On the afternoon of Friday, April 25, 2025, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew departed by air for Rome, where he will attend the funeral service of the late Pope Francis tomorrow morning.
The Patriarch is accompanied by Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, the Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Private Patriarchal Office, and the Mr. Nikolaos-Georgios Papachristou, Director of the Press and Communication Office of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Upon the Patriarch’s arrival at Rome Airport, Metropolitan Polycarpos of Italy will join the Patriarchal delegation.
Patriarch Bartholomew, God willing, is expected to return to Constantinople on Saturday evening.
He was seen off at the airport by His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi, the Patriarchal Commissioner, and the Grand Protosyncellus Gregory.
