Vatican City: In a momentous meeting held on Monday, May 19, Pope Leo XIV welcomed Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople to the Vatican, where the two spiritual leaders shared warm dialogue and a shared vision for unity. During their conversation, Pope Leo XIV expressed his strong interest in traveling to Turkey later this year to mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea — a landmark event in Christian history that was convened in 325 AD.

Patriarch Bartholomew I warmly received the Pope’s desire and extended a formal invitation for the visit. He also offered his heartfelt prayers for the newly elected Pontiff, now the Supreme Patriarch of the Catholic Church, Bishop of Rome, and sovereign of Vatican City.

The leaders emphasized the urgency of continuing theological dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox traditions and reaffirmed their commitment to collaborative efforts on pressing global and humanitarian issues.

Patriarch Bartholomew, who arrived in Rome on May 18 to attend the enthronement of Pope Leo XIV, visited the tomb of Pope Francis at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where he laid a rose in tribute and offered a silent prayer.

Ahead of these events, the Vatican released a special statement in April underscoring the theological and historical significance of the Council of Nicaea. Held under the leadership of Pope Sylvester I, the council was convened to establish doctrinal unity in response to the rise of Arianism and marked a defining moment in the early Christian Church’s declaration of faith.