Istanbul, (Constantinople) 14 September 2024. A delegation of PasquaTogether 2025 visited His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

On September 14, 2024, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a delegation from the PasquaTogether 2025 initiative, from the organisations IAO, Together for Europe, JC2033, and Focolare, paid an official visit to His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul (Constantinople). The visit focused on joint initiatives for the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea, as well as the common celebration of Pascha in 2025.

The Ecumenical Patriarch informed the delegation that both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches have already established joint committees to organize the 1700th-anniversary celebrations, with scheduled events in the city of Nicaea, the historic site of the First Ecumenical Council.

The PasquaTogether 2025 delegation presented to His All Holiness their shared vision for the unity of Christian communities, offering a symbolic text-Declaration signed by all the participating organizations. This document reflects their commitment to promoting Christian unity through planned festive events. The initiative highlights the essential role these organizations play in building bridges of cooperation among Christians worldwide.

The delegation of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), headed by its Secretary General, Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos, included Members of Parliaments: Mr. Athanasios Davakis from Greece, Mr. Panicos Leonidou from Cyprus, Mr. Aleksandar Cotric from Serbia, and Mr. Mile Taleski from North Macedonia, as well as the IAO Advisor, Dr. Kostas Mygdalis. On the same occasion, the newly elected President of the IAO General Assembly, Romanian MP Mr. Ioan Vulpescu, was also introduced to His All Holiness.

This visit was a significant opportunity to strengthen the ties between Orthodoxy, interparliamentary initiatives, and civic movements working for peaceful coexistence and the unity of Christian communities.