WCC NEWS: Oriental Orthodox churches in the Middle East celebrate 17 centuries since Council of Nicaea

Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East held an official celebration marking the 17th Centennial Jubilee (1700 years) of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.   His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and His Holiness Catholicos Aram I with participants of the celebration. Photo: Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia. 21 May 2025 The celebration took place at St Anba Rewis Theater in the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Abbassiya, under the theme: “Being of one accord and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2). The program featured a series of hymns and documentary segments reflecting the significance of the Council of Nicaea. Prior to the event, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II received His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Orthodox Church of the Great House of Cilicia (Lebanon), at the Papal Residence in Cairo. Also welcomed were other church leaders, including His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa of the Greek Orthodox Church; His Grace Bishop Samy Fawzy of the Anglican Church in Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa; and Rev. Dr Andrea Zaki, president of the Evangelical Church in Egypt.  Representatives of various churches in Egypt and the Middle East, along with officials from the Middle East Council of Churches and the Egypt Council of Churches, and the ambassador of Venezuela to Egypt, were also in attendance. Following a formal reception, the patriarchs, church leaders, and representatives gathered in the cathedral courtyard, where they listened to a choir performance from several choral groups standing on the cathedral steps, preceded by a scout parade.  The three Oriental Orthodox patriarchs then held a joint press conference before proceeding to the Anba Rewis Theater to begin the main celebration. The event included performances by the Harvest Choir from St George Church in El-Manial, Cairo; Syriac Orthodox hymns by the choir of the Virgin Mary Syriac Orthodox Church in Cairo; and Armenian chants sung by metropolitans of the Armenian Church. The celebration also featured two documentary films: “The Council of Nicaea” produced by the Convent of St George the Martyr in Old Cairo, and “Guardians of the Faith” produced by the Coptic Church Media Center. In his address, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria expressed love and unity, announcing that his church will dedicate the year 2025 to honoring St Athanasius the Apostolic in commemoration of 17 centuries since the Council of Nicaea. The evening concluded with a closing word of thanks and appreciation from His Holiness Pope Tawadros II. News release from the Middle East Council of Churches See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland