Last week, scholars from the Armenian Oriental Orthodox, Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran churches, along with leaders on the world ecumenical stage, gathered at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for an international conference titled, “Living the Creed Today: Commemorating the 1700th Anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.”
His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, presided over the conference, which was organized by the Mother See’s department of Interchurch Relations.
The departmental head, Fr. Garegin Hambardzumyan, welcomed the distinguished representatives of sister churches, along with those from the Armenian Catholicate of Cilicia, and the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Jerusalem.
Discussions focused on the Nicene Creed: the major result of the First Ecumenical Conference, which has remained the fundamental statement of Christian belief for world Christianity since A.D. 325. The year 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, and has been the occasion for numerous explorations of its history and significance among the world’s churches.
Conference participants also discussed present challenges facing the church, and fostered a spirit of fellowship and cooperation by visiting Armenian sanctuaries and museums, sharing in worship and prayer, and encountering the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Armenian Church and people.
In a message to the visiting dignitaries, Catholicos Karekin II noted that the historic First Ecumenical Council was decisive not only because it articulate and preserved the orthodox faith of Christ’s Holy Church, but also because it “brought the world’s churches together to collectively oppose phenomena that disturb church life, to resist attempts to distort evangelical truths, and to safeguard the faith from arbitrary interpretations and heresies.”
He also invoked the figure of “Patriarch Aristakes, son of the Armenian Catholicos St. Gregory the Illuminator, [who] represented the Armenian Church at Nicaea.” He went on: “Seventeen centuries later, the Council of Nicaea has brought us together in this land that has endured persecutions, hardships, and trials for the sake of Christ. Even today, our people face great challenges.”
The Etchmiadzin conference ran from September 4 through 7, coinciding with the Armenian Church’s annual feast day dedicated to the 318 Fathers of the Holy Council of Nicaea.