On Wednesday, 27 November, His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa, departed for Constantinople, at the invitation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, in order to participate in the celebrations marking the 1700th anniversary of the convening of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea.
Before travelling to Nicaea, His Beatitude had taken part in a major gathering for peace organised in Rome by the peace-making community of Sant’Egidio, with the closing ceremony taking place at the Colosseum, where thousands of Christians were martyred.
As the keynote speaker at the event, the Patriarch of Alexandria spoke about the urgent need for peace in the world—so that innocent lives may cease to be lost, but also so that humanity may stop destroying the beautiful world that God granted us in order to live, and “so that all together, as one family, we may protect life and stop throwing words like bombs, with the power to destroy centuries of coexistence and mutual understanding.”
He also emphasised the necessity of peaceful coexistence among Christians, seeking new paths of dialogue with trust in God, remembering that the Christians’ “today” is always a preparation for the Kingdom of Heaven.
He stated characteristically: “My brothers, we find ourselves at a critical point—it is now the time for deeds, not words; for actions, not vague and hypocritical well-wishing. Each of us must be measured against our responsibilities before God, before history, and before the ‘least of the brethren of the Lord’. Peaceful coexistence is our only choice and the essential condition for revealing the hidden potential of Christians, so that together we may build a better tomorrow for the good of humanity and for the glory of the Lord.”
During his visit to Rome, His Beatitude also had a private meeting at the Vatican with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. The two Primates discussed various matters concerning the two historic Churches, with particular reference to the gathering in Nicaea, the significance of their presence there, and the important and constructive message that must be addressed to a world eagerly awaiting a proclamation of joy, peace, hope, love, effort, faith, mutual understanding, and mutual respect.
We now await the great and historic gathering in Nicaea, convened at the initiative of the Ecumenical Patriarch, and the message that will be addressed to the devout and faithful people of the Lord.