Patriarch Bartholomew attends Mass for anniversary of the Pope’s election

Patriarch Bartholomew after the Mass in Istanbul. Photo: Nikos Papachristou

On March 19, 2025, Patriarch Bartholomew visited the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in the Harbiye district of Istanbul, where he attended a Mass celebrated on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, reports Fosfanariou.

The service was also attended by His Beatitude Sahak Maşalyan, Armenian Patriarch of Turkey, representatives of other Christian communities in Istanbul, members of the diplomatic corps, and numerous Roman Catholic faithful.

In his address, the Patriarch conveyed warm and heartfelt fraternal wishes for Pope Francis' speedy recovery.

In another part of his speech, he mentioned the mutual desire for a joint celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, which coincides with a year when the date of Easter is the same for all Christians. Patriarch Bartholomew lamented that the different methods of calculating the date of Easter prevent Christians from having a stronger and more unified voice in today’s fragmented world.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to Patriarch Bartholomew, there was no real schism between Rome and Constantinople in 1054.

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