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He Pope Leo XIV He traveled to Iznik this Friday to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, from where he asked for the reconciliation of Christians “in a dramatic time in many aspects.” In this new stage of his first international trip to Türkiye and Lebanon, the pontiff participated in an event accompanied by the main leaders of the Orthodox Church.
Leo XIV traveled by helicopter to Nicaea, converted into pilgrimage center for Christians and where in the year 325 the first ecumenical council of Christianity was held.
On that date, more than 300 bishops summoned by the Roman Emperor Constantine and coming from all over gathered to put an end to their differences and lay the foundations for the dogma of the divinity of Jesus: a historical moment of union that was followed by centuries of schisms that last until now.
The Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople have visited the ruins of the Basilica of Saint Neophytus.
Reuters
“In a dramatic time in many ways, in which people are subjected to countless threats to their own dignity, the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea is a valuable occasion to ask ourselves who Jesus Christ is in the lives of women and men today, who he is for each of us,” the pope said.
From the platform placed in the archaeological zone where the remains of the Basilica of Saint Neophytusbuilt where the Council is believed to have been held, the pontiff added: “We are all invited to overcome the scandal of divisions that, unfortunately, still exist and feed the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life.
“The more reconciled we are, the more we Christians will be able to give a credible witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is an announcement of hope for all, a message of peace and universal brotherhood that transcends the borders of our communities and nations,” the pope said, quoting Francis.
“Reconciliation is today a call that arises from all humanity afflicted by conflicts and violence. The desire for full communion among all believers in Jesus Christ is always accompanied by the search for brotherhood among all human beings,” he added.
In the Nicene Creed – the one that emerged from this first council and was prayed this Friday in Iznik at the end of the ceremony – “it would not be possible to invoke God as Father if we refused to recognize other men and women as brothers and sisters, also created in the image of God,” the pope indicated.
“There is a universal brotherhood, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, religion or opinion,” he stressed, surrounded by Orthodox patriarchs and other branches of Christianity.
No Russian Orthodox
Leo XIV asserted that “the use of religion to justify war and violence, like any form of fundamentalism and fanaticism, must be firmly rejected, while the paths to follow are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue and collaboration.”
The pope thanked the patriarch of Constantinople, Bartolome i‘Primus Inter Pares’, spiritual leader of more than 300 million Orthodox, as he decided to “commemorate together the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea”, and to the rest of the patriarchs of the Churches and representatives of the world Christian communions who have accepted the invitation to participate in this event.
However, there was no representation of the Russian Orthodox or their leader the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Cyrilhead of the numerically largest Church with about 140 million, since they are totally divided and have not maintained relations for years.
They also broke with the Vatican despite the rapprochements attempted by Pope Francis and the situation has worsened with Cyril’s support for the war in Ukraine.