Patriarch Bartholomew along with Catholics venerates the relics of St. Nicholas

December 5, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew went on a pilgrimage tour to the Italian city of Bari, where he venerated the relics of St. Nicholas in the presence of representatives of the Catholic Church, reports Sedmitsa citing the Greek news agency Amen.

Patriarch Bartholomew knelt and prayed before the shrine with the relics of St. Nicholas in the presence of representatives of the local Roman Catholic diocese, municipal authorities, Orthodox and Catholic believers and monks of the Dominican Order, who belong to the basilica, where the relics of the saint rest.

During his visit to the basilica in Bari, the head of the Church of Constantinople led the ceremony, during which he announced the beginning of a new academic year at the Faculty of Theology of Puglia. During the ceremony, the message of Pope Francis was read out.

In the evening, Patriarch Bartholomew led a vigil in the church, located in the city center, which was given by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bari to the head of the Archdiocese of Ecumenical Patriarchate in Italy Metropolitan Gennadios for the needs of the Greek Orthodox parish of the city.

As reported earlier, Patriarch Bartholomew was awarded the prize for commitment to ecumenism.