The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has sent a heartfelt fraternal letter of sympathy and support to Pope Francis, who has recently been hospitalized at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
The Ecumenical Patriarch wishes the Pope of Rome a swift and full recovery and a speedy return, by God’s help, to his sacred and weighty duties.
The handwritten letter was personally delivered by the Ecumenical Patriarch to Cardinal George Koovakad, head of a large delegation from the Vatican, who visited the Phanar on the afternoon of Tuesday, 18 February 2025, in preparation for the Pope’s visit to Türkiye this coming spring. During this visit, the two Primates will jointly commemorate the historic 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.