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Ship of Fools: Cathedral of St Bartholomew, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

The Mystery WorshipperThe Mystery Worshipper Shipmate
edited March 22 in The Mystery Worshipper

imageShip of Fools: Cathedral of St Bartholomew, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Celebrating the 1700th birthday of the Council of Nicaea with choirs and trumpets, but no after-service coffee

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Comments

  • PortolaPortola Shipmate
    The Orthodox Bishops Conference of Germany prepared an explanation of the icon featured in this service. As an addition to my report, here is a translation (condensed) of their portrayal:
    The icon depicts the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. In the middle of the council fathers is an open Gospel book with the letters Alpha and Omega, which signify Jesus Christ, the Word of God, the incarnate Logos. Our Lord Jesus Christ stands in the middle of the assembly of Nicaea, as he stands in the middle of all of our lives. The assembled bishops each hold Gospel books, since they are teachers and guardians of the Gospel. In the first row (from left to right) are the bishops: Spyridon of Trimythus, Alexander of Alexandria, Nicholas of Myra, Eustathius of Antioch, Athanasius von Alexandria (although he was still deacon at the time of the council), Alexander of Constantinople, and Macarius of Jerusalem. Among the bishops, Emperor Constantine the Great, who convened the council, sits next to the throne. He holds in his hands a scroll representing the decrees of the council. Of the 318 assembled bishops (according to tradition), 33 are depicted. They are all under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, illustrated by the heavenly radiations which come from above. At the bottom is the monogram XP of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the church, and the most important result of the council is designated in Greek and German: The Creed of Faith.
  • Ex_OrganistEx_Organist Shipmate
    That is a standard icon of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. In the Calendar of the Orthodox Church they are commemorated on the Sunday after Ascension.
  • PortolaPortola Shipmate
    An article in Christianity Today titled "How the Nicene Creed became Cool Again" describes how the 1700th anniversary of Nicaea has encouraged a revival of interest among a broad spectrum of Christians with regard to this creed. Here is the link:
    https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/05/nicene-creed-anniversary-conference-ancient-christianity-trinity-theology/

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