Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew delivered a powerful call for global reconciliation and Christian unity during his homily at the Ecumenical Celebration in Stockholm’s Filadelfiakyrkan on August 22, 2025.
The homily was delivered in the context of Ecumenical Week 2025 (18–24 August), marking the 100th anniversary of the historic 1925 Stockholm conference. Organized by the Christian Council of Sweden, the event brought together thousands of church leaders and participants from around the world for seminars, prayer services, and cultural activities under the theme “Time for God’s Peace”, highlighting the Church’s mission of unity, peacebuilding, and reconciliation in today’s divided world.
The Ecumenical Patriarch reflected on the history of the ecumenical movement and challenged Christian leaders to confront the violence, division, and environmental destruction threatening humanity today.
“We owe it to our global community to be united in faith and action,” he emphasized, stressing that Christians can only offer “a credible witness” when standing together in prayerful pursuit of God’s peace.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew highlighted two major milestones being marked this year: the centenary of Archbishop Nathan Söderblom’s historic 1925 Ecumenical Congress in Stockholm and the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, which affirmed Christ’s divinity and the unity of the Church. He praised these milestones as reminders of the Church’s calling to work for peace and justice.
“History is replete with violence and cruelty,” he said, warning that “never before has humanity been able to destroy so many lives and so much of the planet’s resources simultaneously.”
Calling Christians to reject war “as a political and national necessity,” the Patriarch framed peace not as a passive ideal but as “an existential and spiritual demand” that requires courage, sacrifice, and transformation.
“Peace always—and ultimately—starts in the heart,” he said. “It takes time, toil, and tears. Nevertheless, it is our only hope for survival as individuals, as nations, and as a species.”
Quoting the Beatitudes, he reminded listeners:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
He urged Christians to embrace this calling by defending justice, sharing resources equitably, and caring for creation:
“To be ‘peacemakers’ is to move away from what serves our own interests to what embraces the rights of others.”
The Patriarch concluded by encouraging Christians to embody God’s peace in their lives and ecumenical work:
“Such is the unity through peace that we are celebrating this afternoon. Such is the peace that it is time for us to suggest to the world and for the world to see in us. Christ is in our midst!”
