As part of the traditional exchange of delegations on the occasion of the feast of the heavenly patrons, the delegation of the Vatican arrived at the residence of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul. On November 30, 2022, she took part in the Liturgy, which was led by Patriarch Bartholomew, in the Patriarchal Church of the Holy Great Martyr George on the occasion of the feast day of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Vatican Radio reports.

At the end of the service, the head of the delegation, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, read and handed over to the Patriarch a letter of greeting from the Pope.

“The full restoration of communion between all believers in Jesus Christ is an irreversible duty for every Christian, because the unity of all is not only the will of God, but also an inalienable priority in the modern world,” Pope Francis said in his message to Patriarch Bartholomew.