- 29 November, 2025
Vatican, Nov 29, 2025: Pope Leo prayed alongside around 27 leaders of various Christian Churches at the historic site of ancient Nicaea in present-day Iznik, Turkey, as part of the second day of his Apostolic Journey, encouraging all Christians to follow the paths of fraternal encounter, dialogue, and cooperation while marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in the Church’s history.
In his address, the Pope offered thanks to Patriarch Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, for his “great wisdom and foresight” in convening Church leaders to celebrate this anniversary together.
He also conveyed his gratitude to the Heads of Churches and Representatives of Christian World Communions who took part in the gathering.
Pope Leo reflected on the Council of Nicaea held in 325, noting that it prompts all Christians today to consider who Jesus Christ is for them personally.
“This question is especially important for Christians,” he said, “who risk reducing Jesus Christ to a kind of charismatic leader or superman, a misrepresentation that ultimately leads to sadness and confusion.”
The Council was convened in response to the teaching of the Alexandrian priest Arius, who claimed Jesus was only an intermediary between God and humanity, asserting He was not fully divine and disregarding the reality of the Incarnation.
“But if God did not become man, how can mortal creatures participate in His immortal life?” asked Pope Leo. “What was at stake at Nicaea, and is at stake today, is our faith in the God who, in Jesus Christ, became like us to make us ‘partakers of the divine nature’.”
He stated that the Council of Nicaea set forth the Christological confession known as the Nicene Creed, which is professed by all Christian Churches and Communities.
The Symbol of Faith, he noted, held “fundamental importance in the journey that Christians are making towards full communion.”
“Faith ‘in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages... consubstantial with the Father’ (Nicene Creed),” he said, “is a profound bond already uniting all Christians.”
The Pope encouraged Christians to embrace this existing unity and move deeper in “adherence to the Word of God revealed in Jesus Christ, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in mutual love and dialogue.”
By addressing divisions and seeking reconciliation, he said, Christians can offer a more convincing witness to Jesus Christ and His message of hope for all.
Pope Leo stressed that Christian unity is urgently needed in a world marked by violence and conflict.
“The desire for full communion among all believers in Jesus Christ is always accompanied by the search for fraternity among all human beings,” he said, urging recognition of the rights and dignity of every person, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, religion, or personal perspectives.
He affirmed the responsibility of religions to serve truth and guide individuals towards dialogue and respect.
“We must strongly reject the use of religion for justifying war, violence, or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism,” the Pope said. “Instead, the paths to follow are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue and cooperation.”
In conclusion, Pope Leo prayed that God the Father would allow the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea to yield “the abundant fruits of reconciliation, unity and peace.”
Courtesy: Vatican News
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