His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew issued an unequivocal condemnation of the horrific attack on the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, which was struck by an Israeli airstrike. The Patriarch made this statement during his address following the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church at which His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided, on Sunday, July 20, 2025.

“We condemn this horrendous act,” His All-Holiness declared, “against the Holy Family Church, which held a very special place in the heart of the late Pope Francis, who, even during the difficult period of his hospitalization did not cease to call the priest of this community on a daily basis since the outburst of the war. This was an attack not only on a place of worship, but on a sanctuary where hundreds of people, irrespective of religion, found a home and a shelter during this period of trial and tribulation.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch requested His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark—who, together with His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, is leading a pilgrimage group of Orthodox and Roman Catholic faithful from the United States under the theme From Rome to New Rome—to convey to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV his deepest condolences.

“Please assure His Holiness,” the Patriarch added, “that we raise our voice with Him for an immediate ceasefire and termination of this war and together we pray to the Prince of Peace for the repose of the souls of the innocent victims, for the swift recovery of the injured and for the consolation of their families.”

Addressing the pilgrims from the United States, His All-Holiness warmly welcomed them to the historic See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and remarked that their journey—from the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, to the Throne of the Holy Apostle Andrew in the Queen of Cities, and onward to the ancient city of Nicaea—constitutes “a powerful and visible witness to the Spirit at work among us, guiding us along the path of reconciliation, understanding, and unity.”

His All-Holiness expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the message delivered to the pilgrims by Pope Leo XIV during their recent encounter, and received his words and fraternal greetings with thankfulness and brotherly affection.

“We, too, share this sacred desire for unity,” the Patriarch continued, “a unity not grounded in uniformity, but in the shared truth of the Gospel, in mutual love, and in our common baptism into the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

He noted that the pilgrimage coincides with the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council held in Nicaea, which, as he stated, “proclaimed the divinity of Christ, established the Nicene Creed, and affirmed the unity of the Church around the confession of the true faith.”

In another part of his address, the Patriarch emphasized that “Nicaea remains a symbol of conciliarity, of synodality, and of the apostolic unity we are called to recover today.”

His All-Holiness also expressed his joy over the celebration of Holy Pascha on a common date by all Christians, East and West. “This shared proclamation of the Resurrection allows us to bear witness with one voice to the redemptive hope that conquers sin, death, and division. It is a foretaste of what our full communion will mean not only for our Churches, but for the whole world thirsting for peace, justice, and spiritual renewal.”

Concluding his address, the Patriarch expressed his hope that the pilgrims’ visit to the Queen of Cities would deepen their faith, renew their hope, and strengthen their love for the Church and for their fellow human beings.

“We assure you of our prayers, our blessings, and our enduring commitment to walk together—Orthodox and Catholics—as disciples of the Risen Lord,” the Patriarch said, adding that in this same spirit, he looks forward with eager anticipation to his forthcoming meeting with Pope Leo on the occasion of the feast of the Holy Apostle Andrew, Founder and Patron of the Church of Constantinople. 

At the beginning of his address, His All-Holiness warmly welcomed all the pilgrims visiting the city and attending the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church, with particular affection for those from his native island of Imvros, as well as a group of children from Abkhazia, currently hosted at the Patriarchal Summer Camp in the Childrens’ Village (Paidopolis) on the First of the Princes’ Islands.

His All-Holiness congratulated the Archon Mr. Diamantis Komvopoulos, Director of the Paidopolis, for his dedicated efforts in recent years, through which the Camp has offered hospitality not only to Greek Orthodox youth from the city but also to children from Greek communities abroad, most recently from Romania.

Addressing the children from Abkhazia, the Ecumenical Patriarch offered heartfelt wishes that they may grow up “in a free Abkhazia, which belongs to the territory of the sovereign State of Georgia and which, regrettably, in recent years—along with South Ossetia—has been illegally and unjustly occupied by the Russian Federation, by the armed forces of the Russian Federation. This is the same Federation,” he continued, “that has also perpetrated the crime of war in Ukraine, as we all know, and with deep concern we continue to follow these developments and to pray unceasingly for the cessation of what I can only describe as this diabolical war in Ukraine.”