Although the ancient city of Nicaea lies in ruins and the geographic center of Christianity has shifted West, Pope Leo XIV and Christian leaders gathered at an archaeological site in Turkey to celebrate the enduring faith set out in the Nicene Creed.
Pope Leo XIV has steadfastly voiced his concerns for the Christians living in the Middle East. Putting those words into action, for his first papal trip abroad, he has traveled to the region to meet with political and religious leaders.
On the heels of a successful Catholic-Orthodox pilgrimage to Rome, Constantinople, and Nicaea, Pope Leo XIV continues to express his desire for unity between the two faiths.
In honor of the 1,700-year anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, clergy from the Diocese of Brooklyn and beyond came together on May 20 for a celebration that included psalms and hymns, biblical readings, and commentary about what unites the Catholic and Orthodox Christian communities.
By today’s terminology, Athanasius of Alexandria might be called a “boy genius” or a prodigy. But back in 325 A.D., in his mid-20s, he was a church deacon known for his intellect and oratory. That year, he accompanied his bishop, Alexander of Alexandria, to Nicaea (in what is now Turkey) to assist at a council convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine.
