In an emotional statement, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed deep sorrow over the death of Pope Francis, calling him “a precious brother in Christ” and “a true friend of Orthodoxy.”
The Pope's death comes just weeks before a historic event the two religious leaders had hoped to share in May — the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea in 2025.
“Throughout these 12 years of his papacy, he was a faithful friend, companion, and supporter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,” Bartholomew said. “He left behind an example of genuine humility and brotherly love.”
Their fraternal bond — grounded in personal friendship and a shared vision for Christian unity — was forged through more than 15 meetings since Pope Francis’ election in 2013. The most symbolic of these came in 2014, when the two knelt together in prayer at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
It was there that the Patriarch proposed a joint commemoration of the First Council of Nicaea in 2025. The Pope had embraced the idea enthusiastically, calling it “amazing.”
The great message of Nicaea, then and now
Nicaea — modern-day Iznik in Turkey — was the site of the seminal 325 council that produced the Nicene Creed, a foundational statement of Christian belief that remains central to Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant traditions. The anniversary was intended to be a powerful gesture of East-West unity, underscoring shared roots and renewed hope for closer ties between the Churches.
Pope Francis reaffirmed his commitment to the event several times, such as in February 2023, during a meeting with Jesuits in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We are preparing a meeting for 2025,” he said, referring to his plans with Bartholomew. He reiterated the plan various times more recently.
Uniting Easter
He also shared hopes that the occasion could serve as a springboard for resolving another long-standing issue: agreeing on a unified date for Easter. This year, the Julian and Gregorian calendars — followed respectively by the Orthodox and Western Christian churches — aligned, offering a rare opportunity for common celebration. “Let’s see if we can agree on that for the future,” the Pope had said.
In his tribute, Patriarch Bartholomew regretted that Pope Francis would not live to see this dream realized.
“It was not meant to be for him to come [to Turkey],” he said, but added that the Ecumenical Patriarchate will still mark the anniversary, while the Catholic Church’s participation will depend on the intentions of Francis’ successor.
The Orthodox leader concluded his statement with a traditional blessing from the Eastern liturgy: “Eternal be your memory, Brother Pope Francis.” The phrase is both a prayer for the departed and a declaration of lasting significance.
As the conclave to elect the next pope is prepared in Rome, Christian leaders around the world will be watching to see whether how the path toward unity continues. For now, Bartholomew’s words serve as a eulogy and a call to action — reminding the faithful that, even in loss, the work of reconciliation goes on.
If the next pope chooses to keep the plans for a meeting in Turkey, it would probably be his first international trip, setting the stage for ecumenism in his pontificate, just as Pope Francis' first time highlighted the role of migration in his.
