The primates of major Christian Churches will gather in what was ancient Nicaea (modern-day Iznik), in a symbolic gesture recalling one of the most defining moments in early Christian history: the era of an undivided Christianity in the 4th Century

Momentum for reopening the institution appeared to strengthen after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Sept.

On 28 November, Leo and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will join hands at the site of the Ecumenical Council, Iznik of modern Turkey

The pontiff will join the Orthodox leader for a joint pilgrimage to Nicaea during his first apostolic journey to Türkiye and Lebanon this November

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was also warmly welcomed by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at UN headquarters in New York last week.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Patriarch Bartholomew voiced solidarity with Ukraine, condemned Russia’s war, and expressed hope for a swift “victorious peace,” while Zelensky invited him to visit Kyiv

The Patriarch reserved some of his sharpest language for nationalism, which he described as “perhaps the most destructive force in human history”

Earlier on Thursday, Patriarch Bartholomew had celebrated a doxology at the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in Manhattan.

Mr. Johnson, who had welcomed the Patriarch earlier at the Capitol, recalled his longstanding ties with the Greek diaspora in his home state of Louisiana

Members of Congress from both parties have long expressed respect for the Patriarch, citing his consistent advocacy for peace, human rights and the environment

During his U.S. visit, the Patriarch calls for interfaith dialogue, mutual respect, and global commitment to human dignity at a State Department dinner in Washington, D.C.

Bartholomew’s visit, and the congressional tributes, come at a moment when international norms around religious freedom, climate action and geopolitical sovereignty are under strain

The announcement came from Patriarch Bartholomew himself, immediately after his meeting in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump, on Monday.

The Ecumenical Patriarch asked Donald Trump to show concern for Christians in the Middle East, while also briefing him on Ukraine’s suffering, church independence, and the long-closed Halki Seminary

The Patriarchate's website said discussions at the Oval Office between President Donald Trump and Bartholomew included the situation of Christians in the Mideast and an upcoming visit by Pope Leo XIV to northeast Turkey

According to the White House, President Trump will welcome the patriarch on Monday at 2 p.m. in the Oval Office

Pope Leo XIV will arrive at the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Phanar See in Istanbul after the commemoration of the 1,700-year-old anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea

The meeting is likely to take place on September 16 at the White House as part of the Ecumenical Patriarch's 10-day visit to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

A replica of a historic 16th century map that was presented to the Patriarch by Greece's military chief of staff reportedly riles Turkish defense ministry

The project uses Dolby Atmos systems to produce a three-dimensional auditory experience that envelops the listener, making it possible to hear what ancient worshippers might have heard over 1,400 years ago.