Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has reaffirmed a powerful message of hope and unity to all Christians, insisting that the bonds of faith connecting the Catholic and Orthodox Churches far outweigh any doctrinal or historical differences that still persist.
Speaking at a special audience for participants of the symposium “Nicaea and the Church of the Third Millennium: Towards Catholic-Orthodox Unity,” the Pope marked the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea with a vision that transcends centuries of division.
“The Council of Nicaea,” Pope Leo told delegates gathered at the Vatican, “must not be relegated to history. It remains a living compass, guiding us toward the full, visible unity of all Christians.”
The symposium, held from June 4–7 at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, is part of a yearlong ecumenical initiative reflecting on the theological and ecclesial legacy of the first ecumenical council, convened in 325 AD by Emperor Constantine. That council decisively affirmed the divinity of Christ and produced the Nicene Creed—a doctrinal anchor for both Eastern and Western Christianity.
In his address, Pope Leo underlined that the unity longed for by Christians is not the result of human consensus or institutional design, but a gift of the Holy Spirit. “This unity,” he said, “will not be the fruit of mere negotiation, nor a uniform model. It is Christ’s will and will be achieved only by His grace.”
He pointed to the themes of the symposium—Nicaean faith, synodality, and the shared celebration of Easter—as pivotal paths for overcoming division and healing historic wounds. “The faith we profess together—the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the resurrection, the Church, and eternal life—binds us deeply,” Pope Leo declared. “What we share is not only more significant than what divides us; it is foundational.”
Reflecting on the synodal legacy of Nicaea, the Pope emphasized that the Council was not just about doctrine, but also about process. “It inaugurated a synodal path,” he noted, “a model of shared discernment and decision-making in the life of the Church.”
This, he said, is vital in today’s context, where unity must be expressed not only in belief but in mutual listening, humility, and cooperation. “As we prepare to commemorate this historic council, let us allow the spirit of synodality to renew our relationships across traditions.”
Pope Leo also drew attention to the third major theme of the symposium: the date of Easter. Recalling that one of Nicaea’s aims was to establish a common date for Christ’s Resurrection, he lamented the pastoral and symbolic rifts caused by Christians celebrating Easter on different days.
“This division,” he said, “fractures communities, families, and our Gospel witness.” He welcomed the fact that this year all Christians happened to celebrate Easter on the same day, and voiced the Catholic Church’s readiness to pursue a lasting ecumenical solution. A shared Easter, he insisted, would amplify the Church’s missionary voice in proclaiming the Resurrection to the world.
Before imparting his Apostolic Blessing, Pope Leo invited all present to join in a heartfelt prayer drawn from the Eastern tradition—an invocation for unity that bridges not only words but the deep spiritual language of both lungs of the Church.
“O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth,
Who art everywhere and fillest all things;
Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life,
Come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity,
and save our souls, O Good One.”
With those ancient words, Pope Leo XIV not only commemorated Nicaea’s past but summoned the Church toward a reconciled future—one in which the divisions of history dissolve in the light of shared faith, and Christian unity becomes not merely an aspiration, but a living witness to the love of Christ.