The Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Bari stands as one of the most significant places in Christianity, uniquely uniting Catholic and Orthodox pilgrims.<\/p>\n
Basilica of St. Nicholas of Bari<\/p>\n
Since the relics of Saint Nicholas were brought from Myra in 1087, Bari has become a destination known throughout Europe and beyond. Even today, pilgrims from every nation arrive daily to venerate the saint often described as the \u201csaint of interreligious dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Devotion to Saint Nicholas of Bari<\/p>\n
After the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Nicholas is the saint who has received the most widespread devotion in the history of the Church. According to Father Emmanuel Albano, Coordinator of the Saint Nicholas Ecumenical Institute, this devotion has always carried a profoundly unifying dimension.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something the Basilica of Saint Nicholas has always generated through the centuries,\u201d Fr. Albano explained, \u201ccontinuous pilgrimages of brothers from every confession, who came here to pray at the tomb of Saint Nicholas.\u201d<\/p>\n
An Ecumenism Lived in Prayer<\/p>\n
Over time, these pilgrimages evolved into something deeper than parallel devotions. \u201cGradually,\u201d Fr. Albano said, they became \u201ca way of meeting one another in prayer\u2014praying together.\u201d This lived ecumenism is visible not only spiritually, but architecturally.<\/p>\n
Immediately after the Second Vatican Council, the Dominican fathers made a concrete gesture to welcome Orthodox worship. As Fr. Albano recounted, they decided \u201cto build a small Orthodox chapel\u2026 the one you see as you enter on the left.\u201d It became a place where Orthodox Christians could celebrate the Divine Liturgy within the Basilica itself.<\/p>\n
Today, the sign of unity is even more striking. In the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the Orthodox Divine Liturgy and the Catholic Mass are sometimes celebrated at the same time. Fr. Albano described the significance of this development.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere you see the extraordinary nature of this place\u2014and of the ecumenical journey that has been made: an ecumenism, of prayer and of fraternal encounter,\u201d he said. Over time, \u201cthere was no longer any need for that side chapel,\u201d because Orthodox faithful began celebrating the Divine Liturgy \u201cat the altar of Saint Nicholas\u2026 the very same altar where Catholics celebrate the Eucharist.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a truly beautiful sign,\u201d Fr. Albano emphasized, \u201csomething that does not happen in every Christian church.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bari, a Capital of Unity<\/p>\n
The reason Saint Nicholas has become such a powerful point of convergence remains, in some ways, a mystery. As Fr. Albano noted, it is not easy to explain \u201cwhy a saint who is certainly popular and deeply linked to charity has managed to unite, in such a special way, so many people in devotion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, the facts are undeniable. \u201cAmong the Orthodox and Catholics,\u201d he said, \u201che is certainly the most venerated saint after the Virgin Mary. So, the Basilica is truly a place of particular importance. It is certainly a meeting point.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is for this reason that Pope Francis has called Bari a \u201ccapital of unity.\u201d The city is home to stable Orthodox communities\u2014Russian, Romanian, Georgian, Greek, and others\u2014who worship regularly in the Basilica, not merely as visiting pilgrims, but as residents who live their faith around Saint Nicholas.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere in Bari you feel it strongly,\u201d Fr. Albano explained, because these communities \u201ccelebrate and live their liturgy and their devotion to Saint Nicholas\u201d on an ongoing basis.<\/p>\n
From this lived experience of unity emerged the Saint Nicholas Ecumenical Institute, founded by Bari\u2019s Archbishop Monsignor Enrico Nicodemo, together with the Apulian Bishops\u2019 Conference and the Dominicans. What makes the Institute remarkable, Fr. Albano noted, is its origin.<\/p>\n
\u201cCulture is essential\u2014the capacity to know one another, and to face the chapters of history that have, unfortunately, divided Christians,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat makes it remarkable is this: it didn\u2019t begin as an academic project. It\u2019s one of those rare cases where scholarship grew out of lived reality. That is truly extraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Bari, devotion to Saint Nicholas continues to do what centuries of division could not: draw Christians together in prayer, fraternity, and hope\u2014around a shared altar, and a shared longing for unity.<\/p>\n
Adapted by Jacob Stein. Produced by Andrea Manna, Ilaria Chimenti; Camera by Andrea Manna, Ilaria Chimenti; Video Edited by Ilaria Chimenti; Special thanks & Credits: Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Bari.<\/p>\n