The First Ecumenical Council: Doctrinal Identity and Enduring Significance, 1700 Years Later

by Fr. Panagiotis Kapodistrias, Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne

This year marks 1700 years since the convocation of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea of Bithynia in 325 AD—an anniversary that invites a renewed reflection on one of the most defining events in the life of the Church. The Council stands as a foundational synodal moment, combining theological clarity, institutional cohesion, and canonical maturity, shaping the Church from the post-Constantinian era to our own times.

The Persecutor Saul and the Kamikaze of Damascus

By Fr. Panagiotis Kapodistrias

Damascus remains a heavy place, charged from all sides: socially, politically, religiously, militarily, etc. Centuries ago, it was there that Saul, a fervent Jew and persecutor of Christians, traveled “bearing letters to the synagogues” (Acts 9:2), determined to bring the disciples of Jesus bound to Jerusalem. He had zeal, determination, and religious self-confidence. He believed he was serving God...

Patriarchal Response to the toast of the Archbishop of York at the Luncheon hosted by The Nikæan Club Oxford and Cambridge Club London, England (June 24, 2025)

Your Grace, Most Reverend Brother, Stephen Cottrell,  Archbishop of York,

Dear Members of the Nikæan Club,

Distinguished Guests and Friends,

With every prayer for the health and prosperity of His Majesty King Charles III, we thank you for this warmest of welcomes, and the sentiments expressed to our humble person by Your Grace.

Address by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Consecration of the Church of St. Sophrony (Tolleshunt Knights, Essex, June 22, 2025)

 

Τιμιώτατοι ἀδελφοί Ἱεράρχαι,

Ἐξοχώτατοι,

Εὐλαβέστατοι πατέρες, τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ λίαν ἀγαπητά,

Ἑορτήν καί πανήγυριν ἄγομεν σήμερα, καθώς καθαγιάσαμεν καί παρεδώκαμεν εἰς τήν λατρείαν τοῦ μόνου ἀληθινοῦ Θεοῦ τόν περίτεχνον τοῦτον Ναόν τοῦ Ὁσίου Σωφρονίου τοῦ Ἀθωνίτου, τοῦ γενομένου Πατρός, Κτίτορος καί τώρα ἐπουρανίου προστάτου τῆς Ἱερᾶς ταύτης Μονῆς.

The Canons of Nicaea as Part of the Living Canonical Tradition of the Orthodox Church

Keynote Address By His All-Holiness ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW at the 2025 Conference of the Ecclesiastical Law Society 

(Chichester, June 21st, 2025)

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Patriarchal Homily Choral Evensong at Chichester Cathedral During the Conference of the Ecclesiastical Law Society on the Council of Nicaea (June 21, 2025)

Your Grace, Most Reverend Brother in the Lord, Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York,

Your Excellency, Right Reverend Brother in the Lord, Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester,

Dear Ecumenical Brothers and Sisters from the Church of England,

Beloved Brethren in Christ,

Standing here in this magnificent Cathedral, celebrating its own anniversary of nine hundred and fifty years, we are moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit to give thanks for this ecumenical gathering, which accords the highest honor to the Most Holy and Great First Ecumenical Council of the Three Hundred and Eighteen Fathers gathered in Nicaea. We stand together in this Evensong, from the East and from the West, to pause and reflect upon the Seventeen Hundred years since this sacred Καιρός, that established the Faith of the Apostles once and for all.

LWF and Orthodox Church issue Common statement on the Holy Spirit, the Church, and the World

On the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and in preparation for Pentecost Sunday, the Lutheran World Federation and the Orthodox Church are issuing a Common Statement on the Holy Spirit, the Church, and the World.