and that what follows relates merely to the
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The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
It has come to our ears that Florentius, bishop of the city of Epidaurus, his property having first been seized, has been condemned, for certain crimes not proved, without a sacerdotal council. And, i
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Sermon LXXXVIII. On the Fast of the Seventh Month, III That is the September, or as we should now say, the Michaelmas Embertide. I. The Fasts, which the ancient prophets proclaimed, are still neces
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Letter CXIII. Placed in 372. To the presbyters of Tarsus. That the Nicene Creed alone is to be required of the brethren. On meeting this man, I heartily thanked God that by means of his visit He h
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The Seventh Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Nice · The Ecumenical Councils
The Canons of the Holy and Ecumenical Seventh Council. This is the caption as given in the Greek of Beveridge’s Synod. Canon I. That the sacred Canons are in all things to be observed. The pattern
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