Fanar head invites an openly gay man to Council of Nicaea jubilee festivity

Gabriel Attal and Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: fosfanariou.gr

On April 22, 2024, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople invited the Prime Minister of France, Gabriel Attal, an openly gay man, to the celebrations marking the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council.

During the meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, the Prime Minister of France asked Patriarch Bartholomew about Orthodox and inter-Christian initiatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate aimed at strengthening Christian unity, preserving the natural environment, and achieving much-desired peace for war-torn peoples.

In his response, the head of the Phanar elaborated on the actions of the Constantinople Church in the aforementioned areas and also highlighted a new initiative he undertook with Pope Francis for a joint celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the convocation of the First Ecumenical Council in the upcoming 2025.

At the end of the meeting, Patriarch Bartholomew invited Gabriel Attal to attend the celebrations to be held in Nicaea, the site of the First Ecumenical Council.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Gabriel Attal became the first openly gay Prime Minister of France.

Moreover, at the Phanar, a gay politician from Greece participated in the Great Blessing of Waters.

Read also

MP: Rada to introduce Day of Old Rus fleet’s campaign against Constantinople

Maksym Buzhanskyi announced the preparation of a new list of state and "religious" holidays.

In Israel, synagogues and mosques closed due to military conflict

Israeli authorities have banned mass gatherings, including services during Ramadan and before Purim.

Romanian Patriarchate calls for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine

The Romanian Orthodox Church has stated the need for urgent solutions to restore peace and called for prayer for those in the world's military conflict zones.

Kyiv City Council deputy: We aim to ensure no UOC communities in Kyiv region

Tytykalo stated that the deputies set the task of "cleansing the Kyiv region of the UOC".

395 UOC churches damaged by shelling since start of war – report

An updated report on damaged religious sites over four years of war in Ukraine includes data on 395 affected UOC churches, as well as hundreds of destroyed or damaged facilities belonging to other denominations.

GOC opens fundraising drive for Sinai Monastery and Holy Sepulchre Church

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has called on Greece’s metropolises and parishes to collect donations to support the ancient shrines on Sinai and in Jerusalem.