Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has called on young priests and monks from the Eastern Orthodox Churches to support one another and grow together in their shared faith in Christ, whom he described as the true source of peace.
Pope was speaking on Thursday at the Vatican to participants in a study visit organised by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Those present included representatives of the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Malankara and Syriac Orthodox Churches.
Welcoming them, Pope Leo said the historic and cultural differences among their Churches form a rich mosaic of Christian heritage that should be appreciated rather than feared. Recalling the recent Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, he reflected on Saint Paul’s call to live as one body and one Spirit, united by a single hope.
Pope spoke about Saint Paul’s missionary journeys across the Middle East and Europe, noting how they helped the Apostle understand the unique traditions and challenges of different Christian communities. At the same time, Saint Paul constantly reminded them that they all belonged to the one Mystical Body of Christ and were called to preserve unity in faith and teaching.
Pope Leo encouraged the young clergy to work and pray together, saying that true growth in faith requires learning to disarm the heart. He quoted the late Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras I, who once said the hardest struggle was not against others but against oneself, letting go of the need to always be right.
When prejudices are set aside, Pope said, Christians grow in charity, cooperate more closely and strengthen their unity in Christ. Such unity, he added, can become a force for peace in the world and reconciliation among all people.
Pope Leo concluded by thanking the priests and monks for their visit, inviting them to pray the Our Father together and asking God to bless and protect them.