Pat Bartholomew: There was no schism between Rome and Constantinople in 1054

Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: fosfanariou website

On March 12, 2025, during a meeting in Istanbul with Greek Catholic Melkite Patriarch Gregory III, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople discussed a theory suggesting that there was no formal schism between Rome and Constantinople in 1054, reports Catholic News Agency.

According to him, rather than a formal break, “there were tensions that intensified over time.” However, as Bartholomew emphasized, these tensions “are not insurmountable.”

Gregory III arrived in Istanbul with a group of pilgrims participating in a pilgrimage organized by the German Society of the Holy Land. The occasion for the pilgrimage was the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, held in 325 AD.

"Of course, many problems have accumulated over the past thousand years. But we are full of hope that they will be resolved in the coming years," the Patriarch underscored. "Everything is in God's hands. He has already prepared the true future for our Churches."

As a reminder, Patriarch Bartholomew previously stated that he would seek a common celebration of Easter with Catholics and Anglicans.

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