Patriarch Bartholomaios I. celebrates 85 years: Building ecumenical bridges!

Patriarch Bartholomaios I. celebrates 85 years: Building ecumenical bridges!

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomaios I von Konstantinople celebrates its 85th birthday on Friday, February 28th. As the successor to the apostle Andreas, he is the head of honor of World Orthodoxy with around 300 million members. His commitment to dialogue with other churches and his ecological initiative brought him the title "Green Patriarch". Since his election in 1991, Bartholomaios has shaped the role of the Orthodox Church in the world, but orthodoxy is faced with the challenges of Turkey in the face of inner -orthodox tensions and the crisis situation.

Bartholomaios has strengthened its efforts to reopen the theological university of Chalki, which was closed in 1971 by the Turkish authorities. According to a current report by Vatican News, the Patriarch cautiously shows that he can take a serious dialogue with the Turkish authorities in the foreseeable future with the Turkish authorities. This is seen as a "hopeful sign", since the university was once the most important training center for Orthodox priests worldwide. Despite years of efforts by various actors, including the United States and the EU, the reopening is still absent, while the number of Greek Orthodox Christians in Turkey is continuously falling, as Catholic press reports.

challenges and hope

The internal conflicts within orthodoxy, especially with the Russian Orthodox Church, are another big topic for Bartholomaios. The dispute over the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine has divided the community and questions the authority of the ecumenical patriarch. In the middle of these conflicts, Bartholomaios remains an important player who always maintains his relationships with other communities of faith, including the Pope and the Catholic Church. A common Easter date and the celebrations for the 1,700. The anniversary of the Council of Nicea are also on the agenda and could represent important steps to promote ecumenism. Pope Francis' health state, however, leaves questions open whether he can take part in the planned events.