Special services are being held in London and Jerusalem on Tuesday (20 May) to mark 1700 years since the First Council of Nicaea.
It was the first council of the early Christian Church to address the entire body of believers - and was called to settle a dispute with the Arians who had said that Jesus was not as eternal as God.
The Council ruled that Jesus is “the same substance” as God, which led to the formal articulation of the Trinity - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At its meeting in 325AD, the Council formed the Nicene Creed which is accepted as authoritative by all major Christian denominations, including Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and the major Protestant churches.
An ecumenical service at London’s Temple Church will feature a live-stream broadcast from the Co-Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in Jerusalem.
This event will bring together Christian leaders and communities for a moment of unity and prayer for peace, during this time of brokenness and conflict.
His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa will lead the service in Jerusalem, while in London, Archbishop Hosam Naoum of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem will participate alongside Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
Following the service, the Friends of the Holy Land will host a private reception in a hall adjacent to Temple Church, where they will offer a short presentation on the current situation in the Holy Land.
Brendan Metcalfe from Friends of the Holy Land told Premier about the significance of the First Council of Nicaea:
“It was the first time the Christian Church came together and determined a statement of faith.The Nicene Creed unites us."
He added that it is important for the Church in the Holy Land to be part of the anniversary service at this time:
"We recognise that this is a time of unity but also of brokenness, especially in the light of what is happening in the Holy Land.
"We want to pull people together in peace and reconciliation, especially in the place where Jesus walked."
The Nicene Creed affirms the belief in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. It declares Jesus Christ as the only Son of God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father; it affirms the belief in one God, Holy Spirit and one holy Catholic and apostolic Church and it expresses belief in the resurrection and the life of the world to come.