During the Soviet era, the history of religion was often overlooked. Now changes are taking place, for example, according to new educational programs, schoolchildren can study this subject already in the fourth grade. Adults, on the other hand, are guided by self-education. And it is best to start it with an understanding of some basic concepts of church history, for example, with an idea of what a church council is.
A church council is a meeting of the highest hierarchs of the church, at which issues related to church doctrine and features of religious practices are discussed and resolved. Also, during this meeting, disciplinary and other decisions can be made in relation to clergy. The most famous are the so-called Ecumenical Councils, at which the foundations of the doctrine and practice of modern Christianity were determined. They got this name because they were carried out with the participation of all churches. With the separation of Orthodoxy from Catholicism, they could no longer be carried out. There were seven Ecumenical Councils in total. The first of these took place in Nicaea in 325. It adopted the "Symbol of Faith" - the defining provisions of the Christian religion, and the time for celebrating Easter, one of the main Christian holidays, was also determined. At subsequent councils, the doctrine of the Trinity, one of the most controversial aspects of early Christianity, was formulated, and the possibility of venerating icons was also identified. The councils also passed their decisions on the condemnation of various heresies - deviations from the official doctrine. In addition to the Ecumenical Councils generally recognized by all churches, there were others, the so-called “robberies”. They were carried out by supporters of various heresies to justify their understanding of Christianity. They did not receive official status, since they were not recognized by other Christian churches. The practice of councils continued after the division of the churches. For example, the last Catholic council was held at the Vatican in 1965 and consolidated such an important change as the permission for the use of national languages during worship. Before that, all sermons and services were conducted only in Latin. General councils of Orthodox churches have not been assembled since the XIV century, however, some representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church stated that their renewal was necessary. Local cathedrals of the Russian Orthodox Church meet regularly. They serve primarily to elect a new patriarch. For example, at the last council in 2009, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk became the patriarch.
