The Council of Florence: the Religious Event That Shaped the Era of Discovery by Nora Hamennan
� "''''w � «S� ",,�%;x&4 " " «" � " " ,,"'" ""M � " , "" @"" ,, " , " � , COLUMBU9ANmmEmCliRI�CONCJEBrOE� , , � � , " The Council of Florence: The Religious Event That Shaped the Era of Discovery by Nora Hamennan n July 6, 1439, in the two decades. The strategic pur O city of Florence, It pose of the Council, which was , aly, the assembled to join Eastern and Western Church hierarchy and imperial Christendom in the military authority of the Eastern Ortho defense of Constantinople, dox Church and the Pope and failed in 1453. Less than a cen bishops of the Roman Church tury later, the Council's aim of proclaimed a document of keeping Western European Union entitled Laetentur coeli, Christendom together was "Let the Heavens Rejoice" (SEE shattered by the Protestant box), After the Great Schism Reformation. in 1054 A.D., the Council of Yet, judged from the stand Florence had finally reunified point of universal history, the the Eastern and Western Council was possibly the most branches of Christianity. successful gamble mankind has The Council of Florence ever seen. It was the watershed took place under the immedi for the Florentine Renaissance, ate threat of war, plague, and which produced the greatest under conditions of extreme flowering of genius in the poverty. In fact, on several oc Cathedral of Florence, cupola built by shortest period known to his- casions the Council was nearly Filippo Brullelleschi. tory. To understand how that disbanded for lack of funds. result was deliberately brought Nonetheless, under these conditions it established, for about-in order to replicate it today-we must under the first time, the ecumenical principle of a unity of stand the principles shared by those who organized it.
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