ecumenical council

American  

Or Ecumenical Council

noun

1. a solemn assembly in the Roman Catholic Church, convoked and presided over by the pope and composed of cardinals, bishops, and certain other prelates whose decrees, when confirmed by the pope, become binding.

---

ecumenical council British  

noun

1. an assembly of bishops and other ecclesiastics representative of the Christian Church throughout the world. Roman Catholic canon law states that an ecumenical council must be convened by the pope

---

Example Sentences

The town’s dominant monument is Little Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine church that in the eighth century hosted the last ecumenical council recognized by both the Eastern and Western churches.

From The Wall Street Journal

I suggest the next pope convoke another ecumenical council and enlist all the world’s Catholics as participants in his to-do list.

From Washington Post

This fact had not only been stated by inspired writers, but their statement had been indorsed by priests, by bishops, cardinals, popes and ecumenical councils; that was settled.

From Project Gutenberg

There was also a guarantee of full liberty for future conclaves and ecumenical councils.

From Project Gutenberg

The emperor Theodosius II. convoked an ecumenical council at Ephesus, to which Celestine sent his legates.

From Project Gutenberg