This week in Christian history: Sudanese saint baptized; English archbishop beheaded

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, January 08, 2023

Council of Florence begins – Jan. 8, 1438

A 15th century artistic depiction of the Council of Florence, an ecumenical church council that began in 1438 and is also known as the Council of Ferrara-Florence. | Wikimedia Commons

This week marks the beginning of the Council of Florence, the Seventeenth Ecumenical Council, in which representatives of western and eastern churches met to discuss possible unity.

Also known as the Council of Florence-Ferrara, after the two Italian cities that it was held in over the course of multiple years, the gathering derived from the earlier efforts by Pope Martin V, who had died in 1431.

Matters debated among the church representatives included theological issues like the existence of Purgatory and the nature of the Trinity, specifically how the Holy Spirit relates to the Father and the Son.

Although the Greek attendees agreed to accept many of the Catholic Church’s stances, ultimately, the Orthodox Church did not embrace the measures, with the fall of Constantinople in 1453 derailing any further efforts for unity in that era.