The Pope: The Nicene Creed remains and unites; the risk is to misrepresent Jesus

– Cindy Wooden, Iznik, Turkey (CNS) 

The Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople organized the ecumenical prayer service and the joint recitation of the Creed, together with Pope Leo XIV, in Iznik, site of ancient Nicaea, about 80 miles southeast of Istanbul. It was on November 28.

Together with the Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem or their representatives, and with leaders of other Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches, Pope Leo XIII celebrated the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the main reason for his first trip abroad as pope. .

The joint recitation of the Creed did not include the phrase known as “filioque,” the statement that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son,” as the phrase is not used by the Orthodox because it was inserted into the Latin Creed by Pope Benedict VIII in 1014. Recent popes, including Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, and Pope Leo, have omitted the phrase in ecumenical prayer services.

Patriarch Bartholomew I: “common feeling of hope”

Standing on a platform overlooking the remains of the Basilica of Saint Neophytos, now partially submerged in Lake Iznik, church leaders took turns leading prayers (in English, Greek, and Arabic) and lighting candles. Meanwhile, a Catholic choir sang in Latin, and an Orthodox choir sang in Greek, alternating with each other.

Patriarch Bartholomew, welcoming the Pope and other guests, noted that “despite so many centuries having passed and all the upheavals, difficulties, and divisions that they have brought with them, we approach this sacred commemoration with shared reverence and a common sense of hope.».

«The power of this place lies not in what happens, but in what lasts forever,» he said.

Pope Leo XIV: “desire for full communion among believers”

After the patriarch, the Pope Leo He told his fellow Christian leaders that at a time when humanity is “afflicted by violence and conflict,” the world “is crying out for reconciliation.”.

“The desire for full communion among all believers in Jesus Christ is always accompanied by the search for brotherhood among all human beings,” he said. “In the Nicene Creed, we profess our faith in one God the Father. However, it would not be possible to invoke God as Father if we refused to recognize all other men and women, created in God’s image, as our brothers and sisters.”.

The Russian Orthodox Church was not present.

Although united by faith, the Russian Orthodox Church—the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world—was not represented at the service. The Russian Church broke off relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate following the 2018 recognition of the autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

There is a universal brotherhood. 

Belief in God the Father, Pope Leo said in Iznik, means that “there is a universal brotherhood of men and women regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, religion, or personal perspectives.”.

Many Christian leaders, especially Eastern Orthodox leaders, come from nations that have recently faced or are currently facing war and persecution. And Pope Leo said that Christians must give concrete witness to their belief that all people are children of one God and, therefore, brothers and sisters to one another.

Religion does not justify war or violence.

“Furthermore, we must firmly reject the use of religion to justify war, violence, or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism,” he said. “Instead, the paths to follow are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue, and cooperation.”.

Do not reduce Christ to a charismatic leader or superman.

The Pope also reiterated a concern he had mentioned during a meeting with Catholic leaders earlier that day: the risk that many Christians have strayed from the firm belief of the Nicene Creed in the divinity of Jesus.

“This question is especially important for Christians, who run the risk of reducing Jesus Christ to a kind of charismatic leader or superman, a misinterpretation that ultimately leads to sadness and confusion,” he said.

Arrio

At the time of the Council of Nicaea, the Pope said, Arius—a priest from Alexandria in Egypt—had denied the divinity of Christ, reducing him to “a mere intermediary between God and humanity, ignoring the reality of the Incarnation, so that the divine and the human remained irremediably separated.”.

“But if God did not become man, how can mortal creatures share in his immortal life?” asked Pope Leo.

The Pontiff told Christian leaders that sharing the same faith in Jesus and being able to recite the Creed together means that “there is a deep bond that already unites all Christians.”

Invited to overcome the scandal of divisions

“We are all invited to overcome the scandal of divisions that unfortunately still exist and to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life,” said the Pope. “The more we reconcile ourselves, the more we Christians will be able to give credible witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a proclamation of hope for all.”.

Bartholomew I: “running the race” of Christian unity 

Patriarch Bartholomew told the leaders that with “the fervor of the Nicene faith burning in our hearts,” they must “run the race” of Christian unity in fulfillment of Jesus' prayer for the unity of his disciples.

“And finally,” said the Patriarch, “let us love one another so that with one heart we may confess: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, consubstantial and indivisible Trinity. Amen!”