Pope Leo XIV, Eastern Orthodox patriarch signal greater unity at site where Nicene Creed was adopted 1,700 years ago
TIZIANA FABI / Contributor, Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images
“We are all invited to overcome the scandal of the divisions that unfortunately still exist and to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life. The more we are reconciled, the more we Christians can bear credible witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a proclamation of hope for all,” added Pope Leo.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, considered first among equals among Eastern Orthodox bishops, noted at the ecumenical service in Nicaea that he was “deeply moved” by the Christian leaders’ decision to “honor through this joint pilgrimage the memory and legacy of the First Ecumenical Council held here, at Nicaea, seventeen-hundred years ago.”
Emperor Constantine I called over 250 bishops — 318, according to tradition — in the year 325 to convene during the pontificate of Pope Sylvester I in the Bithynian city of Nicaea.
The council that assembled 55 miles southeast of present-day Istanbul not only dealt with various ecclesiastic matters and set a date on which to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection but tackled the Arian heresy, affirming that Christ is indeed “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.”
While similarly acknowledging the divisions that have marked many intervening centuries, the patriarch stressed that the purpose of the meeting was not simply to remember the past but to “bear living witness to the same faith expressed by the Fathers of Nicaea.”
“We return to this wellspring of the Christian faith in order to move forward. We refresh ourselves at these inspired waters of rest in order to become strong for the tasks that lie ahead,” said the patriarch.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew noted further:
The Nicene Creed acts like a seed for the whole of our Christian existence. It is a symbol not of a bare minimum; it is a symbol of the whole. Having the fervor of the faith of Nicaea burning in our hearts, “let us run the course” of Christian unity “that is set before us” (cf. Hebrews 12:1); let us “hope to the end for the grace” that is promised “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. 1 Peter 1:13); and, finally, “let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Trinity consubstantial and undivided.”
The patriarch told the Agence France-Presse ahead of the meeting that his meeting with the pope was “especially significant” in light of the conflicts currently underway across the globe.
– YouTubeyoutu.be
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.