Patriarch of Constantinople on dialog with the Vatican: Our desire is to restore the visible unity of the Church

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has announced an upcoming meeting with Pope Leo XIV in the historic city of Nicea, calling the event “highly symbolic.” The meeting is aimed at deepening the theological dialog between the two Churches and reaffirming their commitment to “restoring the visible unity of Christians.” The Pope will also pay an official visit to the Phanar later in the day, where the hierarchs will make a joint appeal for peace.

The upcoming meeting in Nicea, the site of the First Ecumenical Council, carries deep historical meaning. As the Patriarch of Constantinople noted, Pope Leo XIV immediately accepted the invitation that was originally extended to the late Pope Francis back in 2014, ensuring “historical continuity.” The joint presence at this landmark, the Patriarch said, conveys a clear message of fraternal relations and “unwavering commitment to deepening theological dialog.” “Our desire – and our effort – is to restore the visible unity of the Church of Christ and our mutual communion, for which we pray unceasingly,” he emphasized.

The dialog will continue with the Pope’s official visit to the Phanar on November 29 and 30, where he will participate in the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy. The visit continues the long tradition of meetings between Rome and Constantinople. “We will confirm to every person of good will that we continue our dialog in the spirit of fraternal love,” the Ecumenical Patriarch said. It is expected that both Churches will speak with a united position in favor of peace, the end of wars, assistance to suffering peoples, as well as the protection of children and refugees.

Recall, earlier we reported that the upcoming meeting of the head of the Roman Catholic Church and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in Nicea in November 2025, timed to coincide with the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, causes serious concern in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhya and Melitopol said that this event could become not just a dialog on unity, but a stage for the creation of a new church union under the auspices of Rome and the Phanar, which poses a direct threat to canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine.