Bari, Italy, February 10, 2026
Photo: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy
Orthodox hierarchs from several Local Churches were among the signatories of an ecumenical agreement signed on January 23 in the Catholic cathedral of Bari, marking the first national Ecumenical Pact between Christian churches present in Italy.
The document, titled “Pact for a Common Journey of Witness,” was formally signed during the First Symposium of the Christian Churches in Italy. In total, 18 ecclesiastical leaders and representatives affixed their signatures, reports the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy.
Among the Orthodox signatories were Metropolitan Polycarp, representing the Holy Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy under the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Metropolitan Siluan of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese, and representatives (unnamed in the report) of the Russian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches in Italy.
Other signatories included Catholic, Evangelical, Lutheran, Waldensian, and Baptist leaders in Italy.
The pact consists of six articles and is presented as a significant milestone in what participants described as an “Italian path of dialogue.” It emphasizes that the agreement is not merely a formal gesture, but the fruit of a mature and sustained process of encounter, dialogue, and discernment at both national and local levels.
According to the text, the churches commit themselves to joint responsibility within Italian society, particularly in relation to the common good, justice and peace, human dignity, religious freedom, and care for creation. In a secular and pluralistic context, the pact seeks to offer a visible and credible Christian witness, while maintaining dialogue with the State and respect for institutional secularism.
The document also acknowledges the challenges inherent in shared public witness, especially when addressing sensitive issues such as peace, migration, religious discrimination, and the relationship between religion and politics. Despite the risk of criticism or misunderstanding, the churches affirm that withdrawing from this dimension would contradict their Christian calling.
The six articles of the pact address unity and reconciliation among Christians, the choice of dialogue even amid conflict, common action for justice and solidarity, coordinated public witness, ongoing fraternal dialogue, and a final invocation entrusting the agreement to God’s blessing. The concluding prayer recalls Christ’s words, “that they may all be one” (John 17:21).
In his address, Cardinal Zuppi stated that the pact should not be understood as a mere framework for coexistence, but as a step toward full communion, which alone constitutes true unity. He also noted that a serious ecumenical journey can contribute to social cohesion and peace.
The churches committed themselves to developing an annual joint program of activities with the involvement of local communities. The signing of the pact is being described by participants as an unprecedented moment in Italy, laying foundations for continued cooperation, mutual respect, and common Christian witness in contemporary Italian society.
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