The Patriarch of Alexandria will join Patriarch Bartholomew and the Pope to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Andrew the Apostle

Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria will take part in solemn events at the Phanar to mark the Day of Commemoration of St. Andrew the Apostle. The head of the Patriarchate of Alexandria will hold a joint Divine Service with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, which will also be attended by Pope Leo XIV.

According to Orthodoxia News Agency with reference to the official communiqué of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Pope Leo XIV will arrive in Phanar with his delegation on Saturday, November 29, around 15:30. He will be met at the entrance to the Patriarchate by Patriarch Bartholomew, after which they will proceed to the Patriarchal Cathedral, where a Doxology (thanksgiving service) will be celebrated. The service will be attended by Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria, the heads of the Vatican and the Phanar, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps and other officials.

After the prayer service, the signing of the Joint Declaration will take place in the Throne Room. Then there will be an introduction of the members of the papal delegation, as well as a private meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople in the Patriarchal Office. In the evening of the same day, Great Vespers will be celebrated, led by Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria.

On Sunday, November 30, the culmination of the celebrations will take place – the Patriarchal and Synodal Divine Liturgy. The service will be led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in co-service with Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria. Pope Leo XIV and his delegation will attend the liturgy. At the end of the service, the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch will exchange official speeches, after which together they will bless the faithful from the balcony of the Patriarchal House. Entrance to the territory of the Phanar during the Doxology and Divine Liturgy will be carried out exclusively by special invitations.

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.