Philadelphia Archon Symposium Illuminates the Importance of the Council of Nicaea for Today – Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

“Nicaea Then and Now,” a groundbreaking Archon Symposium, was held on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Philadelphia (Father Anastasios Bourantas, Dean of the Cathedral). The Symposium took participants into the world of the First Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicaea, and illuminated that Council’s continuing importance for Orthodox Christians, as well as Christians of other faith traditions, even today. Among those in attendance was Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 
After welcoming remarks from His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey, Regional Commander Dr. Cary J. Limberakis, who organized the Symposium along with the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Metropolis of New Jersey, explained the central importance of the Council of Nicaea for all Christians. Dr. Cary Limberakis discussed how the Council defined the core beliefs in the Holy Trinity and the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ that all the faithful hold to this day, as well as setting a common date for the celebration of Easter.
Dr. Cary Limberakis also reminded those in attendance that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Holiness Pope Leo XIV of Rome will soon meet in Nicaea to commemorate the 1700^th anniversary of the historic Council.
The first speaker was Archon Anastasios “Tom” Papademetriou, PhD, Professor of Greek History and Director of the Dean and Zoe Pappas Center for Hellenic Studies at Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey.
In his presentation, Dr. Papademetriou explained the historical background of the Council: what led up to it, why it was deemed necessary, and what the situation was within the rapidly Christianizing Roman Empire of the year 325 AD. He discussed key figures of the Council, including the Church historian Eusebius of Caesarea and St. Athanasios, who as a young deacon at the Council was a strong defender of the divinity of Christ. Dr. Papademetriou gave attendees an informative four-page handout explaining historical facts regarding the Council.
The next speaker was Archon Dr. George E. Demacopoulos, the Fr. John Meyendorff & Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies at Fordham University and Co-Director of Fordham’s Orthodox Christian Studies Center. He is also a member of the Archon National Council and the Historian of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Dr. Demacopoulos discussed the circumstances surrounding the convening of the Council, noting that the bishops who came together in Nicaea did so at the order of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who was anxious to have Christian doctrine precisely formulated so that the common Creed could serve as the foundation of the Empire’s unity.
In his remarks, Dr. Demacopoulos drew an intriguing contrast between the Council of Nicaea and the Holy and Great Council, convened by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in Crete in 2016. He noted that several jurisdictions, most notably the Russian Orthodox Church, did not participate in the Holy and Great Council, as they were not compelled to do so: there was no Emperor to issue an imperial order to require their mandatory attendance.
Dr. Demacopoulos’ presentation was based on his Foreword to the book Nicaea and the Future of Christianity, a collection of scholarly essays on the Council of Nicaea that he co-edited with Archon Dr. Aristotle Papanikolaou; order the book here.
The third speaker was Dr. Edward Siecienski, Professor of Religion and Clement and Helen Pappas Professor of Byzantine Civilization and Religion, like Dr. Papademetriou at Stockton University. Dr. Siecienski did his Ph.D. studies in Historical Theology at Fordham University, where he was a student of Dr. Demacopoulos.
A convert to the Holy Orthodox Faith, Dr. Siecienski discussed Nicaea and ecumenism today, noting that the original Creed that was formulated at the Council of Nicaea did not contain the Filioque clause that was one of the principal controversies leading to the Great Schism between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in the year 1054. He noted that some Roman Catholic and Protestant jurisdictions today have made the inclusion of the Filioque clause in the recitation of the Nicene Creed optional, and that this opens the door to the restoration of full communion between the Orthodox Church and the Church of Rome, but explained that numerous challenges and difficulties remain.
Dr. Siecienski drew his presentation from his book about the Filioque clause and the controversy surrounding it, The Filioque: History of a Doctrinal Controversy, which can be obtained here.
His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey offered concluding remarks, explaining why adhering to the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils is so important for Orthodox Christians today.
Dr. Limberakis stated that each presentation of the Symposium was “excellent, outstanding, educational, illuminating, thought-provoking, and sublime, and offered different perspectives on the First Ecumenical Council.”
National Commander Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis reminded attendees that next Sunday, November 23, is Archon Sunday. Archons throughout the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America will address parishioners in their local churches after the Divine Liturgy regarding the major challenges that the Ecumenical Patriarchate faces today, including existential threats from the Governments of Turkey and Russia, as well as the Moscow Patriarchate. Archons will also outline what the organization is doing to protect the future of faith for all humankind.

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