Head of Phanar: Our ecumenical dialogue is addressed to Islam and Judaism

Sermon of the head of the Phanar in Tallinn. Photo: fosfanariou

On June 18, 2023, during a sermon at a liturgy in the Tallinn Church of Sts Simeon and Anna, Patriarch Bartholomew spoke about the importance of an ecumenical dialogue, reports fosfanariou.

He recalled that "for more than a century, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has advocated ecumenical relations with other Christian communities and confessions."

According to Patriarch Bartholomew, the ecumenical dialogue “is not really limited to the inter-Christian sphere, but goes beyond it, to the inter-confessional level”, where Phanar became a pioneer in communication “with two other monotheistic religions, Judaism and Islam.”

For this reason, the head of the Phanar claims that any actions directed against these two religions will hurt Christians as well.

“We cannot help but express our deep sorrow and our disgust at the recent unfortunate incident of the destruction of the Koran in a mosque in the city of Xanthi, in Western Thrace of Greece. This barbaric act of vandalism against the holy book of Islam is not only directed against devout Muslims, but first of all it is a clear attack on religious faith in general, which causes serious concern for all of us,” said Patriarch Bartholomew.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that according to the head of the Phanar Archdiocese in the United States, all religions are a myriad of paths leading to one God.

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