WORLD 25/06/27 Council of Nicaea anniversary is call to Christian unity: Turkish

[성기화 요셉]

Martin Kmetec said the 1700th anniversary of the council has aroused great interest among Turkey’s Christians

Archbishop Martin Kmetec. (Photo: Aid to the Church in Need)

By UCA News reporter

Published: June 30, 2025 11:05 AM GMT

Updated: June 30, 2025 11:18 AM GMT

A Catholic archbishop in Turkey has termed the commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea as “an opportunity for ecumenical dialogue and unity.”

Archbishop Martin Kmetec of Izmir (Smyrna) made his remarks in an interview on the commemoration of the council convened in AD 325, Vatican’s missionary news service, Fides, reported on June 27.

The prelate pointed out that pilgrimages were organized by communities from Smyrna, Istanbul, and other Turkish dioceses. People from parishes across the world were coming to Iznik, he claimed. The erstwhile Nicaea is now known as Iznik in Turkey.

Kmetec, who also serves as president of the Turkish Catholic Bishops' Conference, recalled that the anniversary is also being celebrated by the Orthodox Church, "and is therefore an opportunity for ecumenical dialogue and unity."

He said that an ecumenical symposium held last month in Antalya, which he attended, was very significant. Titled Restarting from Nicaea: The Importance of the Incarnation in Contemporary Theology, it was held on May 6-7.

“It helped us focus on the content of the faith we proclaim and live, that is, to reflect on the Incarnation of Christ, which expresses the gift of his divine and human nature,” Kmetec said.

“The gift given to us is salvation: today we are called to safeguard this gift and proclaim it to the world as Christians, Catholics and Orthodox together,” he added.

The prelate pointed out that the celebration of the anniversary of the council aroused great interest among the Christian community in Turkey.

This “prompted us to explore the history of the Church in our region,” Kmetec said.

He emphasized that the Council of Nicaea was not only a gathering for theological reflection.

The council was also the “fruit of the profound witness of faith by so many people who gave their lives for the faith in the first three centuries of Christianity,” Kmetec said, adding this initial Christian witness prepared the outcome of the Council of Nicaea.

“For us today, the memory of this witness of faith is the most important thing, because it inspires and strengthens us in the challenges we live in the present,” the prelate said.

Hope for papal visit

Archbishop Kmetec also expressed hope of a visit from Pope Leo XIV to Turkey.

“We eagerly await the official confirmation from the Holy See regarding Pope Leo XIV's visit to Nicaea: his presence in Turkey will be a source of great joy and grace for us believers and for the entire nation," Kmetec said.

The prelate noted that the finalization of the various details and agreements associated with the papal visit between the Holy See and the Turkish government is underway.

He stated that a Vatican delegation had arrived in Turkey in February this year to prepare for the visit.

The prelate pointed out that it would be a privilege for the Catholic community in Turkey if Pope Leo were to choose the nation for his first apostolic visit.

"It would be a great event for the entire nation, including the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople,” Kmetec said.

He expressed firm belief that Pope Leo has “an open ear to the realities of the world and will bring a word of peace to a torn world.”

Catholics in Muslim-majority Turkey are estimated to be at 60,000, representing less than one percent of the country’s more than 85 million people.