‘The entire Catholic Church is with you,’ Pope tells Melkite bishops

October 12, 2026

Pope Leo XIV offered strong words of solidarity to the bishops of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church (CNEWA profile).

“In many of the traditional lands of your Church, the faithful are beset by war, unrest, religious extremism and economic distress,” Pope Leo said on October 10 to participants in the Eastern Catholic church’s synod of bishops. “Through you, I would like to say to your beloved Church: I am with you. The entire Catholic Church is with you.”

“For when one member suffers, the entire Body suffers with it,” the Pope continued. “And precisely because you are suffering and striving to imitate Jesus in the meekness with which he redeemed the world, you are at the heart of the Church.”

The Pope added:

What a great vocation your Church has: to be witnesses of reconciliation and peace in lands ravaged by conflict. You are the seeds of communion in lands that are scarred by violence. This testimony truly makes you icons of centuries of faith in the holiest places of our salvation ...

Moreover, the most eloquent expression of our faith and the clearest communication of the Good News to those who do not know Christ occur when we take up our cross and choose to manifest love in moments when we are afraid, angry or suffering ... We have seen throughout history that the trials we face—whether martyrdom or the simple sacrifices we make out of love for our neighbor—give us the opportunity to show our faith in a way that resonates in the hearts of those who are seeking true peace.

During the audience, Pope Leo said that “the Apostolic See is ensuring that there are scholarships available for the faithful in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq to receive a Catholic education.” In a subsequent press release, the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches explained that “the Holy Father referred to a pastoral project aimed at Christian families in particular need in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. His Holiness has arranged, through the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, to provide these communities with scholarships to cover the annual cost of their children’s school and university fees.”

 

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Further information:

• To the Participants in the Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Melkite Church of Antioch (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 10/10/26)
• Audience with the Synod of Bishops of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of Antioch (Holy See Press Office, 10/10/26)
• Press Release from the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches (Holy See Press Office, 10/10/26)
• Pope: Greek Melkite Church ‘witness of peace in conflict-scarred lands’ (Vatican News, 10/10/26)