On Sunday, July 6, 2025, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was present and joined in prayer during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, at which His Eminence Metropolitan Vasilios of Constantia and Ammochostos presided.

Also in attendance were Their Eminences, Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Metropolitan Theoleptos of Iconium, Archbishop Eugenios of Crete, Metropolitan Gerasimos of Petra and Hersonissos, and Metropolitan Theodoros of Seleucia; His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille and President of the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops of France, who was accompanied by a group of clergy and lay pilgrims participating in the “Odyssey MED25” Peace Initiative; a large pilgrimage group from Nicosia, Cyprus, led by the Reverend Protopresbyter Dimitrios Makris; Mr. Roman Nedilskyi, Consul General of Ukraine in Istanbul, along with a group of women from Ukraine—wives and relatives of prisoners of war; as well as numerous faithful from the city and abroad.

Following the Divine Liturgy, His All-Holiness addressed the congregation, and in particular the pilgrims from France, emphasizing the significance of dialogue as a means for resolving all forms of conflict and for the promotion of peace throughout the world.

“Dialogue is not an optional choice; it is a Gospel imperative. It is not a luxury reserved for theologians but a Christian obligation inscribed in the very heart of our calling as baptized persons. For how can we claim to love God, whom we do not see, if we do not love our brothers and sisters, whom we do see? (cf. 1 John 4:20)”

His All-Holiness went on to speak of the ongoing dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.

“In this spirit, we have for many decades committed ourselves to an authentic and courageous ecumenical dialogue, especially with our sister Church in Rome. We do so not out of strategy or weakness, but in fidelity to the will of Christ Himself, who prayed ‘that they may all be one’ (John 17:21). We pursue this path with the deep conviction that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. We also do so because the future and witness of Christianity in our fragmented world depend on our capacity to walk together, to give witness together, and to serve together.

We give thanks to God for the progress made in this dialogue. Since the historic meeting of Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI in Jerusalem in 1964, a long road has been travelled. Personally, we have had the great joy of meeting on many occasions with various Bishops of Rome, from Pope John Paul II to Pope Leo XIV, including Popes Benedict XVI and Francis. Together, we have prayed and spoken to the world about peace, the care of creation, and the dignity of the poor. Together, we have reminded all that the Christian faith must not become an ideology or a closed identity, but rather a way of life, truth, and love.”

Addressing in particular the young people participating in the Peace Initiative, His All-Holiness encouraged them to have courage and not to fear dialogue:

“Do not be afraid of your neighbor, even if they pray differently, even if they understand God differently. For within every human being dwells a divine spark, a mysterious presence of the One who created us in His image and likeness.

Dialogue begins with a glance, a gesture, a kind word – where Christ, the Word of God, becomes the bond that unites all things. Dialogue begins when we dare to experience otherness.

In our troubled world, marked by so many conflicts – in Ukraine, the Holy Lands, the Middle East, and Africa – your witness as young Christians is all the more precious. You come from the shores of the Mediterranean, a sea of light but also of tears. You have sailed where so many men and women have perished in search of a better future. As you walk the docks of countless ports, you have heard both the cries of anguish and the songs of solidarity. Here, in this inland sea of our shared humanity, a new chapter is being written today in the dialogue between peoples, between religions, and between generations.

In 2016, during our joint visit to the island of Lesvos with Pope Francis and His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens, we already declared:

‘As leaders of our respective Churches, we are united in our desire for peace and in our concern to promote the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and reconciliation’.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, faithful to its mission of service and witness, strives to be a prophetic voice in today’s world. We support peace, justice, and the preservation of Creation in both our prayers and our actions. We deeply believe that true ecology is inseparably linked to the conversion of the heart. There can be no peace on earth without reverence for the earth. Our relationship with the Church of Rome is also a source of joy: especially since Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, we walk together in the effort to safeguard the common home that God has entrusted to us.”

In conclusion, the Ecumenical Patriarch warmly welcomed the pilgrim groups from Cyprus and Ukraine, once again expressing his heartfelt support for the Ukrainian people, who are enduring the suffering of war, and praying for the swift advent of peace in their homeland and throughout the world.

Following the dismissal, His All-Holiness distributed the antidoron and small commemorative gifts to the congregation.