On this day, November 1, 451 AD, the Fourth Ecumenical Synod of Chalcedon concluded, one of the most important moments in the history of the Church. This Synod was not a simple theological debate but was the Church’s response to the profound spiritual and social crises of the time. With the participation of approximately 520 bishops, under the presidency of Patriarch Anatolios of Constantinople and with representatives of Pope Leo, the Synod was convened by order of the emperors Marcian and Pulcheria, in order to preserve the unity of the Church and the truth about Christ, the God-man.
The Third Ecumenical Synod of 431 AD had condemned Nestorius and confirmed the title of the Panagia as Theotokos. However, after the deaths of Patriarchs Cyril of Alexandria and John of Antioch, the union of the two natures in Christ became a field of new controversy. Eutyches and other followers of Antioch taught that the human nature was absorbed by the divine in the union, a position called Monophysitism, and created confusion regarding the distinction between person and nature.
The need for clear theological formulation was urgent, the lay and episcopal communities were in danger of being disoriented, while the unity of the Church and the Empire was threatened by religious and political divisions. Chalcedon became the field where the Fathers of the Church responded precisely to these concerns, connecting theology with historical reality.
The Chalcedonian Confession formulates with precision and clarity the mystery of Christ, one person, the Son and Word of God, united with two natures, divine and human, “inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably.” These terms ensure that:
- The two natures are not confused or changed (divinity does not become human and humanity divine),
- The natures are not divided or separated, but remain complete and united in the same person,
- The human nature of Christ is fully preserved, while the divinity remains intact.
With this confession, the Church confronted both the philosophical approach of the heretics and the practical consequences of deception, giving an answer based on revelation and the experience of faith.
Chalcedon is not only a historical fact or a philosophical argument; it is an experience of faith. The Fathers of the Church did not use the terms “nature”, “person” or “hypostasis” for philosophical speculations, but to preserve the revelation of Christ, as revealed in the Prophets and Apostles. The divine and human natures coexist in Christ as was seen in the Jordan River, on Tabor, and above all in the Cross and Resurrection, events that demonstrate the soteriological dimension of the unity of the natures.
The worship of the Church embodies this experience; the troparions of the Ecumenical Synods are chanted and become prayer, bringing the dogma to life. Faith does not remain a theory; it transforms the existence of the believer, as it unites human life with the divinity of Christ.
Chalcedon remains a living challenge, reminding us of the value of theological precision, spiritual experience and the unity of the Church. In a world that often simplifies or distorts faith, the confession that Christ is fully God and fully man determines our relationship with history, life and salvation. It calls us to live united with Christ in all dimensions of our existence, spiritual, physical, social.
The Fourth Ecumenical Synod is not simply a historical monument, but a beacon of faith; the confession of the unity of natures in Christ unites history, theology and worship in a life experience. Its memory calls us to live the faith consistently, to preserve the truth and to become witnesses of the God-man Christ in our time. As Saint Gregory Palamas says, dogma is the revelation of the Word of God and our life, our worship, our Church, is the response to this revelation.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
The Third Ecumenical Synod of 431 AD had condemned Nestorius and confirmed the title of the Panagia as Theotokos. However, after the deaths of Patriarchs Cyril of Alexandria and John of Antioch, the union of the two natures in Christ became a field of new controversy. Eutyches and other followers of Antioch taught that the human nature was absorbed by the divine in the union, a position called Monophysitism, and created confusion regarding the distinction between person and nature.
The need for clear theological formulation was urgent, the lay and episcopal communities were in danger of being disoriented, while the unity of the Church and the Empire was threatened by religious and political divisions. Chalcedon became the field where the Fathers of the Church responded precisely to these concerns, connecting theology with historical reality.
The Chalcedonian Confession formulates with precision and clarity the mystery of Christ, one person, the Son and Word of God, united with two natures, divine and human, “inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably.” These terms ensure that:
- The two natures are not confused or changed (divinity does not become human and humanity divine),
- The natures are not divided or separated, but remain complete and united in the same person,
- The human nature of Christ is fully preserved, while the divinity remains intact.
With this confession, the Church confronted both the philosophical approach of the heretics and the practical consequences of deception, giving an answer based on revelation and the experience of faith.
Chalcedon is not only a historical fact or a philosophical argument; it is an experience of faith. The Fathers of the Church did not use the terms “nature”, “person” or “hypostasis” for philosophical speculations, but to preserve the revelation of Christ, as revealed in the Prophets and Apostles. The divine and human natures coexist in Christ as was seen in the Jordan River, on Tabor, and above all in the Cross and Resurrection, events that demonstrate the soteriological dimension of the unity of the natures.
The worship of the Church embodies this experience; the troparions of the Ecumenical Synods are chanted and become prayer, bringing the dogma to life. Faith does not remain a theory; it transforms the existence of the believer, as it unites human life with the divinity of Christ.
Chalcedon remains a living challenge, reminding us of the value of theological precision, spiritual experience and the unity of the Church. In a world that often simplifies or distorts faith, the confession that Christ is fully God and fully man determines our relationship with history, life and salvation. It calls us to live united with Christ in all dimensions of our existence, spiritual, physical, social.
The Fourth Ecumenical Synod is not simply a historical monument, but a beacon of faith; the confession of the unity of natures in Christ unites history, theology and worship in a life experience. Its memory calls us to live the faith consistently, to preserve the truth and to become witnesses of the God-man Christ in our time. As Saint Gregory Palamas says, dogma is the revelation of the Word of God and our life, our worship, our Church, is the response to this revelation.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
