Pope Leo, seeking to overcome obstacles to dialogue, calls Coptic Orthodox Pope
May 16, 2026
Pope Leo XIV called Pope Tawadros II, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, on May 15, in an effort to overcome obstacles to dialogue.
The Coptic Orthodox Church (CNEWA profile) is among the Oriental Orthodox Churches that ceased to be in full communion with the Holy See following the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (451). In 2024, the Coptic Orthodox Church suspended theological dialogue with the Catholic Church over Fiducia Supplicans, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s declaration on the pastoral meaning of blessings.
The discussion between Pope Leo and Pope Tawadros “proceeded in a cordial and fraternal atmosphere, with a desire to give new impetus to the celebration of the Day of Friendship between Copts and Catholics, seeking to overcome any obstacles to dialogue based on faith and charity,” according to the Holy See Press Office. “Awareness of the shared responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel and promoting peace and reconciliation, especially in the greatly troubled Middle East, was expressed.”
The phone call was Pope Leo’s third recent overture to Pope Tawadros.
In a May 4 letter that was released on May 15, Pope Leo XIV told the Coptic Pope that “at a time when our world is afflicted by so many conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, Christians must, more than ever, strive for full unity so that we may bear witness together to the Prince of Peace.”
During his May 10 Regina Caeli address, Pope Leo, greeting the Coptic Pope, recalled that May 10 is the Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship, which commemorates the joint declaration of Pope St. Paul VI and Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III (1973) and the first meeting between Pope Francis and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II (2013).
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Further information:
- Holy See Press Office Press Release: Telephone conversation of the Holy Father with His Holiness Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, 15.05.2026 (5/15/26)
- Let us strive for full unity, Leo XIV writes to Coptic Orthodox Pope (CWN, 5/15/26)
- Pope Leo laments terrorism in the Sahel, greets Coptic Pope, prays for mothers (CWN, 5/10/26)
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