The Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East held a symbolic meeting today in celebration of the 17th centennial jubilee of the Council of Nicaea. The meeting was presided over by His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark; His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the world; and His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Orthodox Church of the Great House of Cilicia. Each Church was represented by ten members of its Holy Synod, including Metropolitans and Bishops. The gathering took place at the LOGOS Papal Center in the Monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi El Natron.
The meeting began with a reading of the twenty canons of the Council of Nicaea, with His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II reading them in Arabic, and His Holiness Catholicos Aram I reading them in English.
In his address, His Holiness Pope Tawadros welcomed the fellow patriarchs and the attending hierarchs, noting that this synodical gathering is part of the celebration of the Council of Nicaea, which affirmed the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith—doctrines that remain the responsibility of the churches to uphold. He highlighted the Council of Nicaea’s decree assigning the Church of Alexandria the responsibility for determining the date of Easter and called for a return to using the Coptic calculation method (Abkhat), so that all churches in the East and West might celebrate Easter on the same day, even though it changes annually.
In his remarks, His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem expressed his gratitude to Pope Tawadros and the Coptic Church for hosting the Nicaea celebration. He stated that through this celebration, the churches renew their gratitude to the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, who upheld the Christian faith. He explained the significant role the Church of Antioch played in the Council and emphasized that as we commemorate Nicaea, we commit to holding fast to the “Faith of Nicaea” in confronting the current ethical challenges facing the Church. He also proposed several ideas to enhance cooperation among the three churches in education, youth activities, and other fields.
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I spoke about the historical importance of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), describing it as an event that has had a lasting impact over the centuries. He outlined the main reasons for convening the council and focused on its unique theological contributions, especially its articulation of Christian doctrine in the Nicene Creed—a creed that was later expanded upon in the Second and Third Ecumenical Councils in Constantinople (381 AD) and Ephesus (431 AD).
The metropolitans and bishops of the participating synods presented interventions and proposals aimed at strengthening cooperation and joint efforts among the churches.
The three patriarchs are expected to pray the Holy Liturgy together on Sunday morning, marking a historic first: the first time that the patriarchs of these three Oriental Orthodox Churches—united in faith—pray the Holy Liturgy together in the Coptic Church and according to the Coptic Rite.
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