An exclusive conversation with His Eminence Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, Vice Moderator of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches.
A leading Orthodox voice in global ecumenical dialogue, Metropolitan Job reflects on the cosmic meaning of the Resurrection, the spiritual significance of celebrating Easter together, and the enduring legacy of the Council of Nicaea. He speaks passionately about the church’s role not as a relic of the past but as a living presence offering light, renewal, and purpose in a fragmented world.
Drawing from Orthodox spirituality, he explores how faith can guide humanity through division, suffering, and moral uncertainty. As the world prepares to mark 1700 years since Nicaea, this dialogue invites us to recover the unity and courage rooted in the Christian tradition.
In a time when the world is marked by deep fractures—war, displacement, inequality, and environmental collapse—what does the Resurrection of Christ mean beyond the church, for people living in today’s societies? From the Orthodox tradition, how can this proclamation of hope and existential meaning still speak to the human need for healing, transformation, and deeper purpose?
Metropolitan Job: Saint Paul writes in his first epistle to the Corinthians that “if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain” (1 Cor. 15:14). This obviously applies to believers. Indeed, the resurrection of Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith.
However, the resurrection of Christ is an event with cosmic resonance. The Orthodox Church sings on Easter Day: “all things have been filled with light, both heaven and earth and those beneath the earth,” because this light is the risen Christ, who presents himself as “the light of the world” (Jn. 8:12).
The question is whether to accept it or reject it; whether to want to live in the light or remain in darkness. It is interesting to note that in recent years a growing number of people, especially young people, are coming to churches asking for baptism, which the Orthodox tradition calls “the mystery of illumination.”
They are thus choosing to live in the light. No doubt because the proclamation of Christ’s resurrection gives meaning to life, especially when faced with death; it provides hope where the world would have remained in despair; it allows for renewal.
The common Easter celebration this year for the Orthodox and Catholic church has been seen by many as a sign of hope and encouragement for greater unity. Beyond the theological importance of this moment, what might it reveal about the deep human longing for connection, peace, and reconciliation across historical and spiritual divides? Could this shared celebration become a step toward a more visible communion—not only among churches, but among people hungering for unity in a fragmented world?
Metropolitan Job: Fortunately, it periodically happens that all Christians celebrate Easter on the same day. This is explained by the fact that all determine Easter according to the same rule of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea: the first Sunday after the full moon of spring.
However, not all use the same calendar for their calculations: the East uses the Julian calendar, which is currently 13 days behind, the West the Gregorian calendar. Not all use the same astronomical data: the East uses outdated paschal tables, the West more precise astronomic data. However, sometimes the calculations give the same result, like it happens this year.
Already in 1920, the famous Encyclical of the Ecumenical Patriarchate addressed to all the churches invited Christianity to adopt a common calendar to celebrate the main Christian holidays together.
The unity of Christians, including the celebration of major Christian feasts together on the same day, is very important for Christian witness in a divided and secularized world: how can we bear an efficient witness to Christ if our witness is fragmented into several, sometimes contradictory, voices?
The Easter message from the World Council of Churches speaks of “joy that rises up” and “hope that enters a broken world.” But in a global climate marked by fear, rising authoritarianism, and anxiety about the future, how can faith communities contribute not only comfort but a resilient and grounded vision for life? What insights from Orthodox spirituality can speak to people—even beyond church circles—who are searching for meaning, stability, and hope today?
Metropolitan Job: The resurrection of Christ not only illuminates the darkness of our lives, but also transforms our worldview and our perception of life. Certainly, death does not disappear from our horizon, just as illness does not dissipate from our daily lives, just as evil does not fade from our environment.
They remain as the consequence of the bad deliberation of human beings, as Saint John explains it in his Gospel: “the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (Jn 3:19). The resurrection enables us to hope against all hope! In Orthodox spirituality, the Cross and the Resurrection are inseparable: they are two sides of the coin of one and the same mystery.
One cannot reach the joy of the Resurrection without passing through Golgotha. But Golgotha is not the final point: it opens onto the empty tomb of the Resurrection. Orthodox spirituality teaches us to live the mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection every day!
As the world prepares to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 2025, what can this foundational moment teach us today—not only about the history of Christian doctrine, but about building inclusive, dialogical communities in a polarized age? What wisdom might Nicaea offer to a world searching for deeper unity and shared moral grounding?
Metropolitan Job: The Council of Nicaea was a council of unity: of unity in the confession of faith through the adoption of a single, universal creed, and of unity in the common celebration of Easter, on a common date. As a council of unity, it can and must still inspire divided Christians today.
For the spirit of Nicaea is still alive! The Council of Nicaea promoted synodality at the regional and universal levels by providing for the regular convening of synods. Today, in a large number of bilateral inter-Christian dialogues, we can notice a growing interest in promoting synodality. The Roman Catholic Church has dedicated the last three years to this topic. The synodal spirit is a spirit of dialogue and listening.
No one can call himself a Christian alone in his corner. “Solus Christianus, nullus Christianus” used to say Tertullian. A Christian always needs his community. He needs the others. Similarly, every local church needs the other churches, otherwise it becomes a sect. For all are one if they are truly with Christ.
In your role as vice moderator of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, how do you see the church—not just as a guardian of tradition, but as a living presence capable of inspiring reconciliation, humility, and moral courage? How can the Orthodox church in particular respond to this moment of widespread uncertainty and help people rediscover a hope that is lived, embodied, and transformative?
Metropolitan Job: For me, the church is not merely an institution: it is the body of Christ, as Saint Paul teaches: “You are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor. 12:27).
This implies that the purpose of our lives is to encounter the Risen Christ, much like the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, and not to follow the customs and traditions of a human organization, however well-organized it may be. Certainly, the church is the repository of a centuries-old tradition, and Orthodoxy is founded on the principle of tradition.
However, the church cannot be reduced to a museum of oldies. The tradition of the church is a living and authentic testimony to the Revelation of God: the revelation of a God who did not only speak through the prophets, but who became incarnate, who lived among humans. The church is the continuation and actualization of this incarnation of God, and this is why it enables reconciliation and renewal.
For the Orthodox church, being a Christian means living with Christ and in Christ. It is He who illuminates our daily lives, who is our hope, and who transfigures our lives. Christ inspires us with a response to all the new challenges that present themselves to us as long we desire to be united with him.
Source: World Council of Churches
