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Bartholomew: With Francis, we invite all Christians to celebrate the first synod of Nicaea in 2025

by NAT da Polis
5/29/2014
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Bartholomew:-With-Francis,-we-invite-all-Christians-to-celebrate-the-first-synod-of-Nicaea-in-2025-31213.html

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In an interview with AsiaNews , the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople reveals the future steps to strengthen unity between Catholics and Orthodox. In addition to the appointment of Nicaea, the first truly ecumenical council , in the autumn the next meeting of the Catholic-Orthodox Joint Commission will be held in Jerusalem, where everyone "must commit themselves without hypocrisy".


Istanbul (AsiaNews) - On his return from Jerusalem , where he met with Pope Francis at the Holy Sepulchre, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, has revealed an important appointment for unity between Catholics and Orthodox: a gathering at Nicaea in 2025, where the first real ecumenical council of the undivided Church was celebrated.

Speaking exclusively with AsiaNews, Bartholomew says that together with Pope Francis "we agreed to leave as a legacy to ourselves and our successors a gathering in Nicaea in 2025, to celebrate together, after 17 centuries , the first truly ecumenical synod, where the Creed was first promulgated".


The Council of Nicaea (now Iznik, 130 km south- east of Istanbul) , brought together more than 300 bishops from East and West in 325 and is considered the first true ecumenical council. It was there that the formula of the Creed was decided, similar to the one recited during the liturgy today, saying that Jesus "is co-substantial to the Father,"to counter the Aryan ideology.

Francis and Bartolomew met to mark 50 years since the embrace between Paul VI and Athenagoras. The 1964 meeting broke a centuries old silence between the Christian East and the West, with all the socio-political consequences that have arisen, and from which Europe still suffers.

The meeting at the Holy Sepulchre has revitalized dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox , two Christian visions that despite their differences, have a common vision of the sacraments and apostolic tradition.

"The dialogue for unity between Catholics and Orthodox - Bartholomew tells AsiaNews - will start again from Jerusalem. In this city, in the autumn , a meeting of the Catholic-Orthodox Joint Commission will be held hosted by the Greek -Orthodox patriarch Theophilos III . It is a long journey in which we all must be committed without hypocrisy".

"Jerusalem - continues Bartholomew - is the place, the land of the dialogue between God and man, the place where the Logos of God was incarnated. Our predecessors Paul VI and Athenagoras have chosen this place to break a silence that lasted centuries between the two sister Churches".

"I walked with my brother Francis in the Holy Land not with the fears of Luke and Cleopas on their way to Emmaus (cf. Luke 24: 13-35), but inspired by a living hope which we learn from our Lord".

Wow.

It would be wonderful if Pope Francis decided to drop the "Filioque" once and for all - that would make this upcoming event truly meaningful!

ALSO, on October 19th of this year, Pope Paul VI (who met with Patriarch Athenagoras etc.) will be BEATIFIED!!

I remember Pope Paul with great fondness and especially since I had the privilege of defending him and Humanae Vitae at university against all detractors!

Alex

And why doesn't Patriarch Athenagoras get "beatified?\"???

My prayer is that on that date the churches will be unified as one holy apostolic church. It is time to unite. Lord grant it

Almost precisely two years ago I was privileged to observe the meeting of the Provincial Council of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), in which their chief ecumenical officer stated his hope that ACNA would drop the Filioque when that body began to publish its own liturgical resources.

His brother Bishops gently reminded him that Anglicans, being conciliar in polity, should not act unilaterally without at least consulting the Anglican Communion; and that to otherwise would make them guilty of the same hubris which led to the adoption of the Filioque in the West.

A unilateral move by the Bishop of Rome would be an entirely different matter...an undoing of a millenia of wrong.

Because even people within the Ecumenical Patriarchate will admit in hushed tones that he was perhaps a freemason and heretic.

I think there would be quite the opposition among many Orthodox to any effort to glorify Patriarch Athenagoras . . .

Alex

Dear Cavadorossi,

The fact that Patriarch Athenagoras lifted, with Pope Paul VI, the mutual excommunications would serve to PROVE, according to some circles, that he was a freemason, a heretic and perhaps even a Rotarian!

There were and are "traditionalist" Catholics who likewise believe that Pope Paul VI was removed from the papacy and replaced by a look-alike . . .

Alex

Bravo, Rev. Fr. Thomas! Bravo!!

Alex

If God wished Patriarch Athenagoras to be beatified it would manifest in the will and hearts of the people, followed by talk of miracles and his body being exhumed.

Some saints are manifested to us soon, but there have been many who have been 'discovered' after centuries...at such time that God wills miracles and the like to be associated with them.

A very unlikely scenario.

Yes, but I'm not talking about wacky conspiracy nuts, I'm talking about perfectly reasonable and well educated people who are within the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Maybe one day, when God wills, it will happen...and then, as I said above, He will manifest this to the hearts of the faithful, and there will be miracles and an exhumation which would seal it. That is how it is done in Orthodox tradition...