In 2025, we and the entire Christian world,

East and West,

will celebrate

17 centuries since

the convening of the

First Ecumenical Council

in Nicaea,

Asia Minor,

in 325 AD.

History tells us that the beginning of this pivotal event was due to a figure not widely known, named Arius (256-336 AD), born and raised in Libya. He came to Alexandria, where he studied and eventually emerged as an ascetic scholar and eloquent preacher and guide. His teachings gained popularity among the people, including many virgins of Alexandria, who helped spread his words and teachings at that time.

One of Arius’ personal traits was “deception.” Early on, he supported the heretical bishop Meletius of Asiut, who opposed Pope Peter, the seventeenth patriarch of Alexandria, regarding the repentance of apostates. Pope Peter excommunicated Meletius, but Arius cunningly distanced himself from Meletius just enough to be ordained a deacon. Pope Peter was martyred in the fall of 311 AD, and Arius then turned to Pope Achillas, the eighteenth patriarch, who ordained him as a presbyter. Later, Pope Alexander, the nineteenth patriarch, trusted him and appointed him as priest of the Church of Baucalis, Alexandria’s main church.

Arius was an extremist in his rhetoric, and his radicalism led him into a grave doctrinal error, which he upheld due to his pride and inflated ego. He taught that only the Father deserved the title of God, while the Son was merely a lesser god, created from nothing by the Father’s will. This teaching opposed the beliefs upheld by the Church in the first three centuries after Christ’s Birth. Despite objections from many believers and later Pope Alexander’s own insistence that Arius adhere to the established teachings of the Church and forbidding him from teaching his ideas, Arius took pride in his knowledge and disobeyed by rejecting his master’s command, the leader of the Church. In response, Pope Alexander convened a local council in Alexandria with a hundred bishops, where he presented Arius’ heresy. The council rejected Arius’ teachings, and only two bishops refrained from condemnation. The council excommunicated Arius, these two bishops, and ten priests and deacons who had aligned themselves with this heresy that began to threaten the Church’s peace.

However, Arius, ever the deceiver, fled to Palestine and sought the support of Eusebius, the historian and bishop of Caesarea in Palestine. Arius portrayed himself as a victim of Pope Alexander’s oppression, leading to a local council convened to discuss Arius’ case. This local council sent a request to Pope Alexander, asking him to lift the excommunication and restore Arius and his followers to the communion of the Church. Arius himself wrote an eloquent letter claiming, “I have not taught anything contrary to Alexander’s teachings and have condemned what my leader and master condemned.”

Yet, Pope Alexander was not deceived by this plea and, along with his bishops, stood firm in defending the true orthodox faith against this heresy, which had already started spreading in its first year. He refused to lift Arius’ excommunication. Meanwhile, Arius sought the support of several Eastern bishops in Antioch and Palestine, who granted him permission to resume administering the mysteries. As a result, Arius returned defiantly to Alexandria, composing hymns and songs that the people from all walks of life sang everywhere.

These disruptions reached the ears of Emperor Constantine, who attempted to resolve the doctrinal dispute peacefully by sending a letter through his envoy. However, this did not achieve the intended goal. The idea of convening an ecumenical council then emerged, a proposal championed by Pope Alexander. Some attribute this idea to the emperor himself, who summoned bishops from across the empire to consult and deliberate, choosing Nicaea as the meeting place due to its mild climate. The council convened from May 20, 325, to June 19, 325, with 318 bishops in attendance. Some references suggest that not all bishops attended every session, leading to estimates of 270 or around 300 attendees. The assembled fathers condemned Arius and his followers, and Emperor Constantine endorsed this decision, ordering Arius’ exile and banishment. Arius remained in exile until fall 334 AD, when he returned and appeared before the emperor, claiming “Orthodoxy.” Attempting to reinstate Arius through certain bishops in Constantinople, the emperor faced resistance from the elderly Bishop Alexander of Constantinople, who steadfastly opposed the emperor’s order. It is said that when Arius forcefully entered the church, he separated himself from the people to relieve himself, and his bowels poured out, leading to his death in 336 AD. Such is the end of every deceiver, hypocrite, or heretic, as it is written: “Do not be haughty, but fear” (Romans 11:20).

A notable historical point:

one year after the

First Ecumenical Council

in Nicaea, in 326 AD,

the Holy Cross

was discovered

by Queen Helena,

the mother of

Emperor Constantine.

It is said that

she took the nails of the Cross and melted them

into the metal of her son’s helmet and horse’s bridle.

(To be continued)

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