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→History: corrected English
Concerning Christ's nature and personhood, the Council rejected Dioscorus' position, and proclaimed that:
:''...while Christ is a single, undivided person, He is not only from two natures but in two natures. The bishops acclaimed the Tome of St. [[Leo the Great]], [[Pope]] of Rome (died 461), in which the distinction between the two natures is clearly stated, although the unity of Christ's person is also emphasized. In their proclamation of faith they stated their belief in 'one and the same son, perfect in Godhead and perfect in humanity, truly God and truly human... acknowledged in two natures unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the difference between the natures is in no way removed because of the union, but rather the peculiar property of each nature is preserved, and both combine in one person and in on one hypostasis.''
This definition, where the distinction between Christ's two natures and the unity of His personhood are both emphasized, was aimed not only at the Monophysites, but also the followers of [[Nestorianism|Nestorius]].
Concerning the visible organization of the Church, Canon 28 confirmed Canon 3 of the [[Second Ecumenical Council|Second Council]] and left the assignment of Constantinople, or New Rome, second in honor after 'old' Rome. This was a blow to the Alexandrians and their desire to "rule supreme" in the east. Leo of Rome rejected this canon, but the east has always recognized its validity. The Council also freed Jerusalem from the jurisdiction of Ceasarea and gave it the fifth place among in honor, thus creating what is know known by the Orthodox as the '[[Pentarchy]]'. This Pentarchy settled the order of precedence. In order of rank:
#Rome
#Constantinople
Regarding the first misunderstanding, the Orthodox do not view the Church from the standpoint of ecclesiastical order, but from the perspective of divine right. They see all bishops as essentially equal, regardless of the prominence of the city which they oversee. They are all divinely appointed teachers of the faith, they all share in Apostolic succession and they all have sacramental powers. If a dispute arises, it is not enough for any one bishop to express his opinion; all diocesan bishops have the right to attend a general council, express their opinion and cast a vote. The system of the Pentarchy does not impair the essential quality of each bishop nor does it strip the local community of the significance Ignatius assigned it.
Regarding the second misunderstanding, the Orthodox do not accept the doctrine of Papal authority as established in 1870 by the Vatican Council and taught in the Roman Catholic Church today. But neither do they deny Rome its place of primacy, as she is first among in honor as set up by the second Council. It was Rome, after all, who stayed most true to the faith during many of the [[heresy|heresies]] over the centuries. Where the Orthodox see Rome going wrong is when they turned this place of 'primacy' in love (as St. Ignatius called it) into a place of supremacy of external jurisdiction and power. And so the primacy assigned to Rome does not overthrow the essential quality of all bishops. The Pope may be the 'first Bishop in the Church,' but he is first among equals.
==Commemoration ==
The '''Holy Fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council''' are commemorated on [[July 16]] and also on the 9th Sunday after [[Pentecost]] the [[Sunday of the Fathers of the First Six Councils]].
