The Patriarchate of Constantinople organized an "Ecumenical Prayer" in Istanbul

The Patriarchate of Constantinople organized the annual «Ecumenical Prayer» for the unity of Christians in Istanbul. The event, which took place on January 17, 2026 at the Cathedral of the Entrance of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple of the Highly Revered Community of Stavrodromi, brought together representatives of various Christian denominations and communities in the city, emphasizing the desire for unity in the faith.

According to fosfanariou.gr, Patriarch Bartholomew was represented at the prayer by Bishop Paisios of Xanthupol. The guest of honor was Senior Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, who was welcomed by the Patriarchal Observer of the region, Metropolitan Ecclisias Andreas of Saranta.

The theme of the 2026 Ecumenical Prayer was the words from the Epistle to the Ephesians (4:4): «one body and one spirit, just as you are called to the one hope of your calling.» Archimandrite James of the Great Church of Christ led the prayer. He was accompanied by Metropolitan Gregory of Ankara, Roman Catholic Bishop (Apostolic Vicar) Massimiliano Palinuro, and Bishop Veniamin of Tralia. The prayer service brought together numerous clergy from the region, members of the community’s Board of Trustees and many faithful.

A special feature of the evening was the active participation of representatives from a wide range of Christian churches based in Constantinople. They read scripture passages and offered prayers. Among the participants were representatives of the following denominations:

• Roman Catholic Church;
• Armenian Apostolic Church;
• Syriac Orthodox Church;
• Coptic Orthodox Church;
• German Evangelical Church.

At the end of the prayer, the Stavrodromi Community offered refreshments to the participants, which became a symbol of brotherhood and hospitality.

Recall that on July 20, during the Sunday service in St. George’s Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople on Phanar, a curious event took place. Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Tobin from the United States, at a certain moment of the service, read out the «Creed». Moreover, at the time of the incident, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople was praying at the service, with whom, to all appearances, this situation had been previously agreed upon.