Archbishop Makarios of Australia delivered a keynote address on Friday afternoon, August 22, at the opening ceremony of the International Scientific Conference “Nicaea at 1700: A Council for the Ages?”, held in Sydney under the auspices of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese of Australia. The event is organized by the Theological School of the Apostle Andrew in cooperation with the Council of Churches of New South Wales.
Officially declaring the conference open, Archbishop Makarios, who also serves as Dean of the Theological School, emphasized that “theology is never merely an academic exercise; it is a pastoral and ecclesiastical vocation.”
“Just as the apostolic preaching and the dogmatic formulations of the Fathers remain consubstantial with one another,” he stated, “so too must our theology be rooted in the life and lived experience of the Church. Dogma must be transformed into doxology, and truth must be fulfilled in love. For, as our Lord Himself teaches, ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’ (John 13:35).”
Therefore, as we celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the convocation of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, we do not merely recall a distant historical event; rather, we continue its timeless vision and renew our commitment to the Apostolic Faith, which safeguards the unity and witness of the Church.
In his address, Archbishop Makarios offered a detailed analysis of the contributions of the 318 Holy Fathers who gathered in Nicaea, Bithynia, in 325 AD to defend the truth of the Gospel.
He made particular reference to the Council’s establishment of a single date for the celebration of Pascha (Easter), emphasizing that “this concern for liturgical cohesion continues to inspire modern efforts toward visible ecclesiastical unity.”
The Archbishop also warmly welcomed the cooperation between the Theological School of the Apostle Andrew and the Council of Churches of New South Wales in organizing this International Scientific Conference, describing it as “an expression of our shared commitment to visible unity and common witness in a fragmented world.”
He extended a warm welcome to the distinguished keynote speakers of the conference: Professor Peter Bouteneff of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York, Professor Lewis Ayres of Durham University in the United Kingdom and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, and Fr. John Behr, Orthodox priest and Professor at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
The opening ceremony of the conference took place at the Holy Cathedral of the Annunciation.
Prior to Archbishop Makarios’ speech, Bishop Iakovos of Militoupolis read a message from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The traditional acclamation of the Ecumenical Patriarch was then sung, followed by a welcoming address from Professor Philippos Kariatlis, Deputy Dean of the Theological School of the Apostle Andrew.
The proceedings of the International Scientific Conference on “Nicaea at 1700: A Council for the Ages?” will conclude on Saturday evening, August 23. The celebrations of the Orthodox Church in Australia marking this historic anniversary will culminate on Sunday, August 24, with a Synodal Divine Liturgy at the Holy Cathedral, presided over by Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
