Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Caserta, Italy

“The spirit of Nicaea must once again ignite the Christian message.” This was underlined by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the speech he delivered on Friday at the Basilica of St. Angelo in Formisa, during an ecumenical prayer meeting, at the invitation of Bishop Pietro of Caserta.

“The memory of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, in the year 325, is not only important to remember an event in the history of the Church,” explained the Patriarch, “but this great Council of 318 Holy Fathers of the East and the West represents a passage from the local system of the Church to the universal, capable of representing with “canons” the teaching of the Church that comes directly from the Apostles.” Referring to the value of the synodal system, he stressed that “the truth is never the position of a single individual.” Recalling the vision shared by Pope Francis, the Ecumenical Patriarch concluded: “With the late Pope Francis, we often sought ways to arrive at a common date for Easter. May God grant that these efforts may continue with the new Bishop of Rome, on whom from now on, with prayer, we invoke the Holy Spirit.”

Earlier in the day, the Ecumenical Patriarch, who is making a two-day official visit to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Caserta, responding to a relevant invitation, visited various sights of the city, such as the famous Royal Palace, accompanied by the Roman Catholic Bishop Pietro of Caserta. The Patriarch also visited the Reggia di Caserta, while he spoke with many Roman Catholic faithful, who rushed to receive his blessing.

Source: fosfanariou.gr