Constantinople Patriarchate holds ecumenical prayer in Istanbul
Participants of the annual ecumenical prayer in Istanbul. Photo: fosfanariou.gr.
On January 17, 2026, in Istanbul, at the Cathedral of the Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Stavrodromi community, an annual ecumenical prayer for Christian unity took place, organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Representatives of various Christian confessions and local communities of the city participated in the service, the Greek outlet Fos fanariou reports.
The theme of the annual prayer in 2026 was the words of the Apostle Paul from the Epistle to the Ephesians: “one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope of your calling.” The service was led by Archimandrite Iakov of the Great Church of Christ. Also taking part in the prayer were Metropolitan Gregory of Ankara, the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul Massimiliano Palinuro, and Bishop Veniamin of Tralles.
During the service, representatives of different Christian churches in Constantinople read passages from Holy Scripture and offered prayers. Among the participants were representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Syriac and Coptic Orthodox Churches, as well as the German Evangelical Church.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Pope had called for “full visible unity of all Christians.”
Read also
Priest charged with desertion freed after faithful raise bail
Archpriest Vitaliy Agafonov, a cleric of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has been released after bail was posted with funds raised by the faithful.
UOC clergy and laity from several eparchies donate blood for wounded soldiers
Clergy and Orthodox youth of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church donated blood for wounded military personnel.
UOC faithful in Kozelshchansk hold procession with icon of the Mother of God
Pilgrims and clergy of the Poltava Eparchy prayed at the Kozelshchansk Monastery and took part in a procession around the church with the wonderworking icon.
Hearing in Metropolitan Theodosiy’s сase postponed after “victim” no-show
A scheduled hearing at the Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Court in the case against the ruling bishop of the Cherkasy Eparchy was postponed after OCU chaplain Nazariy Zasansky failed to appear.
Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi: The time has come to build the Third Temple
The spiritual leader of Ukraine’s Jewish community commented on Tucker Carlson’s claims about the religious motives behind the war in the Middle East.
US bars removal of children from parents who reject gender transition
U.S. authorities have affirmed the right of families to raise their children in accordance with their religious convictions and biblical understanding of sex.