The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

138 THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.where he will find, in an English translation, copiousextracts from their writings, vindicating the Primacyof the Popes.3. Ecumenical Councils afford another eloquentvindication of Papal supremacy. An Ecumenicalor General Council is an assemblage of Prelatesrej>-resenting the whole Catholic Church. A GeneralCouncil is to the Church what the Executive andLegislative bodies in Washingtonare to the UnitedStates.Up to the present time, nineteen EcumenicalCouncils have been convened, including the Councilof the Vatican. The last eleven were held in theWest, and the first eight in the East. I will pasaover the Western Councils, as no one denies thatthey were subject to the authority of the Pope.I shall briefly speak of the important influencewhich the Holy See exercised in the eight OrientalCouncils.The first General Council was held in Nicsea, in325 ;the second, in Constantinople, in 381 the;third, in Ephesus, in 431 the; fourth, in Chalcedon,in 451 ;the fifth, in Constantinople, in 553 the;sixth, in the same city, in 680; the seventh, inNicsea, in 787 and the;eighth, in Constantinople, in869.The Bishops of Rome convoked these assemblages,or at least consented to their convocation ; they presided by their legates over all of them, except thefirst and second councils of Constantinople, and they