Patriarch Bartholomew spoke about the significance of the Pope's visit

On December 6, 2025, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople presided over the Divine Liturgy in honor of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in a church dedicated to him in the Kibali district of Istanbul. The temple serves for the pastoral care of the Ukrainian community of the city. During his sermon, Patriarch Bartholomew mentioned the Pope’s recent visit to the Phanar, calling it a momentous event in itself. This was reported by The Orthodox Times.

The Patriarch emphasized that any visit by the head of the Vatican to the cathedra of the Archbishop of Constantinople is an important event. The visit made by the new Pope outside Italy, especially with the participation of the Pope and the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, as well as official representatives of the Patriarchs of Antioch and Jerusalem, acquires special historical weight. The Patriarch of Constantinople expressed his joy at the new Pope’s sincere intention, like his predecessors, in the matter of the unity of all Christians, confirmed personally in addresses and private conversations.

«Together with him, we will move forward without compromise in preserving the truth of our faith, » the Patriarch said, calling for prayerful support to «further strengthen the Church and the people of God.» He also recalled the «historic event» — the beginning of the «dialog of love and truth» that took place thanks to the «insight and openness» of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, «putting an end to the symbol of schism and exalting love as a sign of reconciliation between the two sister Churches.»

Recall, earlier we reported that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Pope Leo XIV signed a joint declaration in Istanbul reaffirming their commitment to the path to 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.