Inter-Orthodox Celebration in Amsterdam Marks 1700 Years Since the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea

On May 24, 2025, the Romanian Orthodox Parish in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, hosted an Inter-Orthodox celebration of the Divine Liturgy, commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325). The celebration brought together clergy and faithful from multiple Orthodox jurisdictions, highlighting the unity and catholicity of the Orthodox Church.

Representatives from six Orthodox Churches concelebrated the Divine Liturgy under the presidency of His Eminence, Metropolitan Athenagoras: the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Antioch, the Patriarchate of Moscow, the Patriarchate of Serbia, the Patriarchate of Romania, the Patriarchate of Georgia. The Liturgy was served by four bishops, eighteen priests, and two deacons, all from the above-mentioned jurisdictions. This shared liturgical act expresses the ecclesial unity across national and cultural lines.

In the afternoon, Rev. Prof. Dr. Sorin Șelaru, the Director of the Permanent Office of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions, delivered a lecture on the historical context and reception of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, offering valuable theological and historical insight into the continuing significance of the First Ecumenical Council.

The event was marked by ecclesial communion and though-stimulating presentations, and will be remembered as a historic moment of Pan-Orthodox witness and celebration in the heart of the Netherlands.