In anticipation of the 1700th anniversary of the historic First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, the International Theological Commission has published a new document titled “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior: The 1700th Anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325–2025).”
The release of this theological reflection comes ahead of the May 20 commemoration of the opening of the Council of Nicaea, held in 325 AD in Asia Minor.
Widely regarded as the first ecumenical council in Church history, Nicaea gave rise to the foundational Creed that continues to express the universal Christian faith in Jesus Christ, later completed at the First Council of Constantinople in 381.
This year’s anniversary is especially significant, as it falls within the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, themed “Christ Our Hope,” and coincides with a shared Easter celebration among Christians in both East and West.
Pope Francis has repeatedly emphasized the importance of returning to the essentials of the faith amid the global crisis of war, anxiety, and uncertainty.
“The proclamation of this faith is the fundamental task of the Church,” he said in his January 2024 address to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The newly released document from the International Theological Commission revisits the enduring relevance of the Nicene Creed. It not only recalls the Council’s historical significance but also highlights its theological richness as a guiding light for the Church’s mission today.
The faith proclaimed at Nicaea continues to offer spiritual resources for a Church navigating profound cultural and societal changes in the modern world.
The document underscores that the faith in Jesus Christ—true God and true man—reveals the meaning and destiny of human history. It presents the Trinity as the model of love and communion, reminding Christians that the Incarnation of the Son of God calls all people into participation in the divine life, community, and mission.
The Commission stresses that the Nicene faith is not just an academic or historical reference but a living source of spiritual renewal. It aims to support the growth of personal faith, deepen liturgical participation, and inspire social and cultural engagement rooted in Gospel values.
Significantly, the Council of Nicaea also stands as a model of ecclesial unity and synodality. The experience of bishops “journeying together” in 325 is echoed today in the Catholic Church’s ongoing synodal process.
The document affirms that the Nicene vision remains a powerful reference point for the Church’s mission of conversion, reform, and communion in the modern age.
To mark the occasion, the International Theological Commission invites theologians, pastoral workers, and all interested faithful to a Study Day on the document “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior,” which will take place on May 20, 2025, at the Saint John Paul II Auditorium of the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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