Bartolomeu I, decorated today by Nicușor Dan. Ecumenical Patriarch for over 30 years, he has not hesitated to publicly criticize Kirill for supporting the war in Ukraine
Patriarch Bartholomew, at the consecration ceremony of the painting of the Cathedral of the Salvation of the Nation (National Cathedral), in Bucharest, October 26, 2025. Inquam Photos / George Călin
Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, will receive a distinction from President Nicușor Dan in a ceremony that will take place at the Cotroceni Palace from 6:30 p.m., the Presidential Administration announced.
Bartolomeu arrived in Romania on Friday and participated in the consecration service of the National Cathedral on Sunday, together with Patriarch Daniel. He is currently on his 11th visit to Romania in the 34 years he has been Ecumenical Patriarch, according to basilica.ro, the news agency of the Romanian Patriarchate.
“We come with a heart full of joy and with the love of the Mother Church in Constantinople, to participate in the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the granting of the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Romanian Orthodox Church and the 100th anniversary of its elevation to the rank of Patriarchate by the Ecumenical Patriarchate,” said Bartolomeu upon arrival in Romania.
Ecumenical Patriarch since 1991
Patriarch Bartholomew was born in 1940, on the island of Imvros (Gökçeada), on the current territory of Turkey. He studied at the Halki Seminary (Istanbul), at the Gregorian University in Rome, at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey (Switzerland) and at the University of Munich (Germany), according to doxologia.ro, the website of the Metropolitanate of Moldova.
In 1961 he was ordained a deacon by Metropolitan Meliton of Chalcedon. In 1969 he was ordained a priest by the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras becoming, after his death, the main collaborator of his successor, Patriarch Dimitrie I. In 1973 he was ordained a priest, with the title of Metropolitan of Philadelphia, and in 1990, he became Metropolitan of Chalcedon and dean of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate Ecumenical.
In 1991, after the death of Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrie I, he was elected, unanimously, to the dignity of Ecumenical Patriarch, at the age of 51.
Criticism of the war in Ukraine
The Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch is considered “first among equals” in the Orthodox Church, which has about 260 million followers worldwide, including about 100 million in Russia. After the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022, Bartholomew did not publicly condemn Russian aggression and criticized Patriarch Kirill of Russia for supporting the war.
After the war broke out, the ecumenical patriarch said that Patriarch Kirill of Russia should “sacrifice his throne” to oppose the war in Ukraine.
“It would not be possible for any church not to condemn violence, war. The Russian Church has let us down. I do not want the Russian Orthodox Church and Patriarch Kirill to represent this tragic exception. I do not know how it can be justified in front of its conscience,” said the leader of Orthodox Christianity.
All Orthodox churches are autonomous and have their own hierarchy, unlike the authority of the Pope from the Vatican, who is the spiritual leader of all Catholics.
“I expected Patriarch Kirill to step forward at this crucial historical moment. If necessary, to sacrifice his throne, to tell Putin, 'Mr. Putin, I cannot agree with you, I resign,'” he added.
In March 2023, Bartholomew stated that the powerful Russian Orthodox Church shares responsibility for the conflict in Ukraine, but he is prepared to help with the post-war “spiritual regeneration” of Russia.
“The church and state leadership in Russia cooperated in the crime of aggression and shared responsibility for the resulting crimes, such as the shocking kidnapping of Ukrainian children,” he added.
In October 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople recognized an independent Orthodox Church in Ukraine, revoking a 332-year-old decision that had placed Ukraine under the Patriarchate of Moscow. In response, the Russian Orthodox Church announced the breaking of relations with the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
