The commemoration and praise of the Holy
Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council is held on the Sunday before Pentecost,
the Seventh Sunday after Pascha. This Council was held in Nicaea in the year
325 A.D. during the reign of the saintly Emperor Constantine the Great. The
Council was convened to eliminate the confusion which Arius, a priest of
Alexandria, had created by his false teaching. He taught that Christ was created
in time by God and that He is not the pre-eternal Son of God, equal in being
[essence] with God the Father. Three hundred and eighteen Holy Fathers
participated in this Council. The Council condemned the teaching of Arius, and
Arius was anathematized since he refused to repent. The Council finally
confirmed the Symbol of Faith [The Creed], which was later augmented at the
Second Ecumenical Council [381 A.D.]. Many distinguished saints were present at
the First Ecumenical Council, among whom the most notable were: St. Nicholas of
Myra in Lycia, St. Spyridon, St. Athanasius, St. Acillus, St. Paphnutius, St.
James of Nisibis, Macarius of Jerusalem, Alexander of Alexandria, Eustathius of
Antioch, Eusebius of Caesarea, Metrophanes of Constantinople, John of Persia,
Aristarchus of Armenia and many others from the East. From the West, the
following were present: Hosius of Cordova, Theophilus the Goth, Cecilianus of
Carthage and others. The most important work of this Council was the
confirmation of the Symbol of Faith [The Creed]. The Council also established
the time of the celebration of the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ [Pascha]
and issued twenty various canons.
-
From the Prologue of Ohrid
No comments:
Post a Comment