Bartholomew I Patriarch of Constantinople Addresses Crowds After Opening Mass For the Year of Faith

Following the previous report on the Archbishop of Canterbury's address  to the Synod, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople , Bartholomew I addressed the crowds after the opening mass for the Year of Faith at St. Peter's Basilica. Representing 300 million Orthodox Christians, he recalled the importance of working toward  a deeper sense of unity as set by the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. He went on to state that the year of faith and the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council offers an opportunity for both churches to draw closer on the path to unity.

In this Year of Faith, let us all work towards the goal of the reunion of the churches of the east and west.