Pat. Bartholomew: We are discussing restoration of ties with Latvian Church
The Patriarch of Constantinople met with the world's first openly gay president in Riga.
On September 12, 2025, Patriarch Bartholomew arrived in Latvia, where he met with the country's leaders: President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, and Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa.
Rinkēvičs praised Patriarch Bartholomew for his stance on the war in Ukraine. Siliņa – "for unwavering support of Ukraine and his recognition of the importance of an independent Church".
"The visit of the Patriarch to Latvia is a significant event for our Orthodox community and confirms our strong ties," emphasized Siliņa.
Mieriņa noted that after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, "the Latvian Orthodox Church separated from the Russian Orthodox Church, and the law now prohibits any cooperation with it".
The Patriarch stated that "this visit is of great importance for discussing the situation of the Orthodox community in Latvia".
"It is also an opportunity to renew historical ties and cooperation with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for the benefit of both the faithful and society as a whole," stated Patriarch Bartholomew.
Recall, in 2022, the Council of the Latvian Church approved an appeal to the ROC for autocephaly. But the ROC stated that the independence of the Church should be considered by the ROC Bishops' Council.
As earlier reported, on October 24, 2019, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Latvia registered the "Latvian Orthodox Autonomous Church in the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople".
