Pope Reaffirms Commitment to Full Communion with Orthodox Church

Vatican City, June 28, 2025: Pope Leo XIV has reiterated his determination to pursue full visible communion with the Orthodox Church, emphasising dialogue, mutual respect, and collaboration as essential steps towards unity.

On Saturday, he welcomed a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to the Vatican during celebrations for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. The meeting marked the first such encounter of his pontificate and continued the longstanding tradition of exchanging delegations for the feasts of the Apostles Peter and Andrew, symbolising the fraternal bond between the two Churches.

Reflecting on the occasion, Pope Leo spoke of the “profound communion already existing between us” and highlighted the significance of these exchanges as “a reflection of the fraternal bond that united the Apostles Peter and Andrew.”

Recalling key milestones in the journey towards closer relations, the Pope expressed gratitude for the “courageous and farsighted” efforts of Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, whose historic 1964 meeting laid the groundwork for modern ecumenical dialogue. He praised their successors for continuing the path of reconciliation, singling out Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s presence at the funeral of Pope Francis and at the Mass inaugurating his own pontificate as signs of enduring friendship and commitment.

“I assure you of my desire to persevere in the effort to restore full visible communion between our Churches,” Pope Leo stated. He stressed that such unity “can only come about, with God’s help, through a continued commitment to respectful listening and fraternal dialogue.”

Demonstrating openness to practical steps forward, the Pope told the delegation: “I am open to any suggestions that you may offer in this regard, always in consultation with my brother Bishops of the Catholic Church who… share with me the responsibility for the complete and visible unity of the Church.”

Pope Leo concluded by expressing heartfelt thanks for the delegation’s visit and asked them to extend his greetings and gratitude to Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy Synod. Entrusting the shared ecumenical journey to the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul, Saint Andrew, and the Holy Mother of God, he prayed that these heavenly patrons “may accompany and sustain us in our efforts in the service of the Gospel.”

Courtesy: Vatican News