Vatican City: In a powerful gesture of growing Christian fraternity, Vatican officials, accompanied by an Orthodox theologian, passed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on June 9 as part of the 2025 Jubilee Year celebrations. This symbolic act marked another step in the ongoing journey of reconciliation between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

The event was attended by approximately 5,000 participants, including employees of the Holy See and pilgrims, and was led by Pope Leo XIV. Among those making the pilgrimage was Dr. Paul Gavrilyuk, a noted Orthodox theologian and President of the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA). His presence highlighted the growing engagement between the two traditions.

As the procession moved through the basilica, pilgrims passed a historic plaque commemorating the groundbreaking 1967 meeting between Pope St. Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople—a moment etched in Church memory as a prayerful plea for full communion between East and West.

Speaking to Vatican News, Dr. Gavrilyuk emphasized that these symbolic and theological encounters are “essential strides on the path toward ecclesial unity.” He joined the Jubilee events both to give thanks to God and to be inspired by the Pope’s message of Christian reconciliation and shared mission.

Dr. Gavrilyuk, who also holds the Aquinas Chair of Theology and Philosophy at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, was instrumental in coordinating a significant ecumenical gathering held just days before at Rome’s Pontifical Angelicum University. Titled “Nicaea and the Church of the Third Millennium: Towards Catholic-Orthodox Unity,” the conference marked the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, underscoring its enduring relevance in healing divisions and forging unity.

Reflecting on the 325 Council, Dr. Gavrilyuk remarked, “Nicaea succeeded in uniting the Church under a single creed, the Nicene-Constantinople Creed, which remains central to our liturgical life today.” He added that the third millennium offers new hope for Catholics and Orthodox to one day partake of the Body and Blood of Christ at the same Eucharistic table.

The conference gathered an extraordinary range of voices — Latin and Eastern Rite Catholics, Coptic, Syriac, Chalcedonian, and Armenian clergy and scholars, alongside prominent ecumenical leaders such as Cardinal Kurt Koch, head of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, and Archbishop Rowan Williams of the Anglican Communion.

Dr. Gavrilyuk emphasized a shift in ecumenical dialogue: “In the past, we’ve zoomed in on the ‘trees’ of disagreement. Now, we must refocus on the ‘forest’ — our shared core belief in the Triune God and the Incarnation for the salvation of humanity.”

Among key areas of convergence, Dr. Gavrilyuk highlighted the doctrine of deification (divinization) — the idea that believers are called to participate in the divine nature. This ancient teaching, embraced by both East and West, offers fertile ground for shared theological reflection. “It’s a remarkable point of agreement,” he said, “yet one that has never been formally endorsed by any ecumenical council.”

When Dr. Gavrilyuk met Pope Leo XIV privately on Saturday, he shared IOTA’s ongoing efforts and emphasized the promise held in deepening dialogue around the theology of deification.

He concluded, “This doctrine beautifully expresses the mystery of grace — that we become by grace what God is by nature. It could well be a cornerstone for theological unity in the future.”

As the Jubilee year unfolds, such moments of shared worship, academic collaboration, and spiritual exchange signal a hopeful movement—one that reaches back to ancient roots and forward to the dream of restored communion between East and West.