06/02/2026
Why Seek Unity Among Christians? Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Explains
The reason for reaching out to Christians of other faith traditions and seeking the unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ may seem obvious; after all, the Lord Himself prayed “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (John 17:21).
Yet it can further be asked: How can such unity be achieved? And why is it important that the believers “all be one”? What would result from such unity? On May 9, 2026, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew elucidated these issues and more at a Mass celebrated at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in Constantinople, commemorating the first anniversary of the election of Pope Leo XIV of Rome.
His All-Holiness noted the progress that had been made toward unity during the past year, including during Pope Leo’s historic visit to the Phanar: “Looking back over this past year, we can only give thanks to God for the deepening rapprochement that continues to inspire our two Sister Churches of Rome and Constantinople.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized that this progress toward unity was not an option or a luxury, but was, in fact, “irreversible”: “This irreversible path, which began in 1964 with the prophetic encounter between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, has profoundly shaped the journey of reconciliation on which we continue to walk with hope, trust, and perseverance in God. The many milestones set by our predecessors along this path of charity and truth have formed a living consciousness of shared vocation and common destiny, which continues to sustain and inspire our dialogue today.”
The Pope’s visit, His All-Holiness pointed out, was “marked by a profound double commemoration: the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, and the patronal feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, celebrating the memory of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called.” Going farther, he began to explore the larger significance of this visit: “This raises a fundamental question for our ecumenical pilgrimage: what does such a moment signify for the journey we share?”
His All-Holiness explained that “we speak intentionally of a ‘pilgrimage,’ for it is by pilgrimage that our relationship was renewed in Jerusalem; it is by pilgrimage that we went together to İznik—ancient Nicaea—to proclaim the faith of the Church with ‘one voice and one heart.’” This pilgrimage, he stated, “stands as a moment of profound ecclesial and spiritual significance for the relationship between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. By returning together to the very wellspring of their shared faith—the confession of the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father—we bear witness to a unity that, though wounded in history, has never been entirely lost.”
The past unity of the Church, then, can provide a foundation for future reconciliation. “This act of common remembrance,” His All-Holiness continued, “is not a mere gesture of historical piety, but a deeply theological affirmation that the Creed of Nicaea remains a living bond of communion, calling both Churches to rediscover one another in the truth they already share.” As such, Nicaea “is not only a memory, but a horizon: a point of spiritual orientation from which the path toward the restoration of full communion can be discerned anew.” It demonstrates that “reconciliation is not an abstract ideal, but a living vocation entrusted to the Churches, so that their unity may become a credible witness to the truth and love revealed in Christ.”
Read more: https://archons-of-the-ecumenical-patriarchate.visitlink.me/Lwne10
