Pope Leo, alongside Eastern and Western patriarchs and priests, participated Friday in commemorating a significant anniversary in Christian history, convening at the site in Turkey of an unprecedented A.D. 325 meeting of bishops to pray for renewed Christian unity.
His Holiness Leo, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, and other prominent Christian leaders convened on the shores of Lake Iznik, the very location of the historic Council of Nicaea, which formulated a foundational creed—a statement of faith—that continues to be recited by millions of Christians globally.
Amidst the site’s ancient ruins, the assembled leaders collectively recited the creed, which Leo described as “of fundamental importance in the journey that Christians are making toward full communion.”
He stated, “In this way, we are all invited to overcome the scandal of the divisions that unfortunately still exist and to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life.”
This significant prayer service served as the highlight of Pope Leo’s visit to Turkey and the primary impetus for his trip, marking the first foreign journey of his pontificate.
The Nicaea gathering occurred during a period when the Eastern and Western churches remained unified, prior to their split in the Great Schism of 1054, a division primarily fueled by disputes concerning the primacy of the pope. Nevertheless, the Nicene Creed continues to be accepted by Catholic, Orthodox, and most historic Protestant groups today, establishing it as a key point of consensus and the most broadly recognized creed within Christendom.
Consequently, celebrating its origins at its foundational site, alongside the spiritual leaders of the and other Christian representatives, represented a historic milestone in the centuries-long endeavor to reunite all Christians.
Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, affirmed that “The Nicene Creed acts like a seed for the whole of our Christian existence. It is a symbol not of a bare minimum; it is a symbol of the whole.”
At the commencement of the prayer service, he emphasized to the attendees that their convergence was not merely for historical recollection.
“We are here to bear living witness to the same faith expressed by the fathers of Nicaea. We return to this wellspring of the Christian faith in order to move forward,” he declared.
Roman Emperor Constantine originally convened this assembly of bishops from across the Roman Empire after successfully consolidating his control following an era marked by civil war and political intrigues.
Constantine’s formal conversion to Christianity did not occur until the conclusion of his life in 337. However, by 325, he had already begun demonstrating tolerance and patronage toward the Christian sect, which had recently emerged from the Roman Empire’s final intense period of persecution.
The iteration of the creed formulated by the council, which remains recited by Catholics today, commences with the declaration: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty … “
The commemorative service, which included alternating , unfolded at the lakeside archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos. The stone foundations of this basilica, recently revealed by the lake’s receding waters, are widely believed to mark the site of an earlier church that hosted the council 1,700 years ago.
Beyond Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew, attendees at the commemorative service encompassed priests, patriarchs, and bishops representing Orthodox Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Malankarese, Armenian, Protestant, and Anglican churches.
In his address to the gathering, Pope Leo stressed that all Christians must unequivocally reject the instrumentalization of religion to rationalize war, violence, “or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism.”
He asserted, “Instead, the paths to follow are those of fraternal encounter, dialogue and cooperation.”
Christians constitute a minority demographic in predominantly Sunni Muslim Turkey. Prior to the prayer event in Iznik, approximately 20 members of a minor Turkish Islamic party organized a brief protest, contending that the religious gathering threatened Turkey’s sovereignty and national identity.
Amidst a substantial police presence, Mehmet Kaygusuz, a representative of the New Welfare Party, publicly read a statement decrying what he described as attempts to establish a “Vatican-like Greek Orthodox state” within Turkey. The protesting group subsequently dispersed without incident.
Iznik resident Suleyman Bulut, 35, acknowledged his town’s profound historical and spiritual importance for Christians, stating he had no objection to their presence to honor their heritage.
He commented, “Muslims (too) should go and visit places that belong to us in the rest of the world, in Europe.”
Conversely, Hasan Maral, a 41-year-old shopkeeper, voiced discomfort with the visit, remarking, “The pope coming here feels contradictory to my faith.”
Pope Leo commenced his first full day in Istanbul by encouraging Turkey’s minute Catholic community to draw strength from their small numbers. Vatican statistics indicate that there are in a nation of 85 million, the vast majority of whom are Sunni Muslims.
He was met with an enthusiastic reception at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, where he was hailed with shouts of “Papa Leo” and “Viva il Papa” (Long Live the pope).
“The logic of littleness is the church’s true strength,” Leo conveyed to them in English, adding that “The significant presence of migrants and refugees in this country presents the church with the challenge of welcoming and serving some of the most vulnerable.”
Pope Leo subsequently visited a community of nuns, the Little Sisters of the Poor, who operate a nursing home facility in Istanbul.
Sister Margret of the Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home commented, “He was so simple. We just felt he was at home. He felt very much at ease. Everybody got what they expected: a blessing, a kind word. It’s just enormous.”
On Saturday, Pope Leo is slated to continue his ecumenical engagements, which include meetings with Patriarch Bartholomew and other Christian leaders. His itinerary also features a visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, widely recognized as the Blue Mosque, and the celebration of a late afternoon Mass at Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena.
Pope Leo will then travel to for the second and concluding leg of his journey.