Orthodox and Catholic leaders made a joint pilgrimage to Mount Athos

From September 6 to 9, 2026, a significant interfaith visit took place to Mount Athos, during which Orthodox and Catholic hierarchs jointly visited the Athos monasteries. The trip, aimed at strengthening inter-Christian dialogue, was carried out with the blessing of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

According to , the delegation included Metropolitan Ghazali Hazim of Kuwait and Baghdad of the Patriarchate of Antioch and Catholic Bishop Aldo Berardi, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia. During their stay on the Holy Mountain, the guests visited twelve of the twenty active monasteries, including the monasteries of Simonopetra and Vatopedi, where they were able to experience the way of life and spiritual traditions of Athos monasticism.

The highlight of the pilgrimage was the veneration of the relics of Saint Areta and his companions—6th-century martyrs whose memory is a shared spiritual heritage for Christians on the Arabian Peninsula. Bishop Aldo Berardi emphasized that this visit reflects the good relations that have developed between the two denominations in the Kuwait region, while Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople praised the initiative, calling it an important contribution to the development of mutual understanding among believers.