Pope Leo says he is open to Ecumenical Patriarchate’s suggestions toward restoring full communion
June 30, 2025
Pope Leo XIV received a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on June 28 and said that he is open to suggestions toward the restoration of full communion.
“After centuries of disagreements and misunderstanding, the resumption of genuine dialogue between the sister Churches of Rome and Constantinople was made possible through courageous and farsighted steps taken by Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras,” Pope Leo said in his address to members of the delegation, led by Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, president of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Synodal Commission for Relations with the Catholic Church.
The Pontiff continued:
As I think back with gratitude on the progress made thus far, I assure you of my desire to persevere in the effort to restore full visible communion between our Churches. The attainment of this goal can only come about, with God’s help, through a continued commitment to respectful listening and fraternal dialogue.
For this reason, 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, each in his own way, share with me the responsibility for the complete and visible unity of the Church
The Ecumenical Patriarchate, led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew since 1991, holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches. It is customary for the Ecumenical Patriarchate to send a delegation to the Vatican for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, patrons of Rome; likewise, the Vatican customarily sends a delegation to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the Feast of St. Andrew, its patronal feast.
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Further information:
- Address of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Dicastery for Communication - Libreria Editrice Vaticana)
- Holy See Press Office Communiqué, 27.06.2025
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