Pat. Bartholomew: "There was no schism between Rome and Constantinople in 1054"
Istanbul—During a meeting with Greek Catholic Melkite Patriarch Gregory III on March 12, 2025, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople discussed a theory suggesting that there was no formal schism between Rome and Constantinople in 1054, reports Catholic News Agency.
According to Bartholomew, rather than a formal break, “there were tensions that intensified over time.” However, as Bartholomew emphasized, these tensions “are not insurmountable.”
Gregory III arrived in Istanbul with a group of pilgrims participating in a pilgrimage organized by the German Society of the Holy Land. The occasion for the pilgrimage was the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, held in 325 AD.
"Of course, many problems have accumulated over the past thousand years. But we are full of hope that they will be resolved in the coming years," the Patriarch underscored. "Everything is in God's hands. He has already prepared the true future for our Churches."
As a reminder, Patriarch Bartholomew previously stated that he would seek a common celebration of Easter with Catholics and Anglicans.
One thing is certain: Nicea will be interesting this year.
Read also
On the Primacy of the Ecumenical Patriarch
“There is in Orthodoxy no one with an equivalent position to the Pope in the Roman Catholic Church,” Metr. Kallistos Ware wrote. “His place resembles that of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the worldwide Anglican Communion.”
Constantinople Has No Jurisdiction in Ukraine
A careful analysis of the historical record makes it abundantly clear: prior to 2018, the Ecumenical Patriarchate had always recognized Moscow’s jurisdiction over Ukraine.
Old Calendarists and the Politics of Slander
Old Calendarists are lining up behind Joe Wilson and other would-be persecutors of Orthodox Americans.
The Archons' War on Orthodox Unity
The Archons are accusing Orthodox bishops and lay advocates of being “pro-Moscow” invaders. And yet it's the Archons themselves—with their "Greek papism" and "Hellenic world" ideology—that pose the greatest threat to Orthodox unity.
The ‘Founding Father’ of American Orthodoxy
St. Innocent of Alaska, the first Orthodox hierarch in North America, established the Church of Alaska—the "Mother Church" of the New World—through his tireless labors as linguist, pastor, and evangelist.
The Tragedy of Filaret Denysenko
On March 20, 2026, the man who split Ukrainian Orthodoxy died at 97. Before putting his body in the ground, the Ukrainian government and the OCU performed one final act of ritual humiliation.