Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo XIV signed a declaration of unity

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Pope Leo XIV signed a joint declaration in Istanbul reaffirming their commitment to the path toward restoring full communion between the Roman Catholic and Constantinople Churches. The document also calls for an end to wars and the unification of the date of Easter.

The signing of the document, according to Vatican News, took place during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the Patriarchal Church of St. George. The signatories recalled the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, calling it a «providential event of unity.» «Thanks to this common confession, we can confront our common challenges by bearing witness to the faith expressed at Nicea with mutual respect and work together on concrete solutions with sincere hope,» the text reads.

One practical step toward unity, according to the heads of the Vatican and the Phanar, is to strive for a joint celebration of Easter. The Patriarch and the Pope noted as a «gift of God’s Providence» the fact that this year all Christians celebrated the Resurrection of Christ on the same day, and reaffirmed their willingness to work to make this an annual tradition.

The declaration also refers to an important historical event — the 60th anniversary of the lifting of the mutual anathemas of 1054, which took place in 1965 at the initiative of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras. This step laid the foundation for a modern dialog built on «trust, respect and mutual charity.» The leaders expressed support for the work of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue, which addresses historically controversial issues.

The central theme of the document was «the ethical and spiritual imperative of rejecting the abuse of religion.» Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo XIV called on political leaders to put an end to wars and asked all people of goodwill to support peace efforts. They emphasized that the peaceful coexistence of peoples requires a genuine interreligious dialogue capable of countering «indifference, the desire to dominate, greed for profit and xenophobia.»

Recall, November 30, 2025 in St. George’s Cathedral on Phanar held a joint thanksgiving service (doxology) with the participation of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Pope Leo. 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.