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Distinguished, dear friends,

It is a unique privilege to welcome you—as an esteemed delegation of the European People’s Party—to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the First See of the global Orthodox Church and spiritual center of Orthodox Christianity for seventeen uninterrupted centuries.

This year marks a symbolical milestone and significant reminder of the ancient roots of our Church of Constantinople because the Christian world is celebrating the 1700^th anniversary since the First Ecumenical Council—which articulated the original Creed—convened in Nicaea (modern day Iznik) very close to this Queen of Cities.

As you know, in a few days, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will be arriving here to commemorate with us this milestone of the First Council of Nicaea as well as to honor the Thronal Feast of St. Andrew, the founder of our Church. This will be the inaugural trip of Pope Leo outside of Rome, and in so doing he is following the tradition of his immediate predecessors—Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope John Paul II—all of whom visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate very soon after their installation.

Today, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople continues to occupy the first place of honor among all the world’s Orthodox Christian Churches. The Ecumenical Patriarchate holds the canonical and theological responsibility of initiating and coordinating actions among all Orthodox Churches, both within its immediate jurisdiction, as well as among independent or autonomous communions. This includes assembling and convening councils, facilitating inter-Church and inter-faith dialogues and addressing the issues of the day.

In recent years, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has pioneered initiatives in global concerns, such as peace and climate change. Beyond its leadership role within ecumenical circles of the various Christian confessions, it has promoted international dialogues between Christians and Jews, as well as between Christians and Muslims. It has spearheaded worldwide consultations and produced influential statements on religious tolerance and religious freedom. Most importantly, it has assumed responsibility for raising global awareness on environmental pollution and climate change. To this end, we have organized nine international, interfaith, and interdisciplinary ecological symposia—from the Mediterranean to the Mississippi, from the Aegean to the Adriatic, and from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea.

However, the urgency of creation care cannot be separated from the importance of dialogue. What we do for the earth is intimately related to what we do for people, both in the context of human rights or international politics, with regard to poverty, social justice, and world peace. Therefore, the vision and mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate also includes an inter-Christian and inter-religious dimension. For there is no doubt in our mind that, particularly in our time, religious principles and values are undergoing an immense revival and play a major role in securing peaceful coexistence among different races and cultures.

Some of these challenges constitute the focus of your own Christian Democratic Party from its inception in 1976. We applaud you for reaching beyond national borders and partisan interests, which surely also accounts for your success and growth. In fact, the platforms of your manifesto address many of the concerns of our own ministry, including human rights and freedom, solidarity with the poor and indigent, advancement of values related to family, education, and health, as protection and integration of immigrants. These are precisely the ideas and ideals that politicians should endorse, espouse, and engage in—especially in a world and a time so fragile and divided as ours.

You will be interested to know that five years ago, the Ecumenical Patriarchate formally approved a special social document, the first time that this has occurred in our Church. This document, which is entitled For the Life of the World, imparts general guidelines and principles toward a much-needed social ethos for Orthodox Christians struggling to navigate modern-day challenges. It comprises a sustained, albeit sensitive pastoral approach to critical and controversial issues including racism and poverty, human rights and bioethics, as well as technology and climate change. The specific contents of the document address the role of the church in the public sphere, the course of human life, the challenge of social justice, the tragedy of war, and the importance of ecumenical dialogue.

We hope that you will consider this document in your exploration of ways in which religion can inform the public square and bring healing to a broken world. Because we are convinced that ours is a unique and unparalleled time, when all of us—churches and states, society and science, along with all people of good will—should come together in order for our witness to be more credible and more convincing, more meaningful and impactful.

We wish you a pleasant and profitable stay in this beautiful city. May God bless you and your noble endeavors.