We Believe in One God: An Ecumenical Celebration of the 1700th Anniversary of the Nicene Creed

The year 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of 325, and the Nicene Creed. The Episcopal Dioceses of Newark and New Jersey, working with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, the Lutheran (ELCA), Presbyterian, and Reformed churches, as well as the Ukrainian Orthodox and possibly others from the Eastern Church, are joining together in celebration of this historic moment in the universal church. The first event will be a service for both clergy and laity at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine in Freehold, New Jersey on Saturday, May 3rd at 11am, with a reception following. His Eminence, Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, will be in attendance, and was a driving force behind the effort for a joint celebration. Cardinal Tobin will be joined by other denominational leaders.

While the form of the Nicene Creed used in most Western churches today was amended at the Council of Constantinople in 381, and again by the Council of Chalcedon in 451, it was in 325 in Nicaea at the First Ecumenical Council where it initially took form and was adopted. The creed in use in the Eastern Orthodox churches never included the filoque, “…and of the son,” regarding the procession of the Holy Spirit. As the filoque is considered neither heretical or necessary, it will be omitted in the creed used at the service as a sign of unity. The Episcopal Church will be removing the filioque in the next edition of the prayer book, and many parishes have been using that version, available in Enriching Our Worship 1, for years.

The year 2025 also brings about a united date for Easter between the Orthodox and Western churches, as well as a Jubilee year in the Roman Catholic church, providing an opportunity for increased ecumenical partnership beyond the service on May 3rd.