Coptic Patriarch prays at Liturgy in St. George’s Church at Phanar
The Coptic and Constantinople Patriarchs at the Phanar. Photo: Press Service of the Patriarchate of Constantinople
On April 26, 2026, the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the patriarchal cathedral of St. George the Great Martyr at the Phanar, the official website of the Church of Constantinople reports.
The service was attended by Patriarch Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, who arrived in Istanbul on an official visit. Tawadros II, who heads one of the non-Chalcedonian communities that separated from the Orthodox Church after the Fourth Ecumenical Council in 451, observed the Orthodox Liturgy from the Anthitron of the patriarchal church – a special place reserved for honored primatial guests. During the service, the Coptic Patriarch recited the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father,” in Arabic.
Patriarch Tawadros II is accompanied on the trip by Metropolitans Thomas of Qusiya and Meir, Daniel of Maadi, Basatin and Dar El Salam, Bishop Angelos, Egyptian Ambassador to Türkiye Wael Badawy, as well as clergy and laypeople.
The patriarchal choirs, conducted by Panagiotis Neochoritis, Protopsaltis of the Great Church of Christ, sang Many Years to both primates, after which the hierarchs exchanged the kiss of peace and gave their blessing to those present. Later that day, a formal luncheon was held at the Patriarchal Residence in honor of the head of the Coptic Church.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that Patriarch Bartholomew had called for more active development of Orthodox-Jewish dialogue.
Read also
Metropolitan Onuphry leads Liturgy at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra's skete
The Primate of the UOC performed a diaconal ordination and prayed for peace in Ukraine on the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repressions.
Ministry of Culture shows Soviet space museum in Orthodox church of Pereyaslav
On the territory of the Pereyaslav Reserve, there is a Soviet space museum based at St. Paraskeva's Church.
Prayer processions on Family Purity Day held in Georgia
In ten cities across the country, believers participated in prayer processions under the leadership of the newly-elected Catholicos-Patriarch Shio III.
Metropolitan Serhiy of Ternopil concelebrates with Patriarch Shio in Georgia
A hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church concelebrated with Patriarch Shio at the Liturgy on Day of Family Purity at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Georgian Church.
Dumenko congratulates Patriarch Shio and assures him of his prayers
In a message to the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the head of the OCU Dumenko asked for prayers for Ukraine.
Filaret: In 2008, I secretly agreed with Bartholomew on recognizing UOC-KP
In a 2017 interview published only now, the UOC-KP head admitted he personally held secret talks at the Phanar, even though Constantinople officially regarded him as anathematized – and the Phanar was offering not autocephaly but the "acquisition" of the UOC-KP.