What was the first General Council of the Church called?

Answer 1

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Catholic AnswerThe first General Council of the Church (aside The Council of Jerusalem in the book of Acts, where it was decided not to make the gentile converts conform to the old Law, or the Old Covenant that the Jews had been under) is known as the First Council of Nicaea. It was called primarily to deal with the Arian heresy at the instigation of Constantine, who was emperor at that time. Constantine, asked Pope Sylvester to call the Council, and he (the emperor) provided the place and the transportation for the Bishops. For a complete list of all the Councils of the Church, along with brief descriptions, see the link below the answer box. Here is an extract of the Council of Nicaea's conclusions, the most well known of course, being the Nicene Creed, a later of version of which we still use today:

from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Of all the Acts of this Council, which, it has been maintained, were numerous, only three fragments have reached us: the Nicene Creed (below); the canons; the synodal decree. In reality there never were any official acts besides these. All the collections of canons, whether in Latin or Greek, composed in the fourth and fifth centuries agree in attributing to this Council only the twenty canons, which we possess today. Of these the following is a brief résumé:

•Canon 1: On the admission, or support, or expulsion of clerics mutilated by choice or by violence.

•Canon 2: Rules to be observed for ordination, the avoidance of undue haste, the deposition of those guilty of a grave fault.

•Canon 3: All members of the clergy are forbidden to dwell with any woman, except a mother, sister, or aunt.

•Canon 4: Concerning episcopal elections.

•Canon 5: Concerning the excommunicate.

•Canon 6: Concerning patriarchs and their jurisdiction.

•Canon 7: confirms the right of the bishops of Jerusalem to enjoy certain honours.

•Canon 8: concerns the Novatians.

•Canon 9: Certain sins known after ordination involve invalidation.

•Canon 10: Lapsi who have been ordained knowingly or surreptitiously must be excluded as soon as their irregularity is known.

•Canon 11: Penance to be imposed on apostates of the persecution of Licinius.

•Canon 12: Penance to be imposed on those who upheld Licinius in his war on the Christians.

•Canon 13: Indulgence to be granted to excommunicated persons in danger of death.

•Canon 14: Penance to be imposed on catechumens who had weakened under persecution.

•Canon 15: Bishops, priests, and deacons are not to pass from one church to another.

•Canon 16: All clerics are forbidden to leave their church. Formal prohibition for bishops to ordain for their diocese a cleric belonging to another diocese.

•Canon 17: Clerics are forbidden to lend at interest.

•Canon 18: recalls to deacons their subordinate position with regard to priests.

•Canon 19: Rules to be observed with regard to adherents of Paul of Samosata who wished to return to the Church.

•Canon 20: On Sundays and during the Paschal season prayers should be said standing.