During the service at the Phanar, the Pope was memorialized before the Patriarch of Constantinople

on November 30, 2025, a joint thanksgiving service (doxology) with the participation of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Pope Leo of Rome took place in St. George’s Cathedral on Phanar. The key moment of the service was the commemoration of the pontiff with the title «Holiness» before the patriarch, as well as the joint blessing of the faithful, which indicates a new stage in the development of ecumenism in the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

In the videos published in the media, one can clearly hear a special petition during the Great Litany: «We pray still for His Holiness Bishop and Pope Leo and our Archbishop and Patriarch Bartholomew, and that the Lord may guide their feet to every good work.» At this moment, the Pope and the Patriarch were on the solia on either side of the Royal Gates. In addition, the head of the Vatican was dressed in the liturgical vestments that the Popes wear when celebrating Mass.

The service ended with the singing of the eulogy to both Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew. The hierarchs then jointly recited the Lord’s Prayer in Latin and synchronously «blessed» the flock. The event was also attended by Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria, high-ranking representatives of both Churches and US Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas.

Recall, earlier we reported that Pope Leo XIV and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople held a joint ecumenical ceremony in Nicea (modern Iznik, Turkey) to mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council. The event, which brought together the heads of various Christian denominations, was «a powerful symbol of unity, a reaffirmation of common faith, and a call for peace and dialog in today’s world.»