Symposium on the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council organised by the Church of Albania

The Church of Albania organiwed a symposium at the Cultural Centre of the Resurrection Cathedral to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council.

Among those present and speaking at the event were His Beatitude Archbishop Ioannis of Albania, accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios of Elbasan, His Eminence Metropolitan Astios of Berat, and His Grace Bishop Anastasios of Kruja, as well as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Albania, Arjan Dodaj.

It was emphasised that the First Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea, formulated the shared faith of Christians, as expressed through the Nicene Creed.

Although the Christian world later experienced division, the channel of communication remains open.

Christians are not merely a number. They are called to be one body, one soul, and one heart. This unity was present in the early Christian Church and stood as a miracle in the history of faith.

The faithful may be many, but the emphasis does not lie in numbers—it lies in the awakened conscience. And it is Christ who unites the faithful inseparably. Thus, unity is the natural outcome of an unaltered, shared faith.

This is true unity—the unity forged by Christ. A unity not opposed by differing pursuits, but one that is expressed without self-interest.

Fr. Elias Makos
Source: Church of Albania