The Coptic Church celebrates the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea at St. Mark’s Cathedral
The St. Mark’s Cathedral in Abbasiya celebrated today, Thursday, the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, in the presence of Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria, Patriarch of the See of Mark, members of the Holy Synod, and a large number of fathers, priests and bishops.
Pope Tawadros II – during the Coptic Orthodox Church’s celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea – presented a set of profound spiritual messages that link the history of the Church to its reality. Contemporary, stressing that the lessons of Nicene are still alive and effective today.
Pope Tawadros II said: His recent visit to Assiut Governorate is a landmark in contemporary history and the most beautiful visit in the celebrations commemorating his thirteenth ascension to the See of Mark. His presentations last Tuesday, stressing that it shows the beauty of ecclesiastical history and indicates that the Church “preserves the deposit handed down from the saints and hands it over to future generations,” praising the artistic work that re-shed light on a foundational phase in the Christian faith.
He stressed that the Council of Nicaea is not just a historical event, but rather a message extending across the centuries… saying that “faith never shakes,” “Love never fails,” and “Discipleship is the foundation of the Church’s progress,” indicating that the most important lessons of the Council are dialogue and discussion, as the deliberations continued for a full month, in which each person presented his point of view, and the Fathers discussed the correct use of the Bible, stressing that this spirit of dialogue is a necessity for every age.
Pope Tawadros stressed that the lessons of the Council of Nicaea do not end, because “the hand of God is which regulates and sponsors the Church,” noting that the Church held the Sixth International Conference of the Churches of the World in Egypt within the framework of this occasion.
The Pope concluded his message by emphasizing Egypt’s spiritual status throughout history… saying: The presence of celebrations on the land of Egypt carries a deep meaning, because it is the country that “embraced the faith and kept it upright,” indicating that this is “the work of God, not man,” stressing that “all countries of the world are in the hands of “God, but Egypt is in God’s heart,” praising the achievements the country is witnessing, noting that “Egypt is the one that produces heroes, and we are always proud of it.”
