Orthodox patriarch taken to hospital during visit to US

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

The spiritual leader of the world’s 200 million Eastern Orthodox Christians was admitted to hospital on Sunday in Washington on the first full day of a planned 12-day US visit and will stay overnight, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America said.

The archdiocese said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was preparing to leave for a service at the Cathedral of Saint Sophia in the nation’s capital when he felt unwell “due to the long flight and full schedule of events upon arrival”.