On the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325, the Pontifical School of Theology at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) organized a conference, titled: “Nicaea: A Shared Ecclesial Heritage.” Addressing the canonical, Trinitarian, and Christological dimensions of the council, this event took place on Monday, March 24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., in the Jean El Hawa Auditorium.

His Excellency Bishop Elias Haddad, Greek Catholic metropolitan of Saïda and Deir Al-Qamar and professor of canon law at the school, started with an overview of the canons of the Nicaean council, emphasizing those pertaining to Church organization, the hierarchy of churches, and the calculation of Easter date. Bishop Haddad mentioned that some of these canons remain in force to this day as a solid reference for church laws, ecclesiology, and the liturgy.

Father Khalil Chalfoun, professor of dogmatic theology at the Pontifical School of Theology, tackled the Trinitarian dimension of the Nicaean creed, which constitutes the first time the dogma of the Holy Trinity was formulated in official and binding terms in Christianity. Father Chalfoun stressed that the creed teaching on “unity in being” is key to understanding the relation between the three persons of the Trinity and how they work in unison for the design of salvation.

On the Christological level, Mgr. Antoine Mikhael, professor of dogmatic theology at the school, explained the central importance of the Christological element in the Nicaean Creed, highlighting the prominence of fully acknowledging the divine nature of Jesus Christ and his unity of being with his Father, to save mankind and elevate human nature to the rank of the divine.

The final ecumenical axis was covered by Father Gaby Hachem, professor of dogmatic theology at the Pontifical School of Theology, with emphasis on the importance of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. Having put faith into words that are recognized by all Christian churches, this council provides a solid foundation in the process of seeking Church unity and an unwavering starting point for addressing points of contention and organizing relations among churches in light of the Synod on Synodality in the Church.