Ecumenical Patriarch Says Muslims are Increasingly Embracing Orthodoxy

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during his visit to New York in the fall of 2025. Photo: Aaron Hickman/UOJ-USA

ISTANBUL — Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has stated that increasing numbers of Muslims are voluntarily converting to Orthodox Christianity, emphasizing that the Church accepts those who come freely while rejecting any form of coercion.

According to reports cited by The Atlas Wire and Neos Kosmos, the Patriarch made the remarks during services at the Patriarchal Cathedral in the Phanar on Thomas Sunday. “The Patriarchate does not pursue proselytism and will never pressure anyone to convert,” Patr. Bartholomew said, adding that those who approach the Church of their own free will “cannot be refused.”

He described the Orthodox Church as universally open, welcoming people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The Ecumenical Patriarch also pointed to what he characterized as a broader trend of interest in Orthodoxy, particularly among younger and educated individuals seeking spiritual fulfillment.

“They feel an inner void that they find filled in Christianity, and specifically in Orthodoxy,” he said.

Patr. Bartholomew noted that while other Christian communities in Istanbul are baptizing non-Christians in significant numbers, the Orthodox Church is likewise receiving new faithful, though it proceeds cautiously. “The Church is in no hurry to rush anyone to baptism,” he said.

Framing his remarks in theological terms, the Patriarch spoke of the Kingdom of God as a present and growing reality within individuals, expressing hope for its continued expansion.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a Catholic priest in the U.S. had converted to Orthodoxy.

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