The spiritual leader of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians was in “good” condition after testing positive for the coronavirus, his office said Friday.
Eighty-one-year-old Patriarch Bartholomew I has been battling ill health in the past few months.
For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.
The Istanbul-based patriarch underwent a heart stent operation in New York in November, and was hospitalized for a night after flying to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington in October.
The patriarch tested positive for the coronavirus during a routine checkup in Istanbul, his office said.
For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“His All-Holiness, who is fully vaccinated, is currently showing mild symptoms, but his general condition is good,” it said in a statement on Facebook.
Elected in 1991, Bartholomew has been outspoken on the environment and has cultivated closer relations both with Islam and Roman Catholicism.
In 2013, he attended the investiture of Pope Francis, the first patriarch to do so since the 1054 schism between Byzantium and Rome.
Read more:
Pfizer pill becomes first US-authorized home COVID-19 treatment
Be humble, Pope tells Vatican administrators in toned-down Christmas greeting
