The religious leader of the Greek Orthodox Church was taken to hospital on a trip to the United States. 81-year-old Bartholomew I was feeling uneasy.
The Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, was taken to hospital during a visit to the US capital, Washington. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America said the 81-year-old is doing well.
On Sunday, Bartholomew felt uncomfortable before Mass, so his doctor referred him to the hospital for observation. This is because of the long flights to the United States and their busy travel schedule, which began on Saturday and will last until November 3. He is expected to be discharged from the hospital this Monday.
successor of the apostle Andrew
The Patriarch of Constantinople was once the undisputed leader of Orthodox Christianity. Bartholomew, who has held this position since 1991, is now the direct head of only a few thousand Greek Orthodox believers. It has no authority over other Orthodox churches. The approximately 300 million Orthodox worldwide, who belong to a dozen or more churches, only confer the honorary title of “equal to the first”.
Bartholomas is believed to be the 270th successor of the Apostle Andrew, who according to tradition was evangelized in Asia Minor and whose bones were buried in Constantinople (now Istanbul) for centuries after his martyrdom.
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