Pope Leo XIV. and the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I confirmed on Saturday the commitment to strive for the unity of Christians and to look for ways for their churches to celebrate Easter on a common date. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the DPA agency and the Vatican News portal.
“It is our common wish to continue the process of finding a possible solution so that we can celebrate the Feast of All Saints together every year,” said the statement signed by the Pope and the Patriarch at the meeting in Istanbul. At the same time, they called on all Christians to advocate for overcoming church divisions. They promised to continue the dialogue “towards the desired restoration of full communion between our sister churches”.
They also called for an end to the tragedy of war, stressing that conflict and violence destroy the lives of countless people. “We particularly reject any misuse of religion and God’s name to justify violence,” the statement reads.
Afternoon Leo XIV. celebrated mass in Istanbul for the Catholic community in Turkey. It consists of approximately 33,000 believers, who are a small minority in the predominantly Muslim country of 85 million, DPA recalled.
The Pope urged the approximately 4,000 participants of the mass at the local stadium to build bonds with people of other faiths. Pointing to the three bridges in Istanbul that connect Europe and Asia, he asked for the building of three “bridges of unity” – with other Catholics, other Christians and believers of other religions.
“We want to walk together appreciating what unites us, break down walls of prejudice and mistrust, promote mutual knowledge and respect in order to give everyone a strong message of hope,” the AP quoted the Pope as saying.
Previously Leo XIV. visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. On Sunday morning, after prayers in the Armenian cathedral, he will travel to Lebanon, which will be his second stop in the framework of his first apostolic journey since ascending to the papal throne.
