Pope Leo XIV urged Christian leaders to “pursue the path of unity and fraternal charity” during a meeting with Orthodox and Catholic clergy
Newsroom (17/07/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV urged Christian leaders to “pursue the path of unity and fraternal charity” during a meeting with Orthodox and Catholic clergy from the United States at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. The gathering, part of the “From Rome to New Rome” pilgrimage, included 50 Greek Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, and Latin Catholic pilgrims, led by Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey.
The pilgrimage coincides with the 1700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325, a pivotal moment in Christian history that rejected the Arian heresy denying Christ’s divinity and established the Nicene Creed, a cornerstone of Christian faith. Pope Leo XIV described the anniversary as “significant,” noting that the Creed, expanded at the Council of Constantinople in 381, remains a “common patrimony of all Christians” and a vital part of liturgical celebrations for many.
The pope highlighted the rare alignment of Easter Sunday this year across Eastern and Western Christian calendars, calling it a “providential coincidence.” He said the shared proclamation of “Christ is risen! He is truly risen!” reflects the triumph of Jesus Christ over “the darkness of sin and death,” offering hope amid global suffering. “No cry of the innocent victims of violence, no lament of mothers mourning their children will go unheard,” Leo declared, emphasizing the call for Christians to be “witnesses and bearers of hope.”
Addressing the pilgrims’ itinerary, which includes prayer at the tombs of Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome and a visit to the See of Constantinople, Leo extended warm greetings to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who attended the Mass for the pope’s inauguration. “I hope to meet you again in a few months to commemorate the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea,” he said, signaling his commitment to ecumenical dialogue.
The pope reflected on the 1054 schism between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, when Pope Leo IX and the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated each other, fracturing Christianity. He praised the pilgrims’ journey as a fruit of the ecumenical movement, recalling the 1965 Joint Declaration by Saint Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras that lifted the mutual excommunications. “Before then, a pilgrimage like your own would probably not even have been possible,” Leo noted, crediting the Holy Spirit for fostering steps toward “full and visible unity.”
Leo cautioned against rivalry among Christian sees, referencing Jesus’ disciples who debated greatness even as He faced His passion. “Rome, Constantinople, and all the other Sees are not called to vie for primacy,” he said, urging humility and unity.
The pope also invoked the late Pope Francis’ Bull of Indiction for the 2025 Jubilee, which anticipates the 2033 commemoration of the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s redemption. Leo called for a spiritual “return to Jerusalem,” where the Apostles received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and spread the Gospel worldwide. “May our return to the roots of our faith make us capable, like the Good Samaritan, of pouring out the oil of consolation and the wine of gladness on today’s humanity,” he concluded.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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