Patriarch Bartholomew to visit Latvia

Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew will visit Latvia. The visit of the first hierarch of the Constantinople Patriarchate is scheduled for September 12-13, 2025. In this regard, the head of the Phanar is scheduled to meet with top officials and attend a number of other events. This was reported by MIX News.

It is reported that during his official visit, Patriarch Bartholomew I will meet with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Speaker of the Saeima Dāvis Merīnis, and Prime Minister Ēvika Silīne. On September 12, he will give a lecture in English at the University of Latvia on “The Church in the Context of the Modern Ecological Crisis: Science, Ethics, Joint Action.” On September 13 at 10:00 a.m., the Patriarch will take part in an ecumenical service at Riga Cathedral.

It should be noted that the Patriarchate of Constantinople does not have its own jurisdiction in Latvia. The Latvian Orthodox Church, which is considered a self-governing part of the Moscow Patriarchate, operates in the country. However, in 2022, the Latvian Parliament amended the status of the LOC, enshrining the autocephaly of the Latvian Orthodox Church in the country’s Constitution. In the same year, the LOC held a Council, whose participants also voted for the autocephaly of the LOC, but the Moscow Patriarchate did not support this decision.