Pope Leo XIV concluded his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye and Lebanon. During his visit to Türkiye, the Pope prayed with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and representatives of other Christian confessions at the site of the Council of Nicaea. The Pope marked the 60th anniversary of the Common Declaration between Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, renewing commitment to Christian unity. The Pope stated that his encounters with religious leaders in both nations demonstrated that peace is achievable through joint efforts.
8 days ago
Pope Leo XIV reflected on his recent apostolic journey to Türkiye and Lebanon during the December 7, 2025, Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square.1 He expressed gratitude to supporters and faithful who prayed for the trip, emphasizing encounters that demonstrated peace's potential through dialogue.2 The address highlighted ecumenism, interreligious harmony, and service amid challenges.3
In Türkiye, the Pope prayed with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and representatives of other Christian confessions at İznik, the ancient site of Nicaea.1 This gathering marked the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council and the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Common Declaration by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, which ended mutual excommunications.2 Leo renewed the commitment to full visible unity among Christians, thanking God for progress in ecumenism.4
He also met Türkiye's Catholic community, praising their patient dialogue and service to the suffering as a witness to the Gospel of love.1 This encounter underscored the "logic of God who manifests himself in littleness," fostering hope for broader Christian reconciliation.3
Lebanon was described as a "mosaic of coexistence," with the Pope heartened by testimonies of interfaith harmony.1 He met individuals proclaiming the Gospel through welcoming refugees, visiting prisoners, and sharing food with the needy, highlighting active charity in a diverse society.2
A deeply moving moment was the Pope's meeting with relatives of the 2020 Beirut port explosion victims, where he offered consolation but received greater comfort from their faith and enthusiasm.3 Crowds greeting him in the streets further illustrated Lebanon's resilient spirit, turning the visit into mutual encouragement.5
The journey taught that "peace is possible" when Christians engage in dialogue with people of other faiths and cultures.1 Pope Leo urged not forgetting this lesson, positioning believers as builders of harmony amid global tensions.2 This call extended to interreligious efforts, drawing from both nations' examples of coexistence and service.4
Before the Angelus, Leo's catechesis focused on John the Baptist's call to prepare for the Lord, urging seriousness in life and readiness for judgment by deeds.3 He linked this to Isaiah's image of a merciful shoot from a stump, evoking the Second Vatican Council's spirit of renewal and unity, now 60 years since its close.5
The Pope also expressed solidarity with South and Southeast Asian communities hit by natural disasters, praying for victims and calling for international aid.3 This broadened the peace message to global compassion during Advent's luminous spirituality.2
Assess Catholic documents on ecumenical unity post‑Common Declaration
The 1966 Common Declaration between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey marked a pivotal moment in modern Catholic ecumenism, inaugurating a "serious theological dialogue" grounded in Scripture, tradition, and mutual respect to pursue the unity Christ prayed for in John 17:21. Post-1966 documents from popes Paul VI, John Paul II, and Leo XIV reflect a consistent commitment to this vision, emphasizing shared faith, prayer, dialogue, and repentance as pathways to visible unity. These texts assess progress across dialogues with Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches, while addressing challenges like historical divisions and the role of Eastern Catholic Churches. They portray ecumenism not as a return to a pre-division state but as a forward-looking journey of reconciliation, enriched by diverse traditions.
Building directly on the 1966 declaration, subsequent documents highlight the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission's (ARCIC) work as a model of collaborative theology. The 1977 Common Declaration between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Donald Coggan affirmed the theological convergences achieved in ARCIC's statements on Eucharist, Ministry and Ordination, and Authority, urging evaluation by respective authorities to advance toward unity. This built on the original pledge for dialogue encompassing not only doctrine but also "practical difficulties," demonstrating a holistic approach that integrates liturgy, spirituality, and mission.
By 1982, Pope John Paul II, in joint declarations with Archbishop Robert Runcie at Canterbury Cathedral, celebrated ARCIC's Final Report as a fruit of dedication "for love of Christ and for the unity of his Church." These texts stress that unity efforts must root in union with God, invoking the Holy Spirit as the "Spirit of truth and of unity" to foster growth "in every way into him who is the head, into our Lord Jesus Christ." The declarations extend beyond bilateral ties, envisioning unity as part of God's will for "the visible unity of all his people," challenging Catholics and Anglicans to abandon themselves to Gospel truth amid agreements and difficulties.
Earlier, in 1980, John Paul II addressed the International Dialogue Commission, praising its method of recovering a "common treasure" from Scripture and ancient tradition, unmarred by past enmity. He noted the role of prayer—practiced jointly since the dialogue's inception—as essential, underscoring that unity is a divine gift requiring human imitation of Christ's prayerful plea. These Anglican-focused documents collectively assess post-1966 progress as substantial yet incomplete, with theological agreements influencing broader ecumenism, though full communion remains elusive due to unresolved issues like authority and ordination.
Catholic documents post-1966 increasingly emphasize reconciliation with Eastern Churches, viewing them as "sister Churches" sharing patristic, liturgical, and sacramental heritage. A landmark 1984 joint declaration with Moran Mar Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch, confessed common faith in Christ "true God and true man," marking "real progress" toward overcoming divergences hindering "full canonical and Eucharistic communion." This aligns with Vatican II's ecumenical mandate, portraying unity as Christ's instrument for reconciling humanity to the Father and fostering peace.
John Paul II's 1995 Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen deepens this assessment, calling the Eastern tradition an "integral part of the heritage of Christ's Church" that nourishes the universal body. It urges Catholics, especially of the Latin rite, to familiarize themselves with Eastern treasures to restore the Church's full catholicity, not in opposition but in complementary unity. The document reflects on Vatican II's invitation to unity, noting increased reciprocal knowledge, joint prayer, and shared concerns for the world's peace as signs of a "path of love that is already a pilgrimage of unity." Yet, it confronts the "sin of our separation" as a grave wound requiring repentance, conversion, and "fresh, courageous gestures" to dispel temptations of regression.
Further, Ut Unum Sint (1995) underscores prayer's centrality, describing it as enlightening truth and involving all baptized in the quest for unity, beyond specialists. John Paul II assesses ecumenism as a "difficult and delicate research" respecting consciences, sustained by the Church's penance and the prayers of other communities. These texts evaluate Eastern dialogues as spiritually enriching, with convergences in baptism, creeds, and the Trinity far outweighing divisions, though full unity demands mutual listening and acceptance.
A recurring theme in post-1966 documents is the Eastern Catholic Churches' vocation as bridges to Orthodox unity, countering perceptions of them as ecumenical obstacles. The Second Vatican Council's Unitatis Redintegratio and Orientalium Ecclesiarum—referenced extensively—frame these Churches as fostering partial communion toward fullness through shared richness. John Paul II's 1995 letter for the Union of Brest affirms that ecumenism grows "towards full communion in truth and charity," with Eastern Catholics participating in mixed commissions alongside Orthodox representatives.
In 1997, marking the Union of Uzhorod, he reiterated their "special duty" to promote Eastern Christian unity via prayer, fidelity to traditions, mutual knowledge, and collaboration, per Vatican II. The 2000 address on the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania urges updating Eastern Catholic vocations in light of Ut Unum Sint, involving all Churches in theological reflection to receive commission results as "common heritage." It calls for dialogue at national and local levels to clarify disputes in "justice and Christian charity," discovering Christ's face in the "Sister Orthodox Church." These assessments portray Eastern Catholics as active agents in ecumenism, their autonomy and involvement enhancing fraternal esteem and joint evangelization, though challenges like historical tensions persist.
Pope Leo XIV's 2025 Apostolic Letter In Unitate Fidei, commemorating Nicaea's 1700th anniversary, provides the most recent evaluation, affirming sixty years of ecumenical achievements since Vatican II. It notes full visible unity remains unreached with Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Reformation communities, yet dialogues rooted in baptism and the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed have fostered recognition of shared brotherhood in Christ. What unites—faith in the Trinity and Gospel witness—exceeds divisions, positioning Christians as a "sign of peace" in a conflicted world.
Leo XIV rejects both pre-division restoration and status quo acceptance, advocating a future-oriented ecumenism of reconciliation through dialogue, gift-sharing, and spiritual ecumenism via the Creed. Unity demands "repentance and conversion," a "patient, long and sometimes difficult journey" invoking the Holy Spirit's guidance. This letter assesses post-1966 progress as enriching rather than impoverishing, with theological and spiritual challenges requiring wholehearted commitment.
Catholic documents since the 1966 Common Declaration consistently assess ecumenism as a divinely inspired imperative, yielding theological convergences, joint declarations, and deepened mutual respect across Anglican, Eastern, and Oriental Orthodox dialogues. While celebrating shared baptism, creeds, and prayer as foundations, they candidly address separation's wounds, calling for repentance, courageous gestures, and inclusive participation. Eastern Catholic Churches emerge as vital bridges, and recent papal reflections under Leo XIV reaffirm a hopeful trajectory toward visible unity, enriched by diverse traditions. This body of teachings urges all Christians to prioritize what unites, advancing Christ's prayer for oneness as a witness to the world.