Hi, Joseph —

In the fifth century, there were two schisms over Christology. The first happened after the Council of Ephesus. This Council declared that Jesus was one Divine Person from the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and therefore Mary is the Mother of God. At this point, some Eastern Churches left and followed a man called Nestorius.

About 30 years later, a man named Apollinaris started teaching that Christ was not only one person but only had one Divine nature and will, unlike what we believe as Catholics. (See my Catechism references at the end.) This was rejected at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. Those that went into Schism were called Monophysites. Among them are the Coptics and Armenian Apostolic Churches.

In recent years both these camps have worked out formulas with both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches which satisfy everyone involved. Much of the problem was semantical and based on miscommunications due to the language barrier in the fifth century.

In substance, there is no longer an issue over Christology with either the Monophysites or Nestorians.

Hope this helps,

Under His Mercy,

John C. DiMascio

481 Jesus Christ possesses two natures, one divine and the other human, not confused, but united in the one person of God's Son.

482 Christ, being true God and true man, has a human intellect and will, perfectly attuned and subject to his divine intellect and divine will, which he has in common with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

483 The Incarnation is therefore the mystery of the wonderful union of the divine and human natures in the one person of the Word.

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