Pope shares his vision of unity with Orthodox Church

Pope Leo. Photo: bbc.com

Pope Leo XIV has published a new apostolic letter "In unitate fidei" ("In the Unity of Faith"), in which he outlines his understanding of the paths to restoring unity among Christian Churches.

The document was released a few days before the pontiff's visit to Turkey, where he, along with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, will visit Nicaea — the site of the First Ecumenical Council, whose 1700th anniversary is being celebrated this year.

At the beginning of the ten-page text, the Pope emphasizes. "Christians are called to journey together in unity, to cherish and share the gift they have received with love and joy,"

He highlights that the Council of Nicaea laid the foundation of Christian doctrine, and its Creed remains common to all Churches.

Leo XIV also fully supported the document of the International Theological Commission "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Redeemer. 1700th Anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea," published in 2024 with the permission of Pope Francis.

In his letter, the pontiff reiterated that the Nicene Creed is "the heart of the Christian faith"m uniting all disciples of Christ.

This text, he says, speaks of "teh true and living God", who "who sees the misery of the people, hears their cries, leads and accompanies them through the desert with the pillar of fire (cf. Ex 13:21), speaks to them in a thunderous voice (cf. Deut 5:26), and has a heart for his people (cf. Hos 11:8-9)." 

In the concluding part of the letter, the Pope shares his vision for restoring unity among Churches. He emphasizes,  this in not "a return to the ecumenism of the pre-divisions, nor a mutual recognition of the current status quo of the diversity of churches and ecclesial communities, but rather a future ecumenism of reconciliation on the path of dialogue, of sharing our gifts and spiritual treasures".

"Restoring unity among Christians does not impoverish us," writes Leo XIV. "On the contrary, it enriches us. This endeavor, much like in Nicaea, can only be achieved through a patient, lengthy, and potentially difficult path of listening and mutual openness."

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the leaders of the OCU and UGCC held a joint requiem service.

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