Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew begins high-profile visit to the United Kingdom

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is conducting a week-long visit to the United Kingdom, involving high-level diplomatic, religious, and academic engagements. Upon his arrival at Heathrow, he was welcomed by Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain and the Greek Ambassador to the UK, Ioannis Tsouchis.

A central highlight of the visit is a scheduled meeting with King Charles III at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The meeting is noted for the long-standing relationship between the British monarch and the Orthodox Church, as well as their personal acquaintance.

The Patriarch’s itinerary also includes academic honors and lectures. He is set to deliver a speech at the University of Oxford and will be named an honorary doctor by the University of Chichester. On the religious front, he presided over a Divine Liturgy at the Holy Sophia Cathedral in Bayswater, London, to honor the name day of Archbishop Nikitas. His trip will conclude with a visit to the Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex on Sunday, September 20.