The Second Council of Nicaea took place in 787 AD and was the seventh ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convened by Empress Irene of Athens to address the controversy surrounding the use of icons in worship. The council affirmed the veneration of icons, stating that they could be used to aid devotion and understanding of the faith. The council produced a set of canons that defined the proper use of icons and condemned iconoclasm, the rejection or destruction of religious images. This decision helped to solidify the role of icons in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and influenced the broader Christian tradition.