Pat. Bartholomew and Pope Leo Commemorate Nicaea in Turkey

An ecumenical prayer service was held in Turkey on Friday. Photo: N.Papachristou/Ecumenical Patriarchate

IZNIK — Pat. Bartholomew of Constantinople and Pope Leo XIV joined other Christian leaders on the shores of Lake Iznik on Friday to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea — the landmark gathering that produced the Nicene Creed.

Arriving by helicopter from Istanbul, Pope Leo participated in an ecumenical prayer service held beside the newly uncovered foundations of the ancient Basilica of St. Neophytos, a report from ekathimerini.com states. Speaking at the event, he called it a scandal that the world’s Christians remain so fractured.

“Today, the whole of humanity, afflicted by violence and conflict, is crying out for reconciliation,” he said, adding that believers must “strongly reject the use of religion for justifying war, violence, or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism.”

Leaders from Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, Coptic, Malankara, Armenian, and Protestant churches took part in the multilingual service, which included prayers in English, Greek, and Arabic and alternating Catholic and Orthodox hymns. A noteworthy detail is that the original Creed, without the heretical Filioque addition, was recited. The gathering was the symbolic centerpiece of Leo’s visit to Turkey — his first international trip as pope and a gesture toward healing centuries of division.

Pat. Bartholomew processed with Pope Leo along a raised walkway over the ruins. The pope later reflected that the Nicene Creed is not just a doctrinal text, but the “essential core of the Christian faith,” whose development is “organic, akin to that of a living reality.”

The commemoration drew a brief protest from about 20 members of a small Turkish Islamic party, who claimed the event threatened Turkey’s national identity. Police dispersed the group shortly before the service began.

For many locals, however, the historic significance of the site outweighed tensions. “Muslims (too) should go and visit places that belong to us in the rest of the world,” said Iznik resident Suleyman Bulut. Others expressed discomfort, with one shopkeeper saying, “The pope coming here feels contradictory to my faith.”

Previously, UOJ reported that Pat. Bartholomew was preparing to welcome Pope Leo to the Phanar this weekend.

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