According to Ertnews, this marked the first time in history that a Pope of Rome has traveled to Nicaea, fulfilling the vision of Pope Francis, who alongside Patriarch Bartholomew had intensively promoted interfaith dialogue. The small town of Iznik, home to approximately 20,000 residents in Turkey's Bursa province, was adorned with Turkish Republic emblems and symbols commemorating the papal apostolic journey. The gathering took place at an archaeological site on the shores of the lake, where the ruins of the Basilica of St. Neophytos lay submerged until 2014.
The two religious leaders prayed together at the very location where, in 325 AD, Emperor Constantine summoned more than 300 church fathers, bishops, and monks to address the nature of Jesus Christ. This image of unity has now entered the annals of history as a powerful symbol of reconciliation between Eastern and Western Christianity.
Together, the Pope and Patriarch recited the Nicene Creed before an icon of Jesus and a depiction of the First Ecumenical Council. "We return to the source of Christian faith to move forward, rejuvenated to gather strength for the works ahead of us," Patriarch Bartholomew declared.
Pope Leo IV emphasized the unifying power of the ancient creed, stating that faith "in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages... of one substance with the Father" constitutes a profound bond already uniting all Christians. He referenced the heretic Arius, who by denying Christ's divinity reduced Him to a mere intermediary between God and humanity. "If God did not become man, how can mortal creatures partake in immortal life? What was at stake in Nicaea—and remains at stake today—is our faith in Jesus Christ," the Pope proclaimed.
The Council of Nicaea represented a moment of transformation for the Church, which emerged from centuries of persecution to develop and evolve through the ages. Notably, many of the fathers who arrived in 325 AD bore visible marks of physical abuse from earlier persecutions. The parallels with contemporary persecution of Christians in the Middle East reportedly influenced the Pope's decision to visit this historic crossroads between East and West before continuing to Lebanon, the region's country with the strongest Christian presence.
Photo: AP/Ertnews