Term
The Second Council of Lyons
The 1274 council that sought ecclesiastical union between the Roman Catholic and Byzantine churches, which was ultimately rejected by the Greeks.
Filed underHistorical TheologyChurch History
Definition
The Fourteenth Ecumenical Council, according to Roman Catholic count. Ecclesiastical union was sought by the Byzantines to ward off the threat of invasion posed by Charles of Anjou, who hoped to conquer Constantinople and restore the Latin empire. The Greek populace rejected the union on the grounds that the four patriarchs of the East were not represented.
Sources
- 1.Jerald C. Brauer and B. A. Gerrish, ed. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971). 516Original citation: Brauer, Jerald C., and B. A. Gerrish, eds. The Westminster Dictionary of Church History. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971, 516.
Last revised August 14, 2026