As part of his Patriarchal and Apostolic visit to the United States, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
The Secretary-General welcomed the Patriarch warmly, and their discussion focused on issues of common concern, particularly initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue among peoples, religions, and cultures.
Earlier that day, Patriarch Bartholomew had celebrated a doxology at the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in Manhattan, with Archbishop Elpidophoros of America in attendance. The visit marked the Patriarch’s return to the Ground Zero parish, where he had presided over its consecration during his previous trip to the U.S. in 2021.
Reflecting on the shrine’s enduring mission, Bartholomew described it as a spiritual home for all, where the diversity of worshippers and visitors who find comfort within its walls stands as living proof that “from the Bosporus to the Hudson River, we are all citizens of an inhabited earth that is home to us all.”
Archbishop Elpidophoros recalled the Patriarch’s prayer during the 2021 consecration—that the “miraculous hand” of Saint Nicholas would grant the community health, prosperity, and spiritual growth—and affirmed that this blessing has been fulfilled.
“The Shrine is a place of pilgrimage for the thousands of faithful who flock to this historic site in search of their own consolation,” Archbishop Elpidophoros noted.
