Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Second Council of Nicaea
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Mosaic icon of Jesus Christ as Pantocrator with a halo, right hand raised in blessing, and left hand holding an inscribed book, set against a gold background in Monreale Cathedral, Sicily.
Quick Facts
Date:
787
Location:
İznik
Turkey
Context:
Byzantine Empire
Key People:
Adrian I
Leo III
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ Icon painting of Jesus Christ as Pantocrator.

Second Council of Nicaea

Christianity [787]
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Second Council of Nicaea, (787), the seventh ecumenical council of the Christian church, meeting in Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey). It attempted to resolve the Iconoclastic Controversy, initiated in 726 when Byzantine Emperor Leo III issued a decree against the worship of icons (religious images of Christ and the saints). The council declared that icons deserve reverence and veneration but not adoration, which is reserved for God. It was also decreed that every altar should contain a relic, a tradition that has been retained in both modern Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Ecumenical Councils

The seven ecumenical councils recognized by both Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics are:

Convoked by the patriarch Tarasius with the support of the empress Irene, the council was attended by delegates of Pope Adrian I, and the pope confirmed the decrees of the council. Its authority was challenged in France as late as the 11th century, however, partly because certain doctrinal phrases had been incorrectly translated. But the original verdict was eventually accepted, and the Second Council of Nicaea was accepted as the seventh ecumenical council.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.