Pope Welcomes Joint Orthodox-Catholic Pilgrimage, Hails Progress Toward Christian Unity

Castel Gandolfo, July 17, 2025 : Pope Leo XIV warmly welcomed participants of a unique joint Orthodox-Catholic pilgrimage to Rome, Constantinople, and Nicea, calling it “one of the abundant fruits of the ecumenical movement aimed at restoring full unity among all Christ’s disciples.”

Speaking at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo on Thursday, the Pope addressed the fifty pilgrims—Greek Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, and Latin Catholic—from the United States. The group is being led by Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark.

Describing the journey, titled “From Rome to New Rome”, the Pope said the pilgrimage aims to “return to the sources”—to Rome, where Saints Peter and Paul were martyred; to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), associated with Saint Andrew; and to Nicea, which hosted the first Ecumenical Council 1700 years ago this year.

Pope Leo highlighted the shared celebration of Easter in 2025, marking a rare convergence of the Gregorian and Julian liturgical calendars. This allowed all Christians to proclaim together: “Christ is risen! He is truly risen!”—a declaration, the Pope said, that affirms Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and victory over death.

That redemption, he said, “inspires us with great hope” and calls Christians to serve as “witnesses and bearers of hope”—echoing the theme of the upcoming Jubilee Year, pilgrims of hope. He expressed his desire that the pilgrimage would strengthen that hope in all who journey.

Looking ahead to the group’s stop in Constantinople, Pope Leo asked the pilgrims to convey his greetings to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, adding that he hopes to meet the Patriarch in person for the ecumenical commemoration of the Council of Nicea’s anniversary.

The Pontiff praised the pilgrimage as a clear sign of ongoing ecumenical progress, citing “the theological progress and the dialogue of charity” since the historic 1965 Joint Declaration by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, which lifted the mutual excommunications imposed in the 1054 schism.

He called on the faithful to continue praying to the Holy Spirit “to pursue the path of unity and fraternal charity.” Looking toward the two-thousandth anniversary of the Redemption, the Pope urged Christians to “spiritually return to Jerusalem, the City of Peace,” where the Apostles first received the Holy Spirit.

Pope Leo concluded with a prayer: “May our return to the roots of our faith make all of us experience the gift of God’s consolation and make us capable, like the Good Samaritan, of pouring out the oil of consolation and the wine of gladness on today’s humanity.”

Courtesy: Vatican News

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