The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is a centuries-old pillar of the Orthodox tradition, and His Holiness Bartholomew I has consistently focused on dialogue between Churches and communities, the protection of Christian heritage and support for Christian communities in the East. The message conveyed to participants at this unique event currently taking place in Bucharest, presented during the opening ceremony, comes as a response to the invitation extended by Emeritus Professor Emil Constantinescu, President of the Levant Institute of Advanced Studies for the Culture of Peace, and also represents the continuation of a long-standing collaboration of political and ecumenical significance that has extended into the realm of cultural diplomacy.
The relationship between His Holiness Bartholomew I and President Emil Constantinescu began during the latter's presidential term (1996 to 2000), through the Ecumenical Patriarch's participation in the international 'Peoples and Religions' Conference, organised in Bucharest in August 1998 by the Catholic Sant'Egidio Community, the Romanian Patriarchate and the Presidency of Romania, which played a decisive role in creating a favourable climate for the subsequent visit of Pope John Paul II to Romania in 1999 – the first visit by a Supreme Pontiff to a predominantly Orthodox country since the Great Schism of 1054.
President Constantinescu and Patriarch Bartholomew met again this spring in Istanbul, on the occasion of the Eurasian Economic Summit, when President Emil Constantinescu presented His Holiness Bartholomew I with the theme and programme of the academic and cultural gathering in Bucharest, extending an invitation for His Holiness to address the plenary assembly of the World Congress of Syriac Studies.
His Holiness Bartholomew I's relationship with Romania has been marked by significant moments in the life of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Ecumenical Patriarch was last present in Bucharest in October 2025, when His Holiness, alongside His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, attended the consecration of the mosaic paintings of the National Cathedral.
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS; BARTHOLOMEW
ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE
TO THE JOINT CONGRESSES OF SYRIAC AND CHRISTIAN ARAB STUDIES
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
AUGUST 3-7, 2026
The interplay between academic research and public concern is both significant and timely. Our world is becoming increasingly, inseparably interconnected. Academic discourse can no longer remain isolated from the broader challenges facing society, just as political and cultural institutions cannot ignore the knowledge, discernment and moral responsibility that scientific research can offer. What takes place in one sphere of human activity inevitably affects many others, while decisions taken within any nation often have consequences that extend far beyond its own borders.
Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
We are pleased to greet you through this video message, in response to the gracious invitation of His Excellency Professor Emeritus Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania.
You have gathered at the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest for two renowned international scholarly meetings: the 14th World Congress of Syriac Studies and the 12th International Conference of Christian Arabic Studies. The World Congress of Syriac Studies, with its history extending over more than five decades, is convened this year jointly with the International Conference on Christian Arabic Studies, under the auspices of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization, in partnership with the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, the Romanian Academy, and the Parliament of Romania.
This conjunction of scholarly inquiry and public concern is both significant and timely. Our world is increasingly and inseparably interconnected. Academic conversations can no longer remain isolated from the wider challenges confronting society, just as political and cultural institutions cannot overlook the knowledge, discernment, and moral responsibility that scholarship can offer. What occurs in one field of human activity inevitably affects many others, while decisions taken within any particular nation frequently bear consequences far beyond its borders.
It is precisely within this context that the theme of your joint congresses acquires particular urgency: "Peace and Dialogue for the Preservation of Literary and Material Heritage." Throughout the centuries, the ministry of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been marked by a commitment to reconciliation and peace through encounter and dialogue. This conviction has shaped the theological, liturgical, and spiritual witness of the Mother Church of Constantinople, whether in the pursuit of Christian unity, in raising awareness of the ecological crisis, or in promoting interreligious cooperation and peaceful coexistence within a religiously and culturally diverse, yet frequently troubled and divided, humanity.
You will be exploring the fascinating and interconnected legacy of the Syriac and Arabic Christian traditions. Yet this heritage is not merely the subject of scholarly inquiry; it remains a living reality, borne and preserved by ancient Christian communities throughout the Middle East. The Syriac tradition, in particular, preserves in its language and literature a precious witness to the Aramaic world of our Lord Jesus Christ, together with an extraordinary treasury of theological, liturgical, literary, and cultural memory.
Today, these communities, together with the manuscripts, monasteries, churches, libraries, and living traditions entrusted to their care, are gravely threatened by conflict, persecution, economic hardship, and forced displacement. Their protection is therefore an urgent moral obligation, both for the continuity of the Christian presence in the Middle East and for the preservation of a spiritual and cultural heritage that belongs to all humanity.
The safeguarding of this heritage must consequently include the defence of the right of these ancient communities to remain, worship, and flourish in their ancestral homelands. This responsibility is shared by Churches, governments, scholars, cultural institutions, and the international community as a whole.
May your deliberations contribute to the advancement of knowledge, the strengthening of dialogue, and a renewed commitment to the protection of the ancient Christian communities and heritage of the Middle East. Upon you all — organisers, scholars, and participants alike — we invoke the abundant grace and blessing of Almighty God, and we wish you every success in your important work.
