The Seventh Ecumenical Council, which convened in Nicaea of Bithynia in 787 A.D., stands as one of the most significant events in the history of the Church. It confirmed the Orthodox teaching concerning the veneration of holy icons and brought an end to the first phase of the Iconoclast controversy. The Council was presided over by Patriarch Tarasios of Constantinople, while the imperial authority was represented by Empress Irene of Athens and her son, Emperor Constantine VI.
Historical context
The iconoclast emperors of the 8th century, beginning with Leo III the Isaurian, forbade the use of icons, considering it a form of idolatry. However, the theology of the Church, inspired by the mystery of the Incarnation, affirmed that since God took on human nature, He became visible and therefore depictable. Empress Irene, a devout and pious ruler, took the initiative to convene the Council to restore peace and unity among the people of God.
Doctrinal decisions
The Seventh Ecumenical Council articulated with clarity the theological foundation for the veneration of icons, formulating decisions that continue to define Orthodox faith to this day:
1. The veneration of holy icons is legitimate and distinctly different from worship. Worship belongs to God alone and is rendered exclusively to Christ as the God-man, whereas honor and veneration are offered to the Theotokos and the Saints — not as deities, but as “friends of God” who partake of His glory. The reverence shown to an icon or to a saint ultimately passes to the Creator and Redeemer.
2. The icon of Christ bears witness to His true Incarnation. If Christ could not be portrayed in an image, it would imply that His human nature was illusory or only apparent. Therefore, the icon of Christ is a testimony to the saving reality of His becoming flesh.
3. The veneration of icons passes to their prototype. Whoever honors the icon, honors the person depicted; the material itself is not worshipped, but the person represented through it.
The Canons of the Council
The Council issued twenty-two canons, which addressed matters not only of faith and doctrine, but also of ecclesiastical discipline and pastoral care. In Canon 1, Holy Tradition is recognized as an equal source of faith with Holy Scripture, underscoring the continuity of the Church’s living experience. Canon 2 strictly prohibits any form of simony or abuse in the ordination process, seeking the purity and integrity of the clergy. Through Canon 7, the faith of the six preceding Ecumenical Councils is reaffirmed as irrevocably binding for the Church, manifesting the unbroken continuity of Orthodox teaching. Finally, Canons 20–22 regulate matters concerning the monastic life, as well as decorum and propriety in worship, ensuring that spirituality is always harmonized with ecclesial order.
The Synodikon of Orthodoxy
The Synodikon of Orthodoxy is an ecclesiastical text of thanksgiving and praise, proclaimed today on the First Sunday of Great Lent (the Sunday of Orthodoxy). Although grounded in the doctrinal decisions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, it was composed later, during the Second Restoration of the Icons in 843 A.D., when Empress Theodora and Patriarch Methodios definitively reinstated the veneration of holy icons.
Initially, the Synodikon contained hymns of praise for the defenders of icons and anathemas against heresies such as Nestorianism, Monophysitism, and, of course, Iconoclasm. In subsequent centuries, additional anathemas were appended by local councils or patriarchal decrees, including those against Barlaam and Akindynos in the 14th century.
However, the addition or modification of anathemas in the Synodikon cannot be made arbitrarily. Only a Council recognized by the whole Orthodox Church may introduce changes, for each anathema constitutes a declaration of faith of doctrinal authority. Individual or local initiatives do not possess binding power for the universal Church.
