20 May 2025
Today, I had the honour of taking part in a truly remarkable ecumenical service, hosted by Friends of the Holy Land and Temple Church, to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. In this historic year, Christians from across denominations and continents gathered both in London’s Temple Church and Jerusalem’s Latin Co-Cathedral to stand together in prayer for our sisters and brothers in the Holy Land.
The service was a beautiful and uplifting moment of unity. Church leaders from Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, Free Church, Methodist, Pentecostal, and Syriac traditions came together. Each voice distinct, yet united in a cry for peace, justice, and solidarity. The presence of clergy, laity, and communities joining both in person and online created a tangible sense of togetherness that transcended geography and tradition.
CTE Presidents Cardinal Vincent Nichols from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, Moderator of the Free Churches Group and former CTE President Rev Canon Helen Cameron, who is the current President of the Methodist Conference, took part in the service. Their presence alongside other senior leaders was a visible witness to the power of ecumenical unity in a time of global conflict and division.
Representing Churches Together in England, General Secretary Bishop Mike Royal and I had the privilege and responsibility of leading the prayers of intercession. As we stood to pray, I was deeply moved by the reality that for many Christians in the Holy Land, prayer is not offered from a place of peace or comfort, but from a place of deep hardship and danger. Their faith is courageous and enduring, and today we were invited into that space of sacred solidarity.
There was something profoundly hopeful in the way the service unfolded. Prayers were offered in multiple languages, English, Latin, Greek, Aramaic, and Church Slavonic reminding us of the breadth and diversity of the global church. Messages from the late Pope Francis, Cardinal Pizzaballa, and other leaders spoke of resurrection hope, even amid suffering.
This was not a service of sorrow but of strength. In the same spirit as the Council of Nicaea, which once gathered the Church to affirm its shared faith, today’s service gathered us to affirm our shared calling to be a people of prayer, unity, and justice.
May the spirit of today not end with the final blessing, but echo in our churches, our communities, and our commitments as we continue to walk together in hope, for peace in the land where Christ once walked.
Friends of the Holy Land is a Charity and Network in Association with Churches Together in England. Read a full report of the service, Cardinal Pizzaballa’s homily, and download the order of service on their website.
Visit our Nicaea hub to read more about the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
Photo credits: © George Reynolds, Friends of the Holy Land