Reassessing the Origins of Christian Healthcare on the Eve of Nicaea’s 1700th Anniversary

On the eve of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), this paper re-examines the widespread claim that the council instituted hospitals (xenodochia) throughout the Christian world.Through a critical analysis of the sources, it shows that this belief rests on later, spurious pseudo-canons transmitted via Arabic and Syriac traditions rather than on the authentic Nicene canons.nThe paper also considers the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (410 AD), concluding that, despite its historical importance, it had no normative influence on Western Christian hospitality.The study argues that Christian healthcare institutions in the Latin West emerged independently, shaped by local ecclesial, monastic, and charitable traditions.