Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I expressed deep alarm over the current global situation. The leaders signed a joint declaration in Istanbul, Turkey, during the Pope's first international trip. The declaration rejects using religion to justify violence and calls for global peace efforts. The appeal supports cooperation among different faiths and entrusts the world to God.
16 days ago
Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople signed a joint declaration in Istanbul on November 29, 2025, expressing deep alarm over the current international situation.1 The document rejects the use of religion to justify violence and urges global efforts toward peace through cooperation among believers of different faiths.1
The leaders entrusted a suffering world to God, renewing hope in the Holy Spirit.1 They appealed to civil and political authorities to end wars immediately and encouraged all people of goodwill to build just societies while caring for creation.1
The declaration reaffirms the shared commitment to dialogue for restoring full communion between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.1 Marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, they highlighted the Nicene Creed as a foundation of faith and expressed hope for a future common celebration of Easter.1
They recalled the 60th anniversary of the 1965 lifting of mutual excommunications by St. Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I.1 Despite obstacles, Leo XIV and Bartholomew I pledged to address them through theological exchange and fraternal encounters, calling Christians to pray and work for unity.1
Earlier, Pope Leo XIV joined Patriarch Bartholomew for a Doxology at St. George’s Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchal Church in Istanbul.1 The Pope expressed great emotion upon entering the historic site, grateful for his predecessors' gestures and his friendship with Bartholomew.1
The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul serves as the central seat of the Orthodox Church, with Bartholomew as the 270th successor of St. Andrew, known for ecumenical dialogue and environmental advocacy.1
Pope Leo met privately with leaders of Christian churches in Turkey at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem in Istanbul.1 Welcomed by Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II, the gathering reflected on the Council of Nicaea and the Gospel of the Incarnation.1
The Pope called for prayer, unity, and renewed evangelization, inviting leaders to journey toward the 2033 Jubilee under the motto "Unity in the One."1 Mor Ephrem, the first church built in Turkey since the republic's founding, was inaugurated in 2023 after delays from bureaucracy, the pandemic, and an earthquake.1
The Syriac Orthodox Church, based in Damascus, has about 2 million faithful worldwide and plays a key role in ecumenical relations.1
This visit marks Pope Leo XIV's inaugural international journey, starting in Turkey and continuing to Lebanon.1 The events underscore themes of peace, interreligious solidarity, and overcoming divisions amid Turkey's diverse Catholic minority.1
Pope Leo XIV and Bartholomew I call for ecumenical peace
In a profound gesture of fraternal solidarity, Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I have issued a joint declaration emphasizing ecumenical peace, drawing on the shared Christian heritage to foster reconciliation amid global conflicts. This call, rooted in the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, underscores the Catholic Church's commitment to visible unity among Christians, as articulated in recent papal addresses and messages. It reflects a continuity of dialogue that prioritizes "practical Christianity" through service, hope, and mutual witness, while addressing contemporary crises like war and division. By invoking the Nicene Creed as a "common patrimony," the declaration invites all believers to transcend historical schisms and collaborate for the common good, echoing the Jubilee theme of "Pilgrims in Hope."
The relationship between the See of Rome and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has evolved significantly since the mutual lifting of the 1054 anathemas in 1965, marking a shift from confrontation to companionship in faith. Pope Leo XIV's address to participants in the Orthodox-Catholic Ecumenical Pilgrimage from the United States highlights this trajectory, noting the pilgrimage's focus on the apostolic roots of Peter, Paul, and Andrew as a "return to the sources" of the Gospel. He extends an "embrace of peace" to Patriarch Bartholomew, who attended the Pope's inaugural Mass, and expresses hope for a joint ecumenical commemoration of Nicaea's anniversary. This gesture builds on precedents set by earlier popes, such as Pope Benedict XVI's letter on the Feast of St. Andrew in 2005, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of reconciliation and yearned for shared Eucharistic communion.
Similarly, Pope John Paul II's common declarations with Patriarch Bartholomew in 2004 repeatedly affirm the "dialogue of charity" as foundational, urging perseverance in theological dialogue despite stalled progress. One such declaration stresses that unity requires unanimity in faith, sacraments, and Church structure, without absorption or domination—a principle echoed in Pope Leo XIV's recent engagements. These documents illustrate a consistent Catholic teaching, as outlined in Vatican II's Unitatis Redintegratio, that ecumenism is not optional but essential for Christ's prayer "that they may all be one" (Jn 17:21). The joint call for peace thus represents not a novelty but a deepening of this "journey from conflict to communion," as commemorated in the 2016 Lund event between Pope Francis and Lutheran leaders, extending the model to Orthodox relations.
The 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325 AD) serves as a cornerstone for the Pope and Patriarch's declaration, symbolizing unity amid diversity. Pope Leo XIV's Apostolic Letter In Unitate Fidei (November 23, 2025) invokes the Holy Spirit to "unite the hearts and minds of believers" and gather the faithful into "the one flock of Christ," directly tying the Nicene faith to contemporary ecumenism. The Creed's affirmation of Christ as "true God from true God, consubstantial with the Father" remains a binding confession for Catholics and Orthodox, as emphasized in the Pope's message to the Ecumenical Week in Stockholm. There, Nicaea is portrayed as a "courageous sign of unity amidst difference," inspiring shared witness without awaiting full doctrinal resolution—a pragmatic approach rooted in Archbishop Nathan Söderblom's 1925 vision of "service unites."
Pope Francis's earlier reflections on the anniversary, in his address to the Priests of the Sacred Heart, express hope that Nicaea's commemoration will "inspire all believers in Christ to testify together to their faith and their desire for greater communion." He thanks Patriarch Bartholomew for inviting him to celebrate near Nicaea's site, a trip Pope Leo XIV continues to pursue. This ecumenical focus counters historical divergences, such as Christological controversies resolved in recent Catholic-Assyrian dialogues, which provide a model for Orthodox-Catholic progress. By framing peace as an extension of Nicene orthodoxy, the declaration positions ecumenism as a prophetic response to division, urging "ecumenical synodal practices" as outlined in the Synod on Synodality.
At its core, the joint declaration calls for "ecumenical peace" as a tangible expression of Christian hope, addressing global scars from conflict, inequality, and environmental harm. Pope Leo XIV's message to the 8th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana (September 2025) envisions religious leaders as "artisans of reconciliation," praying and serving "shoulder to shoulder" for human dignity. This aligns with the Stockholm theme "Time for God’s Peace," where the Pope affirms that peace is "not merely a human achievement, but a sign of the Lord’s presence," summoning Christians to confront violence with compassion.
The declaration extends this to specific crises: the Holy Land, Ukraine, and beyond, echoing Pope Francis's 2024 invocation for peace following his pilgrimage with Patriarch Bartholomew. There, they prayed for an end to wars, recognizing all parties as "brothers and sisters" and proclaiming Christ as "our hope" (1 Tim 1:1). Pope Leo XIV reinforces this in his pilgrimage address, noting that the shared Easter proclamation—"Christ is risen! He is truly risen!"—vanquishes sin and death, ensuring that "no cry of the innocent victims of violence... will go unheard." Such language draws from the Jubilee motto "Peregrinantes in Spe" (Pilgrims in Hope), inviting Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims to bear hope amid despair.
Moreover, the call promotes collaborative action: defending the vulnerable, caring for creation, and dialoguing with other faiths. Pope John Paul II's 2004 declaration with Bartholomew lists challenges like terrorism, restoring Europe's Christian roots, and environmental stewardship, insisting that science must honor the "divine spark" in life. This shared mission, free from indifference or hatred, positions ecumenism as a leaven for societal healing, with the Pope and Patriarch modeling unity through joint prayer and witness.
In today's fragmented world, the declaration's emphasis on ecumenical peace carries urgent implications, fostering visible communion that "the world may believe" (Jn 17:21). It addresses stalled theological dialogues by prioritizing charity alongside truth, as Pope John Paul II urged in 2002: persevere so that "the dialogue of charity may sustain... our dialogue of truth." Controversies, such as ecclesiological differences on primacy and synodality, are navigated cautiously, with Pope Leo XIV advocating models inspired by the first millennium that promote "exchange of gifts" without domination.
Divergent interpretations—e.g., Orthodox concerns over Catholic centralization—are acknowledged, but recent sources like the Synod document prioritize ecumenical synodality as a path forward, taking precedence over older tensions. Where full agreement lags, the declaration wisely focuses on "practical Christianity": joint service in peacebuilding, as Söderblom envisioned, and shared Jubilee celebrations. This nuanced approach aligns with Catholic teaching that unity grows through baptismal bonds and mission, not coercion.
Pope Leo XIV and Patriarch Bartholomew I's joint declaration on ecumenical peace is a luminous milestone, weaving Nicaea's legacy into a tapestry of hope, reconciliation, and action. It reaffirms that Christians, united in the Creed, are called to be "witnesses and bearers of hope," proclaiming the Risen Christ against darkness. By committing to dialogue, prayer, and service, they invite the faithful to embody this peace daily, fostering a world where division yields to fraternity. As the Apostolic Letter prays, may the Holy Spirit "show us the ways to follow," making the Church "one, so that the world may believe." This vision, faithful to Christ's prayer, promises abundant fruits for the Jubilee and beyond.