By AC Wimmer
CNA Newsroom, Mar 15, 2025 / 08:00 am
Exploring Hope for Unity: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I Offers Reassuring Perspective
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople recently shared a hopeful outlook on the historical divide between Rome and Constantinople, challenging the traditional 1054 date for the “Great Schism”. He emphasized that tensions between the two centers of Christianity developed gradually over time and are not insurmountable.
During an audience in Istanbul on March 12, the patriarch expressed optimism that the accumulated problems over a thousand years could be resolved in the near future. He engaged in discussions with a pilgrimage group from the German Association of the Holy Land, in the presence of Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Emeritus Gregory III Laham.
The pilgrimage was held in anticipation of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., underscoring the importance of unity in the Christian faith.
Instead of viewing the split in 1054 as a sudden event, Patriarch Bartholomew proposed that tensions between the Orthodox and Catholic churches grew stronger gradually over time. This perspective opens up the possibility for a historic breakthrough in ecumenical relations.
Earlier this year, Pope Francis also emphasized the potential for unity, especially as Easter coincided on the same date in both the Gregorian and Julian calendars. He encouraged a rediscovery of the shared roots of the faith, highlighting the importance of coming together in common belief.
