Kochi: Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil underscored the First Council of Nicaea as a defining moment of Christian unity during his keynote address at the 1700th-anniversary celebrations held at the Pastoral Orientation Centre. The event was organised by the Inter Church Council in collaboration with the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council.

Speaking to representatives of various Christian traditions, the Major Archbishop noted that the Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 AD, was a decisive step toward resolving internal divisions within the early Church. He explained that Emperor Constantine the Great called the council with the intention of stabilising the newly unified Roman Empire by settling the Arian controversy, which had created deep fractures within Christian communities.

By gathering bishops from across the known Christian world, the Council introduced a new model of ecumenical authority, he said. This gathering of leaders affirmed that the Church could act with one voice when discerning matters of faith and doctrine.

The Major Archbishop emphasised that the formulation of the Nicene Creed was the Council’s most enduring contribution. The Creed, anchored by the term homoousios meaning "of one substance" clarified the Church’s understanding of the divinity of Christ.

He said this shared declaration allowed Christians across different regions and languages to hold a unified theological identity.

Mar Raphael Thattil added that the Creed continues to function as a bridge among Christian communities, reminding the faithful that unity of belief remains the heart of the Church’s mission.