Patriarch Bartholomew calls for strengthening Orthodox–Jewish dialogue

Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On December 11, 2025, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, speaking in Geneva at the 12th International Academic Meeting on Orthodoxy and Judaism titled “The Holiness of Place, the Holiness of Space,” stressed that sacred places constitute an important sphere for Orthodox–Jewish dialogue, Orthodoxia News Agency reported.

In his address, Patriarch Bartholomew stated that sacred places should be regarded as a significant space for contact between Orthodoxy and Judaism. “Both Judaism and Orthodoxy understand that God meets us in particular places and at particular times,” he noted, highlighting what he sees as the theological foundations of the dialogue.

Developing this theme, the Patriarch of Constantinople remarked that sacred space is “an environment of the divine–human encounter,” and that dialogue is its continuation. “A sacred place is not merely a symbol; it is a relationship,” he said, emphasizing the need “to listen to one another” and take historical experience into account.

Patriarch Bartholomew also spoke separately about joint efforts to protect holy sites, especially Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Concluding his remarks, he reiterated his view that “every act of respect” and “every honest conversation” should, in his understanding, help create “sacred space.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Patriarch Bartholomew called for continuing the path toward unity with the Catholic Church.

Read also