On November 28, 2025, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo XIV celebrated the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (today Iznik). The ceremony took place at the archaeological site where the remains of the Basilica of St. Neophyte are located – at the site where the council itself once met in 325. Not only the patriarch and the pope participated in the common prayer, but also representatives of other Christian communities, thereby emphasizing the inter-Christian nature of the event.
They recited together the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed as it was formulated at the First and Second Ecumenical Councils: “… and in the Holy Spirit, … who proceeds from the Father” – without the addition of the filioque (“and from the Son”). This joint act does not mean that the Roman Catholic Church is removing the filioque from its teaching, but it shows a desire for dialogue based on the common confession of the first millennium of the Church.
“Despite all that has happened over the centuries – turmoil, difficulties and divisions – we approach this sacred anniversary with common reverence and a common sense of hope,” said Patriarch Bartholomew. He said that the Nicene Creed acts as a seed for the whole of Christian life: “It is not a symbol of the minimal (unity in faith), but a symbol of the whole.” The Pope, for his part, stressed the need for global reconciliation and fraternity and condemned the use of religion to justify war, violence or any form of fundamentalism and fanaticism. He highlighted the role of religions as forces for peace, dialogue and cooperation, and recalled the global need for Christian unity.
On Saturday, November 29, the Pope, accompanied by his delegation, visited the administrative center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Fener, where he was welcomed by Patriarch Bartholomew. The two primates celebrated a prayer service in the Patriarchal Church of St. George, which was attended by Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and clergy of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps. Then, in the throne room of the Patriarchal House, the ceremony of signing the Joint Declaration took place. The first day of the Pope’s visit to Fener ended with a solemn evening service, led by the Patriarch of Alexandria. The Pope’s program also includes a visit to the historic Sultan Ahmet Mosque (known as the Blue Mosque), but not to the historic church (and now mosque) Hagia Sophia. He then met with leaders of local churches and Christian communities at the Mar Ephraim Church of the Syrian Pre-Chalcedonian Church. At 5 p.m., the Roman Pontiff presided over a solemn liturgy at the indoor Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul. On Sunday, November 30, the feast day of St. Andrew the First-Called, considered the founder of the Church of Constantinople, a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy was celebrated, presided over by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in conjunction with the Patriarch of Alexandria. The liturgy for the throne feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will be attended by the Roman Pontiff, representatives of the Greek government, diplomats and other official guests. At the end of the liturgy, the Patriarch and the Pope exchanged official greetings, and immediately afterwards the two blessed the faithful from the balcony of the Patriarchal House.
We acknowledge The European Times for the information.
