Istanbul: A powerful call for Christian unity echoed through Istanbul on Saturday as Pope Leo XIV, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, and senior representatives of major Christian traditions gathered for a private ecumenical encounter marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The meeting, held at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem, brought together leaders representing the vast majority of the Christian world, reaffirming a shared commitment to walk together toward the Jubilee of Redemption in 2033.
The commemorative gathering part of a year-long reflection on the historic First Ecumenical Council assembled delegates from the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Baptist, Evangelical, and Ecumenical communities, alongside the World Council of Churches. The atmosphere was one of solemn fraternity as leaders entered the circular meeting chamber to the sound of a hymn invoking the Holy Spirit, symbolizing the desire to renew dialogue and deepen common mission.
Once the doors closed, church leaders offered brief interventions before Pope Leo delivered his address. According to the Holy See Press Office, the Pope underlined the enduring significance of the Council of Nicaea, whose doctrinal clarity on the Incarnation remains the cornerstone of Christian faith. He recalled the previous day’s celebrations at Iznik and emphasized that the first duty of all Christians is to proclaim the Good News, stressing that the heart of evangelization the kerygma must remain the guiding force of every church’s mission.
Pope Leo also acknowledged the wounds of division that still mark global Christianity, calling them “an ongoing obstacle to the witness we are called to bear.” He asked those present to pray for deeper encounters, including with churches unable to attend the Istanbul meeting, and assured them of his personal prayers for renewed opportunities for shared reflection and collaboration.
Looking ahead, the Pope invited all Christian communities to embark together on the spiritual journey leading to the Jubilee of Redemption in 2033, which marks 2,000 years since the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He spoke of returning symbolically to Jerusalem, to the Upper Room where Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and where the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost. This path, he said, is nothing less than a pilgrimage toward full communion a unity expressed in his episcopal motto, In Illo uno unum (“In the One, we are one”).
The meeting concluded with Metropolitan Filüksinos Yusuf Çetin, Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, leading those present in the solemn recitation of the Our Father, a prayer that underscored their shared roots in the faith of the early Church.
Before departing, Pope Leo signed the church’s Book of Honour, writing a message that linked the present gathering with centuries of Christian history. He celebrated the shared faith in Christ as “true God and true man” and invoked blessings upon all communities represented at the meeting.
The Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church, which hosted the encounter, stands as a symbol of renewal and continuity. Completed in 2023 after a decade of construction setbacks including delays caused by the pandemic and a major earthquake it holds the unique distinction of being the first new church built in Türkiye since the founding of the Republic in 1924. This setting, deeply rooted in both ancient tradition and modern resilience, provided an evocative backdrop for a meeting focused on unity, memory, and the hope-filled path leading to the coming Jubilee.