Much has already been said and much more will be said, about the ecumenical significance of the year 2025. The 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea is just one, albeit a fundamental one, of several important anniversaries for the whole of Christianity being marked this year. But why is it still important to remember Nicaea today? What is its relevance? To understand, we need to take a step back into the fourth century.
In 313, Emperor Constantine granted freedom of worship to Christians, ending religious persecution throughout the empire. Later, in 324, Constantine became sole ruler and absolute authority of both the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. He realized that a doctrinal controversy was threatening the peace of the empire. He decided to convene a council of the entire Church to settle the matter. Though he knew it was a religious issue, he also believed that religious unity was key to political stability. Between 250-318 bishops from all parts of the empire came to Nicaea. The aim was to defend and affirm the apostolic faith and doctrine about the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ, in contrast to the teachings of the priest Arius of Alexandria and his supporters, who claimed that Christ was not eternally divine, but the first and most sublime creature made by God.
Constantinople Gate (Ancient City of Nicaea)Lefke Gate (Nicaea Wall)
It is understandable that such a mystery, the nature of the person of Jesus Christ, posed a challenge to human intellect. But even more compelling was the testimony of the apostles and the many Christians willing to die for this belief. Indeed, many bishops who came to the Council still bore the physical marks of torture and suffering endured for the faith.
Thus, this Council defined the faith that underpins Christianity and is still professed by all Christian Churches: the God revealed by Jesus Christ is one but not solitary. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God in three distinct Persons who have always existed.
Remembering Nicaea today is therefore highly relevant: it was a Council that laid the foundation for the synodal structure of the Church, which we are striving to realize more fully today; it unified the date of Easter for the entire Church (although differences emerged over time due to changes in calendars); and it set out the key points of the Christian faith. In particular, this last aspect challenges us strongly today. Perhaps the tendency to deny the divinity of Christ has never completely disappeared. Today, many find it easier or more comfortable to speak of Jesus focusing on his human qualities, as a wise man, an exemplary figure, a prophet, rather than professing him as the only-begotten Son of God, of one substance with the Father.
Iznik, ancient Nicaea, today a small town in Turkey
Faced with these challenges, we might imagine Jesus asking us today the same question he once asked the apostles: “But who do you say that I am?” (Mt. 16:13–17).
To accept and profess the Nicene Creed together is thus ecumenically significant. Reconciliation among Christians means reconciliation not only with and among today’s Churches, but also with the tradition of the early and apostolic Church.
Considering today’s world, with all its anxieties, problems and hopes, we become even more aware that Christian unity is not only a Gospel imperative, it is also a historical necessity.
If we want to confess together that Jesus is God, then His words, especially what He called His “new commandment,” the very criterion by which the world would recognize us as His disciples, will take on new meaning for us. Living this commandment “will be the only way, or certainly the most effective way, to speak of God today to those who do not believe, to make the Resurrection of Christ translatable into terms that can be understood by people today.”[1]
[1] BENEDETTO XVI, Luce del mondo. Il Papa, la Chiesa e i segni dei tempi. Una conversazione con Peter Seewald, Libreria editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano 2010, p. 98.
This year 2025 the feast of Easter is celebrated on the same day by all Christian Churches. Margaret Karram, the President of the Focolare sends her wishes for this feast together with those of some representatives of various Churches..
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in an interview published on the Vatican News website, during the days of the ecumenical conference entitled “Called to hope – Key players of dialogue” promoted by Centro Uno, the Focolare’s international secretariat for Christian Unity, Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement, said, “Today, more than ever, in the world in which we live, so full of divisions, tragedies, conflicts, where people do not engage in dialogue, meeting together is very significant.” Her words expressed a certainty that resonated in the hearts and in the experience of the 250 people from 40 countries and 20 Christian Churches and of the 4,000+ connected worldwide via streaming, who participated in the event.
The Conference, held at the Mariapolis Centre in Castel Gandolfo from March 26-29th 2025, opened with contributions from Jesús Morán, Co-President of the Focolare Movement and Callan Slipper, an Anglican theologian who said: “Ecumenism, by repairing our personal interactions within the Christian community, allows the Church to be herself. What humanity needs, we need too. Our spiritual health diminishes without it, just as every other dimension of human life cannot reach its fulfilment without the reconciliation brought by Jesus”. Morán concluded: “Unity rather than union and Christianity as a way of being rather than as a doctrine, can be two fruitful paths for ecumenism in response to what history demands of us today”.
The conference proposed a method for walking in unity: the kind of dialogue that emerges from the spirituality of the Focolare, the dialogue of life, the dialogue of the people alongside a similar concept known as receptive ecumenism. Through her experience, Prof. Karen Petersen Finch, an American Presbyterian, highlighted the importance of involving more people in dialogue on the doctrine of the faith, which is normally reserved only for theologians, Church leaders and official committees for dialogue.
One day was dedicated to a pilgrimage to Rome with a visit to the Basilica of St. Lawrence the Martyr and the Abbey of the Three Fountains, where tradition places the martyrdom of St. Paul. In an atmosphere of recollection, one of the participants described the day as: “an encounter with the first martyrs of the undivided Church who, with their authentic life, faith and their witness, instil in us the courage to proclaim Christ today”. The pilgrimage concluded at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls with an ecumenical prayer. Ecumenism has its biblical root in prayer, beginning with Jesus, who while praying, asked the Father: “That they may all be one”. His words, echoed in various passages of Scripture, invite us to ask anything of the Father “in his name, together and in agreement”. And so, together, gathered in unity, priests and lay people of all the Christian confessions present, jointly asked the Father for peace in every corner of the earth and for reconciliation among all Christians.
Three Fountains AbbeyBasilica of San LorenzoPrayer to St Paul
The themes addressed during the conference included the significant commemorations for 2025: the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea; Easter which will be celebrated on the same day by all the Christian Churches; and the 60th anniversary of the lifting of the excommunications between the Church of Rome and that of Constantinople. Referring to the Council of Nicaea, Dr. Martin Illert, a representative of the World Council of Churches, said: “I am convinced that common prayer and reflection pave the way for unity, as they remind us of both our common roots and our shared mission.” Msgr. Andrea Palmieri of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity observed: ” These events are undoubtedly important, but (…) words must be followed by concrete, prophetic decisions. I am convinced that the reflections initiated this year will contribute to the maturation of decisions that may shape the future of the ecumenical journey. ”
The Conference also explored how synodality can contribute to ecumenism. In a panel featuring participants of the Catholic Church’s Synod: three fraternal delegates (members of various churches), a Catholic Bishop and a Special Guest shared the lived experience of how the active participation of everyone contributed to affective and effective dialogue, which had as His Eminence Khajag Barsamian, of the Armenian Apostolic Church said, a “strong ecumenical dimension, which emphasized unity, shared spiritual experiences and mutual respect among Christians”. Rev. Dirk G. Lange of the Lutheran World Federation, affirmed, “The whole Synod as a spiritual exercise profoundly influenced my understanding of myself, my ministry, and my Church”. Monsignor Brendan Leahy, Catholic Bishop of Limerick (Ireland), added that the Synod’s method, the “Conversation in the Spirit,” made him “more attentive in my work and ministry to listen more, recognizing the seed of truth in every person,” while Dr. Elizabeth Newman of the World Baptist Alliance stated that synodality is grounded ” in the awareness and practice that one’s own point of view must not prevail. You don’t have to ‘win’.” Margaret Karram emphasized: “We know that hope is a virtue and we cannot lose it. We must nurture it, cultivate it within us so that we can give it to others,” and she invited everyone to increase hope and faith through “even small gestures towards others: gestures of solidarity, communion, and openness… only in this way can we hope”.
In summary, the Conference was a call to hope, marked by reflection, in-depth discussions, concrete actions and life testimonies which illustrated the path of ecumenical action at the global level (Global Christian Forum, JC2033), at the international level (Ikumeni– Latin America, Together for Europe, John17) and at local level (from Brazil to the Philippines, from Northern Ireland to Serbia, from the Netherlands to Venezuela, from Germany to Uganda…). It engaged churches, priests, laypeople, theologians, scholars, adults, and young people—truly, all were key players in the dialogue.
The ecumenical conference Called to hope – Key players of dialogue, will take place from the 26th to the 29th of March 2025 at the Mariapolis Centre of Castel Gandolfo (Italy). It is promoted by “Centro Uno”, the Focolare Movement’s international secretariat for Christian unity. There will be more than 250 faithful of 20 Christian Churches participating in person, coming from over 40 countries of 4 continents, including the Philippines, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Ireland, Venezuela, United States. There will be 15 translations, and the conference will also be broadcast via streaming.
Thursday, the 27th of March, the group will go to Rome to visit the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (at 4:00pm). An ecumenical prayer of reconciliation and for peace open to all is planned.
The conference programme will also focus on the three anniversaries that occur this year: in the context of the Jubilee Year “Pilgrims of Hope” of the Catholic Church, we will commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the coincidence of the date of the celebration of Easter for all Churches, and the 60th anniversary of the abolition of mutual excommunications between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople.
Among the ecumenical personalities present who will speak: Msgr. Andrea Palmieri, Undersecretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Msgr. Derio Olivero, President of the Episcopal Commission for ecumenism and dialogue of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Prof. Dr. Martin Illert, representative of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Archbishop Khajag Barsamian representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church to the Holy See, Dr. Natasha Klukach, Director of Research and Operations of the Global Christian Forum, Dr. William Wilson, President of the Pentecostal World Fellowship (via video message), Dr. Elisabeth Newman of the Baptist World Alliance, Dr. Margaret Karram and Dr. Jesús Morán, President and Co-president of the Focolare Movement.
Why is it urgent to work for ecumenism?
In this time of divisions and great challenges – wars, the increase in refugees around the world, unequal distribution of wealth, almost irreversible damage to the earth’s ecosystem – as Christians, we are called together to bear witness to the hope of the Gospel and to be protagonists of dialogue and unity, committing ourselves to live together for peace, to build fraternity, to spread hope. Christian unity is instrumental in bringing peace wherever it is lacking.
The Holy Year has its spiritual roots in the Jewish tradition, where every 50 years a “jubilee” was celebrated, bringing freedom to slaves and prisoners. In the Catholic Church Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the first Holy Year in 1300. Since then, an “indulgence” has accompanied the Holy Year, which the faithful can obtain, under certain conditions, by passing through a “Holy Door”.
However, Lutherans like me generally don’t feel comfortable with the word “indulgence,” as it brings us back to the Reformation period and the scandal of the sale of indulgences in the Catholic Church. This practice was banned by the Council of Trent and therefore no longer exists. However, I have noticed that the term “indulgence” is still loaded with misunderstandings among believers of all denominations. One of the most widespread misconceptions is that indulgences can forgive someone’s sins but according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, this is not the case. The forgiveness of sins takes place, as it does in the Lutheran Church, through confession, penance and absolution by a pastor who acts in the name of Jesus.
From my point of view, indulgences instead touch a psychological dimension of sin, the part that often remains in our memory (even after absolution), perhaps a wound or a feeling of fear or sadness… In any case, there is still psychological work to be done. That is why, in the passage through the “Holy Door”, I see an invitation to open a door in my heart to compassion and reconciliation, to let go of whatever blocks me on the path to true freedom and authentic peace. It is a conscious decision, a process that is set in motion. The fundamental thing, from the Christian point of view, is that the success of this process does not depend on me, but on the hands of the One who holds the world in His hands. Only His grace can finally heal the wounds in my life or reconcile humanity.
“In the passage through the ‘Holy Door’, I see an invitation to open a door in my heart to compassion and reconciliation, to let go of whatever blocks me on the path to true freedom and authentic peace”.
For me, therefore, passing though through this door symbolizes the decision to follow Jesus (once again) and choose the path of true life. As He says in the Gospel of John (Jn. 10: 9): “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved”! To my great joy, the Bull of Indiction “Hope does not disappoint”, in which Pope Francis announces the 2025 Holy Year, has a clear ecumenical dimension. It starts from God’s grace, in which all human beings partake and defines the Holy Year as “an invitation to all Churches and Ecclesial Communities to persevere on the path to visible unity and in the quest of finding ways to respond fully to the prayer of Jesus: ‘that they may all be one`” (Jn 17:21).[1]
Therefore the theme of “hope” for the Holy Year 2025 has a positive resonance for all Christians. The Lutheran World Federation has chosen “Sharing Hope” as its motto for the year 2025. And the World Council of Churches, which represents the majority of Protestant and Orthodox Churches, anticipates an “Ecumenical Year” along the “path of justice, reconciliation and unity”. If goodwill leads to concrete actions, then the 2025 Holy Year could open doors for ecumenism, which could bring separated Christians closer. As Pope Francis wrote, ” Let us even now be drawn to this hope! Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it.” [2]
Corinna Mühlstedt
[1] Pope Francis, Spes non confundit, Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, 9 May 2024, 17. [2] Papa Francesco, ibidem, 25.
The Focolare Movement is organizing an international ecumenical conference entitled: “Called to hope – key players of dialogue” to which all are invited. It will take place from 26th-29th March 2025. As Christians, in a time of divisions and great challenges, we are called together to witness the hope of the Gospel and to be protagonists of dialogue and unity, committing ourselves to live for peace, to build fraternity, to spread hope. Through round tables, interviews and testimonies we aim to offer method and spirituality to dialogue together with good practices and ecumenical initiatives already underway Link to the invitation
Already well-publicised and being experienced around the world by many Catholics is the Jubilee Year which this 2025 has ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ as its theme. Millions of people will visit Rome or the various jubilee churches in dioceses around the world, and experience the grace of God’s mercy by praying for forgiveness, resolving to convert one’s life and passing through the holy door, which symbolically reminds us that Christ is “the door”. Why “Pilgrims of hope”? Because we are called to hope.
Less well-known is the fact that 2025 marks two other important anniversaries of great ecumenical significance – the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the 60th anniversary of the abolition of the mutual excommunications between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople.
Why is it so important to celebrate an ecclesial meeting that took place 1700 years ago? And why have Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I and other leaders of various Churches chosen to travel to Nicaea in Turkey on 24 May 2025 for a joint commemoration? Every Sunday, Christians from all the different Churches profess the same faith affirmed at that Council. It was precisely at Nicaea, therefore, that the basis of our faith was sealed, God – One and Triune, Jesus Christ – true Man and true God. Knowing that the churches have this basis in common means that praying for unity is both a prayer to achieve it and a celebration of thanksgiving for the unity already exists.
The Council of Nicaea had also set a date for celebrating Easter but, because of the change of calendar in the West that Pope Gregory XIII introduced, the date of this feast often did not coincide for the Eastern and Western Churches. This year, by a lucky coincidence, the dates do coincide. Easter will fall on 20 April 2025 for everyone. Many Christians around the world, including Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew, are promoting the creation of a common calendar that will allow this feast to always coincide with the centre of the Christian faith.
The Focolare Movement is taking the opportunity to celebrate these anniversaries with an international ecumenical conference entitled “Called to hope – key players of dialogue”. In these times of division and great challenges, we are called as Christians to give witness together to the hope that the Gospel brings and to be key players of dialogue and unity, committed to living for peace, building fraternity and spreading hope. Round tables, interviews and testimonies are intended to offer method and spirituality to the dialogue together with examples of good practice and ecumenical pathways that already exist.
