The Holy Father attends the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of Saint Andrew

On Sunday, 30 November, at the conclusion of his apostolic journey to Turkey, the Holy Father attended the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of Saint Andrew, presided over by His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the Church of Saint George in Phanar.

In his homily, Patriarch Bartholomew referred to the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, stating in particular: ‘Its Symbol of Faith, its canons and its decisions, especially the one pertaining to the establishment of shared criteria for calculating a common date of Pascha, constitute the heritage of all Christendom, and it is only by deepening this rich inheritance that the divided Christians will draw closer to one another and achieve their much-desired unity.’

In his address at the end of the liturgy, Pope Leo XIV stated: "in continuity with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and my predecessors, I wish to confirm that, while respecting legitimate differences, the pursuit of full communion among all those baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, is one of the priorities of the Catholic Church. In particular, it is one of the priorities of my ministry as Bishop of Rome, whose specific role in the universal Church is to be at the service of all, building and safeguarding communion and unity”

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Father and the Patriarch went to the balcony of the Patriarchate for the joint ecumenical blessing, then had lunch together inside the Patriarchal Palace.

_{Photo © Vatican Media}