With the blessings and presence of His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and President of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, a celebration has been held to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD). The event took place at the invitation of the Ecumenical Relations Committee and the Theological and Biblical Committee of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops, and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC).

The ceremony, held on Friday, November 14, 2025, in the lectures hall of the Maronite Patriarchal Edifice in Bkerke, Lebanon, was attended by His Holiness and Beatitude the Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches, Archbishops and Bishops, including the Catholic Bishops of Lebanon gathered for their 58th session, and His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon Archbishop Paolo Borgia.

Participants were also the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, the MECC Associate Secretary General Father Dr. Nicolas Bustros, the MECC media team; Priests, Monks and Nuns, Seminarians, specialists from various fields, and guests from different Church Families.

Following an opening word by Father Tanios Khalil, Dean of the Faculty of Theology at La Sagesse University in Lebanon, the celebration began with a Prayer, followed by a video about the Council of Nicaea and its history, produced by the Middle East Council of Churches.

The ceremony included a roundtable that presented a theological, historical, and legal approach to the Council of Nicaea as a shared Ecclesiastical heritage. The lectures focused on the meanings of the Council, the issues it addressed, and its importance in nowadays Church life.

The roundtable was moderated by Father George Yarak, Member of the Theological and Biblical Committee of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon and the Director of the Youth Pastoral Office at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke.

The speakers included His Eminence Bishop Joseph Mouawad, Representing the Catholic Family, Maronite Archbishop of Zahle and President of the Theological and Biblical Committee of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon; and His Eminence Metropolitan Antonios Al Soury, Representing the Orthodox Family, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Zahle, Baalbek, and their Dependencies, and Member of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC); His Eminence Metropolitan Paul Safar, Representing the Eastern Orthodox family, Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Zahle and the Beqaa, and Coordinator of the General Secretariat of the Holy Synod of Antioch of the Syriac Orthodox Church; and Dr. George Sabra, Representing the Evangelical family, Permanent Member of the International Committee for Theological Dialogue between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Catholic Church, and Former President of the Near East School of Theology (NEST) in Beirut.

In the second part of the ceremony, an Ecumenical Prayer was recited from the booklet for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025, followed by a Homily delivered by His Beatitude Patriarch Al-Rai, as well as the reading of the Arabic text of the Common Creed adopted by the Middle East Council of Churches, and hymns and chants from various Church traditions. Candles were also distributed to all participants.

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, also delivered a speech explaining the unified Arabic text of the Creed, which was adopted by the Middle East Council of Churches, and highlighting its importance and the need for it today.

Furthermore, His Eminence Archbishop Youssef Soueif, Maronite Archbishop of Tripoli and President of the Episcopal Committee for Ecumenical Work of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, addressed a word of thanks and appreciation, summarizing the lectures and speeches that had been delivered.