H.H. Pope Tawadros II: The Council of Nicaea is a living event that reminds us that sound faith is the foundation of our unity, and that the unity of the Church is a gift of the Holy Spirit which we all strive to preserve in the bond of peace and love. Unity is achieved only through theological dialogue among the Churches.

H.H. Pope Tawadros II: The Coptic Orthodox Church is proud that it was a partner from the beginning in this great Council through its saint, Athanasius the Apostolic, the faithful defender of the upright faith.

This evening, the concluding session of the Sixth International Conference of the World Council of Churches was held at Saint Mark’s Coptic Academy in the LOGOS Center at the Monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi El Natroun, hosted by the Coptic Orthodox Church.

The closing ceremony included speeches by Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, Secretary General of the Council, and a number of Council and Conference leaders. Their words were filled with expressions of praise and appreciation for Pope Tawadros and the Coptic Church for their generous hospitality and for all they experienced in Egypt.

In his speech, His Holiness expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone who participated and contributed to the success of the conference. He described the Council of Nicaea, which the Christian world celebrates seventeen centuries since its convening, as a historic event that shaped the features of the universal Christian faith and laid the foundation of our sound doctrine as we received it from the Fathers. He affirmed it as a living event whose light still extends through the centuries, reminding us that sound faith is the foundation of our unity, and that the unity of the Church is a gift of the Holy Spirit which we all strive to preserve in peace and love, and that unity is achieved only through theological dialogue among the Churches.

Pope Tawadros added: “This gathering has brought us together in the spirit of Nicaea, where we contemplate the power of faith and where the continuous call to cooperation and love among all Churches resounds.”

He emphasized that the Coptic Orthodox Church is proud that it was a partner from the beginning in this great Council through its saint, Athanasius the Apostolic, the faithful defender of the upright faith. And today, after seventeen centuries, the Church is still called to bear witness to the world with the same faith it received in Nicaea and to lift the voice of truth and love in a time overflowing with challenges and changes.

Pope Tawadros presented a commemorative gift to the conference participants: a miniature model of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. He explained: “I would like to present to you a gift that expresses Egyptian identity, our ancient history, and our beloved Egypt which you have visited, and the city of Alexandria from which the Christian faith spread to all parts of Egypt. It is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the wonders of the ancient world, and it also symbolizes Saint Athanasius as the champion of Nicaea and a lighthouse of faith to the whole world. On its four sides is inscribed the text of the Nicene Creed in twenty languages, symbolizing the Christian world. Each phrase of the Creed is written in a different language, meaning that as Christians we proclaim our Creed in many tongues.” He noted that the gift was designed and crafted by the clergy and youth of Alexandria.

At the conclusion, the organizing team, consisting of youth from the Coptic Church, along with the committees responsible for the conference arrangements were honored.

The Sixth Conference of the World Council of Churches was convened for the first time in Africa and Asia at the LOGOS Center in the Monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi El Natroun, hosted by the Coptic Orthodox Church, with the participation of 500 people from 100 countries around the world.

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