The Creed

Here's a bit from the Council of Ephesus, or the Third Ecumenical Council, which assembled in the Year of Our Lord the four hundred thirty first.

Here's the important part to keep in mind:

When these documents had been read out, the holy synod decreed the following.

1. It is not permitted to produce or write or compose any other creed except the one which was defined by the holy fathers who were gathered together in the holy Spirit at Nicaea.

What are we to make of this? The meaning seems obvious, as best I can tell: don't mess with the Creed. So what are we to make of the Filioque accepted by the Latin Church? Perhaps it was this text that prevented early Popes from accepting the addition. What does this tell us about ideas of Papal Infallibility? Can the Pope directly contradict a Council? Can any Council directly contradict another Council?

I should think not. The earliest source of infallibility in the Church has always been the Council. Before theories of the Papacy split Christendom asunder all could agree that the Holy Spirit worked through the Ecumenical Councils.

I hope some of my Catholic friends and readers have some thoughts on the subject. Feel free to write me an e-mail or answer on your blog (posts like this make me think I should invest the time and add comments boxes).