Pope Leo XIV received on Tuesday in audience the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which had traveled to Rome on the occasion of the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, and took the opportunity to renew the Catholic Church’s commitment to the path toward the full unity of Christians.
Welcoming the representatives of the Patriarchate, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude for the presence of the delegation and for the constant efforts of Patriarch Bartholomew and the Church of Constantinople in favor of ecumenical dialogue.
“I wholeheartedly renew my gratitude to you for this visit, as well as for your personal commitment and that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the holy cause of Christian unity,” stated Leo XIV.
The delegation was led by Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, president of the Synodal Commission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for relations with the Catholic Church, accompanied by Father Aetios and the patriarchal deacon Anatolios. Their visit to Rome, held between June 27 and July 1, forms part of the traditional exchange of delegations between the Holy See and the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the occasion of the feasts of the patron saints of both Churches.
The memory of Nicaea and the gaze set on 2033
During his address, the Pope recalled with gratitude his participation last November in the celebration of the feast of Saint Andrew at the patriarchal Church of Saint George in the Phanar, where he was able to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and share with him the desire to continue advancing toward full communion among Christians.
Leo XIV also evoked the recent commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, celebrated in İznik at the invitation of Patriarch Bartholomew, and emphasized that the Nicene Creed remains “the foundation and the criterion of reference” for the ecumenical journey.
“In light of that commemorative event, it has become evident that the Nicene Creed must be the foundation and the criterion of reference for this process, proposing the model of a true unity in legitimate diversity,” the Pontiff affirmed.
The Pope also expressed his desire that the path toward the celebration of the second millennium of the Redemption in the year 2033 may be undertaken together by all Christian confessions, rediscovering the common call to be witnesses of the Risen One.
A common witness before the challenges of the world
Leo XIV also highlighted that, in an international context marked by wars, polarization, and cultural and social divisions, Christians are called to offer a credible witness of peace and hope.
In this regard, he noted that collaboration among the various Churches is today especially necessary to address common challenges such as peace, the ethical use of new technologies, care for creation, and the defense of the dignity of every human person, especially the most vulnerable.
A dialogue that continues
The audience brought to a close the official visit of the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to Rome. During their stay, the Orthodox representatives took part in the solemn Eucharist presided over by Leo XIV on June 29 on the occasion of the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul and subsequently held conversations with the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, thus continuing an institutional dialogue that has been maintained for decades between the Holy See and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.