Ecumenical Patriarch receives Honorary Doctorate in Rome, calls for Orthodox Unity (VIDEO)

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received an honorary doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome on Friday, October 23, 2026, delivering an address on the importance of conciliarity, ecclesiastical communion and dialogue between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.

Speaking at a conference organized by the university’s Institute for Ecumenical Studies ( Oecumenicum ) to mark the tenth anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of Crete, the Ecumenical Patriarch reflected on the Council’s legacy and its significance for the future of Christianity.

In his address, entitled “Conciliarity and Communion in the Church,” Patriarch Bartholomew described the 2016 Council as one of the most significant events in the recent history of the Orthodox Church, emphasizing that its importance extended beyond its immediate decisions and outcomes.

Council of Crete Remains a Milestone for Orthodoxy Recalling the lengthy preparations that preceded the Holy and Great Council, Patriarch Bartholomew stressed that its convening demonstrated the Orthodox Church’s commitment to synodality and collective responsibility.

He emphasized that the…