Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew leads services for Ukraine and Kyzikos

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew conducted several religious services in late August 2026. During a liturgy at the St. Nicholas Tzivali Church for the Ukrainian community, the Patriarch offered prayers for the victims of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Marking the 35th anniversary of Ukrainian independence, he addressed the suffering of those displaced by conflict, children affected by fear, and the families of prisoners of war, stating, “The Mother Church of Constantinople remembers them.”

Additionally, the Patriarch presided over a service at the ruins of the Panagia Faneromeni Monastery in Kyzikos to commemorate the Dormition of the Mother of God. He reflected on the historical significance of the site, noting the return to the ruins following the events of 1922 and the previous reopening of celebrations in 2015.