During a pilgrimage to Türkiye from July 27 to August 2, 2026, Monsignor Raphael Traboulsi, Episcopal Vicar General, visited the Chaldean Diocese in Istanbul, where he met His Excellency Bishop Ramzi Kirmo and the priests of the diocese. He conveyed the greetings of His Excellency Bishop Michel Kassarji, primate of the Chaldean diocese of beirut, to Bishop Kirmo and to all the clergy and faithful of the diocese, especially its current shepherd, Bishop Sabri Anar, who is presently in Paris. Their discussions focused on the positive impact and lasting impression left by the visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in December of last year, despite the continuing decline in the number of Christians throughout the Middle East. They also reflected on the distinguished history of the Chaldean Church in Türkiye, its renowned bishops who left a lasting legacy in the Church, and the current situation of Chaldean refugees in Lebanon and Türkiye. Accompanied by Deacon Emil Semaan, Monsignor Trabelsi also paid a fraternal visit to the Armenian Catholic Church, where he delivered a reflection during Evening Prayer highlighting the historical ties between the Armenian and Chaldean Churches and recalling the persecution endured by both peoples. He also met the Patriarchal Vicar General of the Armenian Orthodox Church at Holy Trinity Church and celebrated Holy Mass for the intentions of the diocese at St. Anthony of Padua Church, served by the Franciscan Fathers. In addition, he visited the remaining ruins of the church in Nicaea where the First Ecumenical Council was held in 325 AD, the same site where Pope Leo XIV prayed for Christian unity on December 25, 2025. The pilgrimage concluded with a visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Phanar district on the Bosphorus, where Monsignor Traboulsi and the accompanying pilgrims venerated the relics of the Three Holy Hierarchs—St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. Basil the Great—before receiving the blessing of meeting His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, a prominent advocate of ecumenical dialogue in the Orthodox world.
العربية