Nicaea II

The Second Council of Nicaea in 787, called Nicaea II, was a major religious gathering that addressed disputes over Christian worship, particularly the veneration of icons—religious images of Jesus, Mary, and saints. It officially affirmed that icons are not idols but tools to respect and honor the divine. The council aimed to unite Christians, combat iconoclasm (destruction of images), and clarify the proper way to use icons in worship. Its decisions reinforced the importance of sacred images in Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and some other Christian traditions.