At the invitation of Pope Benedict XVI, His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople delivered an address in St Peter’s Square, on 11 October, marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.
“In the 50 years that have intervened [since the Second Vatican Council], we recall with vividness and tenderness, but also with elation and enthusiasm, our personal discussions with episcopal members and theological periti during our formative time – then as a young student – at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, as well as our personal attendance at some special sessions of the Council. We witnessed firsthand how the bishops experienced a renewed awareness of the validity – and a reinforced sense of the continuity – of the tradition and faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1.3). It was a period of promise and hope for your Church both internally and externally.”
Read and download the Patriarch’s address by using the link in the top right-hand corner of this page.
His All Holiness, Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch is the 270th successor of the 2,000 year-old local Christian Church founded by St. Andrew the Apostle. As a citizen of Turkey, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s personal experience provides him a unique perspective on the continuing dialogue among the Christian, Islamic and Jewish worlds. He works to advance reconciliation among Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox communities, such as in former Yugoslavia, and is supportive of peace building measures to diffuse global conflict in the region.
patriarchate.org/patriarch/biography
Full biography on the official site of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
