In a noteworthy display of interfaith diplomacy, representatives of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Churches, conveyed their aspirations for unity with the Roman Catholic Church.
Since the Great Schism of 1054, the Christian Church has been divided into two primary factions: the Western Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the latter from which many Protestant and evangelical denominations later emerged. However, on June 28, Pope Leo XIV reiterated his determination to mend this nearly millennium-old rift during a meeting with a delegation from the Eastern Orthodox leadership at the Vatican.
“I assure you of my desire to persevere in the effort to restore full visible communion between our Churches,” he stated to representatives from the Church of Constantinople. He emphasized that achieving this goal requires “respectful listening and fraternal dialogue,” bolstered by divine assistance.
Despite the pronounced differences in how the Mass is celebrated between the two traditions, two core issues have historically fueled the schism: the inclusion of the term Filioque in the Nicene Creed and the acknowledgment of the Bishop of Rome’s authority over the global Church. Pope Leo XIV acknowledged the groundwork laid by Pope Paul VI and then-Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, whose previous dialogues he hopes will pave the way for renewed communion. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has been recognized as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Churches since 1991.
“Their venerable successors to the Sees of Rome and Constantinople have pursued with conviction the same path of reconciliation, thus further strengthening our close relations,” the Pope remarked, noting the recent participation of the current Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in both Pope Francis’s funeral and his inauguration Mass.
During the meeting, Leo XIV highlighted the evidence of a “profound communion” that exists between the two churches, particularly during the feast day of their shared patron saints—Saint Peter and Saint Paul. He expressed his openness to discussing their theological differences.
“I am open to any suggestions that you may offer in this regard, always in consultation with my brother Bishops of the Catholic Church who, each in his own way, share with me the responsibility for the complete and visible unity of the Church,” he stated.
Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon represented Bartholomew and echoed the aspirations for unity in his address to the Pope. He noted, “Our two Sister Churches have been faithfully and hopefully engaged in the profoundly important dialogue of charity since the historic year of 1964, and have been committed to the official theological dialogue since 1980.”
Emmanuel cited seven significant texts that the two churches have agreed upon, which underscore “a remarkable convergence on many of the complex issues that, for centuries, have continued to divide Orthodox and Roman Catholics.” The most recent of these agreements was reached in 2023.
Addressing the two pivotal matters that divided the Churches nearly a millennium ago, Emmanuel confirmed that the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue is preparing to assess the inclusion of the Filioque in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, as well as continuing discussions on the examination of papal primacy.
“We hold a well-founded and confident hope that the extensive theological reflection and the dedicated ecclesiological research of these recent decades will contribute decisively to discovering the common ground upon which these traditionally thorny and challenging issues may finally find their peaceful and harmonious resolution,” he expressed.
Emmanuel also remarked on the growing alignment of both churches in their calls for peace in Orthodox-majority regions like Ukraine and the Middle East. He expressed eagerness for the upcoming joint commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea later this year.
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