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He reflects on Nicaea’s importance in theological dialogue and in other aspects of life in the church.
“The council of Nicaea has canonized the principle of synodality,” says Metropolitan Job. “Secondly, of course, unity was not merely a political compromise.”
It was not also a theological compromise, adds the metropolitan.
“This discussion established a symbol of faith, which means that in order to find unity, we must engage into theological discussions to understand the problem and also to find a consensus on the theological expression of our faith,” he says. “The Orthodox church values theological dialogue as a very important aspect, a fundamental aspect, of the ecumenical movement.”
Always the dialogue of truth presupposes a dialogue of love, continues Metropolitan Job.
The cross and the resurrection are intimately connected and you cannot grasp one mystery without the other,” he says. “In fact there are two faces of the unique same mystery.”
Of course we are seeing suffering and wars today, Metropolitan Job acknowledges.
“The mystery of the cross and the resurrection have opened to us the path towards the kingdom of God,” he says. “Nicaea is the moment to remember that Jesus Christ is the son of God who became man in order that humans can become children of God.”
WCC Webinar will focus on ecumenical perspectives on Nicaea and its legacy
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Athens, Greece, where the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) held its 60th meeting and the Life and Work Centenary conference on 18-22 May 2025, Photo Ivars Kupcis/WCC
*The interview with Metropolitan Job is part of a video interview series recorded in Athens, Greece, during the WCC Life and Work Centenary Consultation (May 2025), exploring moral leadership, justice, and ecumenical unity. Conversations with church leaders and thinkers address global crises from an ecumenical perspective. These interviews connect historical milestones (Stockholm 1925, Nicaea) to present challenges and spiritual life. A WCC cooperation with Andreas Loudaros/Orthodoxia.Info
