In an interview with the Italian newspaper Avennire, as reported by fanarion.blogspot.com, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew referred to the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, Bithynia, to be celebrated in 2025.
This anniversary is important for the Ecumenical Patriarch because, as he said, it can be an opportunity for the Christian churches to reflect on their journey in history, on the mistakes of the past as well as those of the present, and to follow a more decisive ecumenical course, drawing on the lessons of over a century of modern universal experience.
In the interview, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew pointed out that the First Council of Nicaea was “a symbol, a landmark, a turning point in the history of Christianity, not only because it consolidated the faith, but also because it issued canons.”
That is why the Ecumenical Patriarch considers that “Nicaea offers a unique opportunity to strengthen our common spiritual heritage of the first millennium and to examine the importance of the canon as a means of promoting universal dialogue.”
According to the Ecumenical Patriarch, “Christian unity and a common approach to the great modern problems is not only a current request but also a command of the Founder of the Church. Great anniversaries remind us of this truth.”