The Second Council of Nicaea, also known as Nicaea II, took place in 787 AD. It was convened by Empress Irene of Athens to address the controversy surrounding the use of icons in Christian worship. The council affirmed the veneration of icons, declaring that they could be used to inspire devotion and serve as a means of connecting with the divine. Nicaea II was significant in the ongoing struggle between iconoclasts, who opposed the use of images, and iconodules, who supported them. The council's decisions helped to solidify the role of icons in the Eastern Orthodox Church and established a precedent for future theological discussions on the subject.