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Council in Nicaea 325
Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew
“In 2025, we will celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The Trinitarian and Christological confession of that Council, which acknowledges Jesus to be ‘true God from true God’ and ‘consubstantial with the Father,’ unites us with all those who are baptized,” Pope Francis said.
Encyclical: Ut unim sint
Breathing With Both Lungs:
East and West
"In the current war against secularism, both lungs are necessary in order to provide enough “oxygen” for the spiritual battle raging in today’s world.
The Eastern perspective expands the arsenal of the Western Church’s theology and prayer life. So, on the one hand, breathing with both lungs reinforces the Church Militant, but it is also an invitation to broaden one’s horizon through a beautiful encounter with Christ, who is new every morning.”
Article by: Deacon Ken Ramsey, 3/1/2015
Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew Hopes for ‘Unified Date’ for Easter in East and West
The Eastern Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople has expressed a desire that Christians in the East and the West begin celebrating Easter on a “unified date” rather than adhere to separate Lenten calendars.
“Among [the Council of Nicea’s] pivotal discussions was the matter of establishing a common time frame for the Easter festivities,” Bartholomew said. “We are optimistic, as there is goodwill and willingness on both sides.”
Pope Francis has also expressed his intent to reach an agreement to establish a common date for Easter. In 2015, the pontiff said the two churches “have to come to an agreement.”
The pontiff similarly said that disunity is a scandal and joked that Christians could say to one another: “When did Christ rise from the dead? My Christ rose today, and yours next week.”
National Catholic Register
"Bridge Worker"
Cardinal Slipyj can be known as the "Bridge Worker" in uniting East and West. He worked to unite the challenges between the Ukrainian Catholics and Ukrainian Orthodox. He set up an "Oasis" so that it could be a bridge for East and West. The Roman Cardinal strategically established this "oasis" as an independent, autocephalous jurisdiction.
Upon his retirement years, Cardinal Slipyj commanded Metropolitan Archbishop +Amvrosij to continue the ministry as "Bridge Worker." The Archbishop founded the Institute for Eastern Christian Studies in 1976 as a way to continue the dialogue and conversation from the "oasis" to both East and West.
Bridge between EAST and WEST
Pope Francis met with the St. Irenaeus Joint Orthodox-Catholic Working Group
A gathering of Catholic and Orthodox theologians founded in 2004 to study the many challenges in the ecumenical outreach between the Churches, Pope Francis declared:
“Your patron, St. Irenaeus of Lyons — whom soon I will willingly declare a doctor of the Church with the title Doctor Unitatis — came from the East, exercised his episcopal ministry in the West, and was a great spiritual and theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christians.”