Patriarch  Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of some 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide will make a historic visit to Malta next week during which he will meet refugees as well as the sizeable Orthodox Christian community in Malta, the Curia said.

Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, will be in Malta between December 4 and 7 at the invitation of Archbishop Charles Scicluna.

He is also due to meet the President of Malta, the Maltese Episcopal Conference and residents at the Corradino Correctional Facility.

He will be the first ever Patriarch to visit Malta and will also be conferred with a Doctorate honoris causa by the University of Malta.

"Given the significant Orthodox Christian presence on the island, the visit of the Patriarch – the most senior Orthodox figure – is viewed as having considerable ecumenical importance," The Curia said.

During his stay the patriarch will meet Christians from various Orthodox Churches in Malta and will visit St Paul’s Grotto in Rabat and other places of religious significance.

The Curia urged the public to attend the two main events associated with the visit: Patriarchal Vespers at St Nicholas Church (Tal-Erwieħ) in Valletta on December 5 and an ecumenical service at St John’s Co-Cathedral on December 6, where he will also meet the heads of other churches as well as members of the Diocesan Ecumenical Commissions in Malta and Gozo.

The 82-year-old Patriarch was installed as Archbishop of Constantinople in 1991. He has been working with Pope Francis on improving Catholic-Orthodox relations, and has been vociferous on migrant issues.