Pope Leo XIV encouraged Christians to advance their shared witness through increased "ecumenical synodal practices." The Pontiff referenced the upcoming 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in 2025, noting the shared recitation of the Nicene Creed there. The appeal was made during the celebration of Second Vespers for the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, which concluded the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Pope Leo expressed gratitude to the Churches in Armenia for developing the materials for this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
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Pope Leo XIV delivered a homily during Second Vespers for the Conversion of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on January 25, 2026.1 2 3
This event marked the close of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.1 2 3
Standing near St. Paul's tomb, the Pope emphasized proclaiming Christ as the mission of all Christians today.1 2 3
He quoted Vatican II, urging a joint Gospel witness: "Look to Christ! Come closer to him!"1 2 3
Leo XIV reflected on the 1,700th anniversary of Nicaea in 2025, hosted in İznik, Turkey, by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.1 2 3
Reciting the Nicene Creed together there was a "profound testimony to our unity in Christ," he said.1 2 3
Drawing from St. Paul, the Pope declared: "We are one! We already are! Let us recognize it, experience it and make it visible!"1 2 3
He invoked "one body, one Spirit, one hope… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God."1 2 3
Citing Pope Francis, Leo stated the Catholic synodal journey "is and must be ecumenical, just as the ecumenical journey is synodal."1 2 3
He proposed growing in "ecumenical synodal practices" through mutual knowledge of traditions.1 2 3
The Pope thanked Armenian Churches for preparing Week of Prayer materials, praising their "courageous witness" marked by martyrdom.1 2 3
He recalled Catholicos St. Nersès Šnorhali's view of unity as a task for all faithful, requiring "healing of memory."1 2 3
Leo highlighted Armenia as the first Christian nation, baptized by St. Gregory the Illuminator in 301.1 2 3
He prayed for Gospel fruits in "unity, justice and holiness" for world peace.1 2 3
With 2033's 2,000th anniversary of Christ's Passion in view, he urged developing synodal practices and sharing teachings.1 2 3
Greetings went to Cardinal Kurt Koch, Metropolitan Polykarpos, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, and Anglican Bishop Anthony Ball.1 2 3
Synodality as a model for Catholic–ecumenical unity
Synodality, understood as the Church's "walking together" in listening, discernment, and mission under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, emerges from recent Catholic teaching as a vital model for fostering unity with other Christian communities. Rooted in Scripture, Tradition, and Vatican II's ecclesiology, it extends beyond the Catholic Church to an "ecumenical synodality" that promotes dialogue of truth and charity without implying absorption or domination. This approach, emphasized by Popes Francis and Leo XIV, integrates communal participation, collegiality, and primacy, offering a path inspired by the first millennium's practices while addressing modern challenges.
At its core, synodality reflects the Church as koinonia—a communion mirroring the Trinitarian life—expressed through the involvement of the whole People of God ("all"), the college of bishops ("some"), and the Bishop of Rome ("one"). The International Theological Commission (ITC) document Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church (2018) articulates this as a dynamic that joins these dimensions, with ecumenical councils as its fullest expression in the universal Church. Far from a novelty, synodality draws from Revelation's unfolding, aligning with Vatican II's vision of the pilgrim People of God and the Church's marks of unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity.
This framework naturally extends to ecumenism. The ITC notes convergence in dialogues: the Church is "synodal/conciliar at all levels," reflecting Trinitarian communion, as affirmed in Orthodox-Catholic (Chieti Document) and World Council of Churches texts. Synodality "ad extra" means "walking together" with other Christians through consultations, common action, and witness, applying the same process used internally to inter-Church relations. Pope Francis described it as a grace from heaven, not human invention: "The journey of synodality undertaken by the Catholic Church is and must be ecumenical, just as the ecumenical journey is synodal." This reciprocity underscores that Catholic synodality models an attractive path for others, fulfilling Vatican II's call in Unitatis Redintegratio.
Popes have consistently linked synodality to the ecumenical imperative. John Paul II's Ut Unum Sint (1995) invited reimagining primacy for unity, a theme echoed in dialogues resolving Christological disputes and recognizing sacraments. Francis advanced this by coining the synodality-ecumenism bond during a 2022 meeting with Assyrian Church leaders, later incorporated into the Synod on Synodality's final document. He urged "walking together, praying together, and working together" amid divisions, invoking the "longing for unity" (desiderium unitatis).
Pope Leo XIV, in his 2025 address to Assyrian Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III, reaffirmed this trajectory. Noting 30 years of dialogue—covering faith, sacraments, and now ecclesial constitution—he praised progress without "absorption or domination," advocating a first-millennium-inspired model of gift exchange. Synodality is "a promising path forward," tied to the 1700th anniversary of Nicaea for "ecumenical synodal practices." In addresses to other Christians and religious leaders, Leo XIV prioritized full communion, choosing the motto In Illo uno unum (in the One—Christ—we are one), and committed to "new and concrete forms for an ever stronger synodality in ecumenical relations." Even in non-ecumenical contexts, like speaking to Augustinian monasteries, he highlighted synodality's dialogical witness.
The Catholic-Assyrian dialogue exemplifies synodality's fruits. The 1994 Joint Declaration set a "triptych" of faith, sacraments, and Church constitution, resolving a 1,500-year Christological rift and enabling communicatio in sacris. Recent visits—Mar Awa III's presence at Leo XIV's inauguration—embody "dialogue of truth" and "dialogue of charity." Synodality shapes the current phase: developing communion models responsive to today, promoting Holy Spirit-given gifts for the Body of Christ (Eph 4:12). This mirrors broader ecumenism, from Paul VI's fidelity-based approach to Francis's step-by-step cultivation of unity.
Crucially, synodality integrates primacy, not opposes it. The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity's The Bishop of Rome document receives ITC teaching: synodality articulates "all, some, and one," with the Bishop of Rome's ministry intrinsic to the dynamic. It counters views of synodality as mere collegiality, ensuring personal, collegial, and communal balance. While some analyses note limits—synodality renewing but not supplanting authority—Catholic teaching maintains the Church's subsistence in the Catholic communion with the fullness of salvific means. Ecumenism demands conversion and no false irenicism.
The Synod on Synodality reflects this in Francis's mission theology: evangelization includes ecumenism as a dimension, filtered through personalism and ressourcement, manifesting Trinitarian communion.
Despite progress, challenges persist: developing non-dominant communion models amid modern individualism, and extending synodality beyond dialogues to all levels. Yet, as Leo XIV invokes Nicaea, hope lies in Spirit-led practices. Synodality's ecumenical promise aligns with Vatican II's hope: unity as Trinitarian gift (Rom 5:5).
In summary, synodality models Catholic-ecumenical unity by embodying "walking together" in communion, participation, and mission. It builds on doctrinal agreements, papal commitments, and theological convergence, always preserving primacy and orthodoxy. This path, faithful to Tradition, invites all Christians toward visible unity under Christ's headship.