Council of Sardica
The Council of Sardica was called as an Ecumenical Council in 342, 343, or 347 in response to the Arian Heresy. Co-Augusii Constans and Constantius, the 2 remaining sons of Constantine worked together at the urging of Pope Julius in response to this heresy that not only divided the church, but the state as well. Constans, Augustus in Rome, favored the Nicene bishops while Constantius, Augustus in Constantinople, often supported Arian ones. To help insure equal representation to solve this divisive issue, Sardica (now Sofia in Bulgaria) was chosen as a location near the division between eastern and western portions of the Roman State. However, fearing domination of the council by Western bishops, many Eastern bishops left the council to hold another council in Philippopolis. As a result, the Council of Sardica failed to universally represent the church and is not one of the official Ecumenical Councils.
Sardica produced 21 canon. In addition to the attempt to resolve the Arian issue, other major points were:
- Bishops should not attempt to recruit from diocese other than their own
- Bishops should be permanent residents of their own diocese
- Bishops should spend most of their time in their own diocese (not at the court in Rome)
- Bishops should not be transferred to another diocese
