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Catholic episcopal councils compared to popes |
Existing dogma compared to popes |
Objections and controversy
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Conciliarity is the adherence of variousChristian communities to the authority ofecumenical councils and tosynodalchurch governance. It is not to be confused withconciliarism, which is a particular historical movement within theCatholic Church. Different churches interpret conciliarity in different ways.
The government of the Catholic Church is essentiallymonarchical, both on apapal andepiscopal level. Catholic doctrine does regard ecumenical councils as legitimate but extraordinary sources of authority. They can only be called by a pope. A pope canprorogue a council (asPius IX prorogued theFirst Vatican Council in 1871). If a pope dies in the middle of a council the council immediately loses its source of authority. His successor must renew the council, as happened whenPope Paul VI succeededPope John XXIII in 1963, when theSecond Vatican Council was sitting.[1]
The decisions of an ecumenical council do not become authoritative until approved by the pope. Popes are not bound by the decisions of ecumenical councils, nor by the mandate to implement a council's decisions. However, since the decrees of an ecumenical council are regarded as expressing the mind of the Church and of Jesus Christ, a pope would not normally ignore a council. The decisions of ecumenical councils, approved by the pope, are binding upon all theclergy andlaity, subject to papal regulation.[1]
Lesser councils also play a part in the governance of the Catholic Church. TheSynod of Bishops is an assembly of bishops which advise the pope in the government of the Church. On a national level, there is theepiscopal conference, regulating national issues. These conferences do not, however, exercise authority over particular dioceses.
Churches of theEastern Orthodoxcommunion view ecumenical councils as the supreme norm of government.[citation needed]
Protestant communities tend to deny or downplay the authority of ecumenical councils, though many do adhere to synodal government.This is not the case withAnglicans; the authority of the ecumenical councils is more firmly recognized by Anglo-Catholics (high-church Anglicans).[2]
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