Joshuastone7 What are Pope Leo's plans for the upcoming Nicaea visit as it pertains to ecumenical synodality? Chatgpt5 Here’s what I found about Pope Leo XIV’s plan for Nicaea (or his intentions for a gathering there)—with what is known, what is being proposed, and what remains uncertain. What is publicly known / proposed A meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Nicaea Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew have agreed to meet in Nicaea (modern İznik, Turkey) toward the end of November, near the feast of St. Andrew. Papal visit to Turkey / Iznik (Nicaea) in late November 2025 Reports suggest Leo plans to travel to Turkey on November 29–30, 2025, with Iznik (ancient Nicaea) as a key site. Symposium and theological framing before the visit On June 7, 2025, Pope Leo addressed a symposium titled “Nicaea and the Church of the Third Millennium: Towards Catholic-Orthodox Unity.” He emphasized that the 1,700th anniversary is not just commemorative, but a “compass” for renewed Christian unity. In his remarks, he highlighted three themes: The faith of Nicaea (shared belief in key doctrines) Synodality — working collaboratively in discernment The date of Easter — one of the topics historically decided at Nicaea, still unresolved in Christian unity dialogues. Unity, but not by blueprint Pope Leo stresses that unity will come not by a rigid plan, but as a gift “as Christ wills”, through gradual theological dialogue and the working of the Holy Spirit. Joint commemoration / shared proclamation Leo says that by celebrating together the Nicene faith and “confessing it together,” Christians can advance toward restored communion. How it’s likely to unfold (based on the evidence & speculation) Ceremonial gathering in Nicaea / Iznik, with leaders from Catholic, Orthodox, and possibly other Christian traditions. Commemorative liturgies, prayers, joint events (e.g. services, theological panels) at historic sites in Iznik. Theological dialogues around the three key themes (Nicene faith, synodality, Easter dating) as springboards for deeper unity. Symbolic acts—perhaps a joint declaration, common prayer, or gesture of reconciliation. Media framing and ecumenical publicity: this visit will carry theological and diplomatic weight, especially in Christian-Orthodox relations. What remains uncertain or unconfirmed The final agenda, who exactly will attend (which Orthodox or non-Orthodox churches). Whether a binding theological agreement or covenant will be proposed or signed. Whether doctrinal concessions (on issues like papal primacy, theology, etc.) will be on the table in that meeting. How other Christian traditions outside Catholic / Eastern Orthodoxy might respond or be included.
"By celebrating together this Nicene faith and by proclaiming it together, we will also advance towards the restoration of full communion among us," Pope Leo - June 7th. 2025
Vatican News "Q: How are relations today between the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church?" "Relations between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople are excellent. The dialogue continues. The theological dialogue is advancing-not only with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but with all the autocephalous Orthodox Churches. We still have points to clarify, but we have made much progress up to now, thanks to the initiatives of recent decades, after the lifting of the anathemas (mutual excommunications, ed.) of 1054. This year, we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of that lifting, which shows that we have nevertheless overcome many obstacles. We are on the right path toward the realization -in the near future, I hope-of communion between our two sister Churches. Now we are entering a period in which we accept the other, we know the other better, and we are now, notably through these exchanges, establishing much deeper ties that will help us to accomplish Christ’s own will: that all may be one."
Jw.org "Even now, God’s Kingdom builds peace and unity In the future, when God’s Kingdom rules over the entire earth, it will unite all humankind under God’s teachings of peace. (Isaiah 2:4; 11:9) But God’s Kingdom has already been established in heaven, and even now it is building peace and unity by educating millions of people on earth."
Oct 23, 2025 Fraternity and hope strengthen relations between Catholics and Anglicans "Perspectives on the visit of the British Royal Family to the Vatican by Archbishop Pace, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, and Bishop Ball, director of the Anglican Centre in Rome. The warmth and gestures that accompanied it “nurture our confidence in the path of dialogue and engagement with one another to which our churches remain wholeheartedly committed. We continue to hope, as Pope Leo has expressed it, for ‘the re-establishment of full and visible communion.’ With the permission of the Pope and the encouragement of the Archpriest, the brothers of the Benedictine Community at the Basilica of Saint Paul have embraced King Charles and named him a royal confrater of the Basilica. The newly-created seat in the Basilica in which the King is installed today will stand as a visible reminder of this gesture of loving hospitality, the significance of which should not be underestimated. It is a recognition, despite many outstanding theological differences, of the depth of the communion between our two traditions. It is significant that the gift of confraternity was offered. It is significant that His Majesty wished to accept it. It is significant too that leaders of the national churches of both England and Scotland are present and participating in the service at Saint Paul’s. Sadly, during the centuries that followed, relations between Catholics and Protestants in England and, indeed, between England and Rome were not marked by anything like this sense of fraternal affection. Much blood was shed and there were many martyrs on both sides. Long after the violence ended they remained strangers to one another. When a small group of Roman Catholic and Anglican scholars began exploring the possibility of corporate reunion in 1921, in what were known as the Malines Conversations, the Catholic bishops of England were not at all enthusiastic. On the global level the Catholic Church remained aloof from the ecumenical movement for much of the first half of the twentieth century. It was only in 1960 that the first visit of an Archbishop of Canterbury to Rome in modern times took place, when Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher visited Pope John XXIII. Such was the sensitivity around their meeting that no photography was allowed. This gradual warming of relationships between the United Kingdom and the Holy See took place in parallel with growing closeness between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. Speaking of the communions that were separated from Rome as a result of the Reformation, the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism taught that “among those in which Catholic traditions and institutions in part continue to exist, the Anglican Communion occupies a special place”. When Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Pope Paul VI met in 1966, their Common Declaration spoke of “a new stage in the development of fraternal relations, based upon Christian charity, and of sincere efforts to remove the causes of conflict and to re-establish unity”. The Anglican Centre in Rome was inaugurated shortly afterwards. The decision of the Pope and the Archbishop to establish a theological dialogue led to the founding of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC). ARCIC has published fourteen separate documents over the last fifty years. During the canonisation of forty English and Welsh martyrs of the Reformation era in 1970, Pope Paul spoke of looking forward to the day when the Roman Catholic Church “is able to embrace her ever beloved Sister in the one authentic communion of the family of Christ”. The programmes for previous royal visits to the Holy See did not include religious services. That King Charles III’s visit today includes not only prayer in the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls, but also prayer in the Sistine Chapel, alongside the Pope himself makes this a truly historic occasion. It truly also is historic that a bond between the English Crown and Saint Paul’s that was broken when our churches separated, was re-established today, in a way that is meaningful for our time and which respects the King’s coronation oaths. With the permission of the Pope and the encouragement of the Archpriest, the brothers of the Benedictine Community at the Basilica of Saint Paul have embraced King Charles and named him a royal confrater of the Basilica. The newly-created seat in the Basilica in which the King is installed today will stand as a visible reminder of this gesture of loving hospitality, the significance of which should not be underestimated. It is a recognition, despite many outstanding theological differences, of the depth of the communion between our two traditions. It is significant that the gift of confraternity was offered. It is significant that His Majesty wished to accept it. It is significant too that leaders of the national churches of both England and Scotland are present and participating in the service at Saint Paul’s. Sadly fulfilment of the hope of which the tomb of Queens Mary and Elizabeth speaks and the embrace in one authentic communion for which Pope Paul VI prayed remain at a distance. Indeed, developments over the years have caused some to wonder if the goal is receding rather than getting closer. Archbishop Justin Welby and Pope Francis addressed this directly in a Common Declaration in 2016: “While, like our predecessors, we ourselves do not yet see solutions to the obstacles before us, we are undeterred. In our trust and joy in the Holy Spirit we are confident that dialogue and engagement with one another will deepen our understanding and help us to discern the mind of Christ for his Church.” The warmth of the welcome to King Charles at the Vatican today and the gestures accompanying it renew that trust and joy and nurture our confidence in the path of dialogue and engagement with one another to which our churches remain wholeheartedly committed. We continue to hope, as Pope Leo has expressed it, for “the re-establishment of full and visible communion”."
October 25th, 2025 Hope means not knowing Using the example of Nicholas of Cusa, Pope Leo explained that hope remains even when we do not know all the answers. He explained that, in the troubled times of the fifteenth century, Nicholas could not see the unity of the Church, nor the prospect of peace in an age where Christianity was threatened by external forces. Nonetheless, the Pope said, Nicholas continued to hope, retaining his belief in humanity, understanding that “there are opposites that must be held together, that God is a mystery in which what is in tension finds unity.” Nicholas, he said, “knew that he did not know, and thus came to understand reality ever more deeply.” “What a great gift for the Church!” the Pope said. “What a call to the renewal of the heart!” From Nicholas, he continued, the Church can learn to make space, to hold opposites together, to hope for what is not yet seen.”
October 25th, 2025 Ministerial and common priesthood are interdependent Building on Cardinal Ryś’s reference to a “conversion of relationships,” Professor De Salis Amaral explored the concept more deeply. It is not a “mere invitation to be nice to each other,” he warned — that would reduce the message to superficial moralism. Rather, it is a summons to rediscover the deepest meaning of synodality. The Portuguese theologian outlined several possible steps forward, grounded in the relationships that flow from the sacraments — the bonds “God Himself has established between us and Him.” First, Baptism: a filial and fraternal relationship that calls, enables, and makes each person responsible, forming the most essential bond in the life of the Church. Then, Holy Orders: a specific service oriented toward “helping others grow as missionary disciples.” Salvation, De Salis Amaral stressed, does not spring from inner knowledge, “as ancient and modern Gnosticism claim,” but comes from outside: “it is a gift that reaches us through the Word heard in faith — fides ex auditu [‘faith comes from hearing’].” Ministerial and common priesthood remain in reciprocal orientation, meaning no one is “self-sufficient” within the ecclesial community. This concept, he added, deserves renewed attention, since the Church’s structure must draw its vitality from these living relationships, not be reduced to a mere “organization.” The ministerial and common priesthoods are therefore interdependent — living and active over time — and both participate in the one priesthood of Christ.
October 29th. 2025 "Referring to the title of the anniversary celebration, "Walking Together in Hope", Pope Leo said, "We walk this journey" not by compromising our beliefs, but by remaining true to our convictions. Authentic dialogue, he continued, "begins not in compromise but in conviction - in the deep roots of our own belief that gives us the strength to reach out to others in love." Later, recalling the Jubilee of Hope and noting that "hope" and "pilgrimage" "are realiteis common to all our religious traditions," Pope Leo insisted, "This is the journey that Nostra aetate invites us to continue -- to walk together in hope." The Holy Father began his address by recalling the many people of all beliefs who have worked over the past sixty years “to bring Nostra aetate to life,” even to the point of giving their own lives, “martyrs for dialogue, who stood against violence and hatred.” We are where we are today, he said, “because of their courage, their sweat, and their sacrifice.” Nostra aetate: still highly relevant Insisting that the message of Nostra aetate remains “highly relevant today,” Pope Leo recalled the Council’s lessons: that humanity is drawing closer together, that all human beings belong to one human family with one origin and one goal; that all religions try to respond to “the restlessness of the human heart”; and that the Catholic Church “rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions.” Pope Leo also recalled the origins of the Declaration, which stemmed from a desire for a document describing “a new relationship between the Church and Judaism.” This desire was realised in Nostra aetate’s fourth chapter, which forms “the heart and generative core of the entire declaration.” That chapter, the Pope continued, led to the final chapter, which teaches that “we cannot truly call on God, the Father of all, if we refuse to treat in a brotherly or sisterly way any man or woman created in the image of God.” In the final portion of his remarks, the visible head of the Catholic Church reminded religious leaders that they “share a sacred responsibility: to help our people to break free from the chains of prejudice, anger and hatred; to help them rise above egoism and self-centeredness; to help them overcome the greed that destroys both the human spirit and the earth. “In this way,” he said, “we can lead our people to become prophets of our time — voices that denounce violence and injustice, heal division, and proclaim peace for all our brothers and sisters.” He reminded them of the “great mission” with which they have been entrusted: “to reawaken in all men and women their sense of humanity and of the sacred.”
“He shall think to change times and law.” Daniel 7:25 Prophecy warns of a power that would alter the appointed times and divine laws—a deliberate re-ordering of sacred structure. The Aramaic term translated “times” (zimnīn) refers to appointed seasons or holy observances, and “law” (dāṯ) denotes established ordinances or decrees. Together, they encompass the rhythm of worship itself—the calendar by which they claim rememberance of Him Today, the Vatican’s pursuit of synodality and ecumenical unity has moved toward precisely this realm: a universal calendar of worship. Its public openness to a common Easter date shared by East and West would redefine one of the most ancient and symbolically charged holy days in Christendom. By harmonizing feast times and liturgical observance, such reform effectively changes “times and law”—not through hostility, but through consolidation. This is not mere administration; it is theological architecture. To standardize worship is to decide whose authority governs sacred time. The calendar becomes a creed in motion. Thus, the prophecy’s language finds renewed relevance: a system that, in its quest for unity, assumes the power to legislate the calendar of holiness itself—thinking to change the appointed times and the law.
How it could unfold step-by-step 1. 2025: Pope Francis launches the Great Jubilee and calls for Christian unity - particularly emphasizing the shared Easter that year. 2. 2026-2027: Local synods and national bishops' conferences integrate "ecumenical cooperation" into pastoral norms. Parallel WCC statements celebrate "convergence of Christian conscience." 3. 2028: The final Vatican Synod assembly issues a "Universal Declaration of Synodal Communion" - formally committing the Catholic Church to an ongoing council of Christian unity. 4. 2028-2029: The WCC and Vatican jointly convene a "Council of Churches for Human Fraternity and Peace," inviting Orthodox patriarchates and major Protestant bodies. 5. Outcome: A standing ecumenical council or commission for Christian unity emerges - with a secretariat, charter, and voice at the UN level - claiming moral authority over faith and ethics.
Sept 18, 2025 "A two-day symposium will honor the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea Sept 26-27. “Reformation & Tradition” will take place in the Hoynak Room in the Dow Center. Westminster Theological Seminary and Hillsdale College’s English, history, and philosophy and theology departments will sponsor the symposium, which will feature 15 lectures on the Nicene Creed, Trinitarian theology, and Christology in 16th-century Christian thought. “Reformation theology is essential to the identity of, well, all Western churches, including Roman Catholicism, because there’s a Catholic reformation in the 16th century, too,” said Mickey Mattox, professor of theology. “And there remains a lot of really robust interest in Reformation theology, and I think rightly so.” Mattox will be giving a lecture titled “Martin Luther’s Doctrine of Trinity.” The symposium will include speakers from Westminster Theological Seminary, the University of Cambridge, the University of Notre Dame, and Calvin University. In addition to Mattox, Assistant Professor of Theology Don Westblade, Associate Professor of Theology Cody Strecker, Associate Professor of History Matthew Gaetano, Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics Joshua Benjamins, Assistant Professor of English Patrick Timmis, and Associate Professor of Music Derek Stauff will speak during the symposium. Westblade will be speaking on “The Gospel Roots of Nicene Orthodoxy.” He said he will argue for the Council of Nicea’s faithfulness to the Gospel of Mark concerning Christ’s divinity and humanity. He said the symposium will address the ties between the Protestant Reformation and Nicene theology."
"On Saturday, 29 November, Pope Leo will begin his day with a visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque - the famous "Blue Mosque" before meeting privately with leaders of the local churches and Christian communities at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem. In the afternoon, he will take part in a Doxology at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George, the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Following the service, Pope Leo XIV will meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, with the two leaders signing a Joint Declaration in the Patriarchal Palace."
World Council of Churches June 24, 2025 "The WCC central committee approved a proposal for a Conference on World Mission and Evangelism in 2028, asking the WCC executive committee to monitor the fundraising efforts, and, if necessary, to adapt the plans. The WCC governing body also asked that the conference contribute to the Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity, and the theology of companionship."
Board of Peace United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 was passed on 17 November 2025 to give effect to the Gaza peace plan agreed by Israel and Hamas in October 2025. The initial draft was circulated by the United States on 3 November 2025 which would give a two year mandate to the International Security Force and set up a Board of Peace. It welcomes the formation of a Board of Peace and describes it as a transitional governing body to oversee the administration of Gaza. The resolution endorses the Gaza peace plan, welcomes the formation of a Board of Peace to support the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, authorizes the deployment of an International Stabilization Force and allows for the establishment of a Palestinian executive committee to manage day to-day governance in the Gaza Strip. Thirteen countries voted in favour of the resolution including France, the United Kingdom and the United States. Two countries, China and Russia, abstained from voting.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) -is an initiative that attempts to "galvanize international action against extremism" through the forging of international, intercultural and interreligious dialogue and cooperation. The Alliance places a particular emphasis on defusing tensions between the Western and Islamic worlds. (Wikipedia)
November 20, 2025 "First of all," Pope Leo reaffirmed, "let us not forget that synodality indicates the “walking together of Christians with Christ and toward the Kingdom of God, in union with all humanity.” From the Lord, he said, we receive the grace of communion that animates and gives form to our human and ecclesial relationships. "On the challenge of an effective communion I desire that there be the commitment of all, so that the face of a collegial Church may take shape, one that shares common steps and choices." "What counts is that, in this synodal style," the Holy Father stated, "we learn to work together and that in the particular Churches we all commit ourselves to building Christian communities that are open, hospitable, and welcoming, in which relationships translate into mutual co-responsibility in favor of the proclamation of the Gospel."
Pope Leo's first papal trip signals desire to bridge Catholic-Orthodox divides November 13, 2025 "Though Leo will first meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and various religious leaders, one of the most significant aspects of his visit will be joint ceremonies with Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople and one of Eastern Orthodox Christianity’s chief spiritual leaders. The anniversary of Nicaea isn’t just a historical moment. It’s a symbol around which ecumenically minded leaders in both Orthodox and Catholic churches have continued to work on bridging the centuries-old divisions between the churches. "To celebrate this moment is important because it is reminding us of our unity,” said Refatti, who stressed that the First Council of Nicaea — which occurred only a few years after Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire — predates divisions of most modern churches. “Nicaea is important because it is basically the symbol, the creed, where every Christian is united. Now, Orthodox, Catholics, Syriacs, Armenians, everybody recognizes and accepts the creed of Nicaea.” "We share spaces, we share sources, we pray together,” he said. “For most of the people on the ground, the people of God, they feel they belong to the same church. The difference between our church and the Orthodox world boils down to the authority of the pope.” One symbol of unity many are hopeful to see — especially in Istanbul, where Orthodox and Catholic communities are in close proximity and include mixed families — is aligning the date of Easter. While the Greek Orthodox Church adopted the revised Julian calendar around a century ago, which aligned Christmas with the Gregorian calendar that Western Catholics and Protestants use, they still use a different algorithm to calculate the date of Easter, resulting in the dates being as far as a month apart depending on the year. This year, they happened to align on the same date."
Pope Leo XIV’s Türkiye Program (27–30 November 2025) Pope Leo XIV’s four-day visit to Türkiye stretches across Ankara, Istanbul, and Nicaea (İznik), blending diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, and a historic return to the birthplace of Christian orthodoxy. 27 November — Ankara & Istanbul The Pope arrives from Rome, visits Anıtkabir, meets Turkish leaders, and then flies to Istanbul. 28 November — Istanbul → İznik → Istanbul He meets clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, visits a hospice operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, and flies by helicopter to İznik for an ecumenical prayer beside the excavations of the ancient St. Neophytos Basilica. He returns to Istanbul for a private meeting with bishops. 29 November — Istanbul The day begins at the Blue Mosque, continues with Syrian Orthodox leaders at Mor Efrîm Church, and culminates in a joint declaration with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Patriarchal Church of St. George. In the evening, he leads a public Holy Mass at Volkswagen Arena. 30 November — Istanbul → Lebanon The Pope visits the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, offers a final blessing at St. George, and departs from Atatürk Airport for Lebanon
27 NOVEMBER - 2 DECEMBER 2025 Thursday 27 November 2025 ROMA – ANKARA – ISTANBUL 07:40 Departure by airplane from Rome/Fiumicino International Airport to Ankara 12:30 Arrival at Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara OFFICIAL WELCOME 13:30 VISIT TO THE ATATÜRK MAUSOLEUM 14:10 WELCOME CEREMONY at the Presidential Palace 14:40 VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC 15:30 MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS 17:20 Departure from Ankara 17:35 Departure by airplane from Esenboğa International Airport to Istanbul 19:00 Arrival at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul Friday 28 November 2025 ISTANBUL – İZNIK – ISTANBUL 09:30 MEETING WITH BISHOPS, PRIESTS, DEACONS, CONSECRATED PERSONS AND PASTORAL WORKERS at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit 10:40 VISIT TO THE NURSING HOME OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR 14:15 Transfer by helicopter to İznik 15:30 ECUMENICAL PRAYER SERVICE near the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos 16:30 Transfer by helicopter to Istanbul 18:30 PRIVATE MEETING WITH BISHOPS in the Apostolic Delegation Saturday 29 November 2025 ISTANBUL 09:00 VISIT TO THE SULTAN AHMED MOSQUE 09:45 PRIVATE MEETING WITH THE LEADERS OF THE LOCAL CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem 15:30 DOXOLOGY in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George 15:50 MEETING WITH HIS HOLINESS BARTHOLOMEW I AND SIGNING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION in the Patriarchal Palace 17:00 HOLY MASS in the “Volkswagen Arena” Sunday 30 November 2025 ISTANBUL – BEIRUT 09:30 PRAYER VISIT AT THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CATHEDRAL 10:30 DIVINE LITURGY at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George 12:30 ECUMENICAL BLESSING 13:00 LUNCH WITH HIS HOLINESS BARTHOLOMEW I at the Ecumenical Patriarchate 14:15 FAREWELL CEREMONY at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul 14:45 Departure by airplane from Atatürk Airport to Beirut 15:45 Arrival at Beirut International Airport WELCOME CEREMONY 16:45 COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC at the Presidential Palace 17:15 MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 17:30 MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER 18:00 MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS Monday 1 December 2025 BEIRUT – ANNAYA – HARISSA – BKERKÉ 09:45 VISIT AND PRAYER AT THE TOMB OF SAINT CHARBEL MAKLŪF at the Monastery of Saint Maroun in Annaya 11:20 MEETING WITH BISHOPS, PRIESTS, CONSECRATED PERSONS AND PASTORAL WORKERS at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa 12:30 PRIVATE MEETING WITH CATHOLIC PATRIARCHS in the Apostolic Nunciature 16:00 ECUMENICAL AND INTERRELIGIOUS MEETING in the Martyrs’ Square in Beirut 17:45 MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE in the square in front of the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch in Bkerké Tuesday 2 December 2025 BEIRUT – JAL ED DIB – ROMA 08:30 VISIT TO THE STAFF AND PATIENTS OF THE “DE LA CROIX” HOSPITAL in Jal Ed Dib 09:30 SILENT PRAYER AT THE SITE OF THE BEIRUT PORT EXPLOSION 10:30 HOLY MASS at the “Beirut Waterfront” 12:45 FAREWELL CEREMONY at Beirut International Airport 13:15 Departure by plane from Beirut International Airport to Rome 16:10 Arrival at Rome/Fiumicino International Airport Copyright © Dicastery for Communication - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
October 16, 2025 By Pope Leo XIV "Ten words. Ten words are not many, but they can start a conversation on the richness of Christian life. Hence, in order to start it, I would like to choose three of these 10 words, as the beginning of an imaginary dialogue with those who will read these pages: Christ, communion, peace. At first glance, it may seem these terms are unrelated, and do not follow from one another. But this is not the case. They can be woven into a relationship that I would like to further deepen with you, dear readers, so that we can grasp its newness and significance together. First of all, Christ’s centrality. Every baptized person has received the gift of the encounter with Him, and has been touched by His light and His grace. Faith is precisely this: not the colossal effort of reaching a supernatural God, but rather, welcoming Jesus into our lives, the discovery that God’s face is not distant from our hearts. The Lord is neither a magical being nor an unknowable mystery. He drew near to us in Jesus, in that Man born in Bethlehem who died in Jerusalem, was risen and is alive today. Today! And the mystery of Christianity is that this God wants to be united with us, to be near us, to become our friend. In this way, we become Him. Saint Augustine wrote: “Do you understand, brothers and sisters, the grace of God upon us; do you grasp that? Be filled with wonder, rejoice and be glad; we have been made Christ. For if He is the head, we are the members: the whole man is He and we”. (1) Christian faith is participation in divine life through the experience of Jesus’ humanity. In Him, God is no longer a concept or an enigma, but rather a Person who is close to us. Augustine experienced all this during his conversion, touching first-hand the power of friendship with Christ, which radically changed his life: “And where was I when I was seeking You? And You were before me, but I had gone away even from myself; nor did I find myself, much less You”! (2) Moreover, Christ is the beginning of communion. His entire life was marked by this willingness to be a bridge: a bridge between humanity and the Father, a bridge between the people he encountered, a bridge between Him and the marginalized. The Church is this communion of Christ that continues throughout history, a community that lives diversity in unity. Augustine makes use of the image of a garden to illustrate the beauty of a community of faithful that makes its own diversity a plurality that strives for unity and that does not descend into the disorder of confusion: “That garden of the Lord’s, brothers and sisters, includes, yes it includes, it certainly includes not only the roses of martyrs, but also the lilies of virgins, and the ivy of married people, and the violets of widows. There is absolutely no kind of human beings, dearly beloved, who need to despair of their vocation; Christ suffered for all. It was very truly written about him: ‘who wishes all men to be saved, and to come to the acknowledgment of the truth’” (1 Tm 2:4). (3) This plurality becomes communion in the one Christ. Jesus unites us despite our personalities, our cultural and geographic origin, our language and our history. The Oneness which He establishes among his friends is mysteriously fruitful and speaks to all: “And it is of all those who maintain concord between brothers and who love their neighbors that the Church consists”. (4) Christians can and should be witnesses of this harmony, of this fraternity and this nearness, in today’s world, which is marked by many wars. This does not depend on our strength alone, but rather is a gift from Above, a gift from that God who, with his Spirit, promised us that he would always be by our side, living beside us: “We have therefore the Holy Spirit if we love the Church”. (5) The Church, home to different peoples, can be the sign that we are not condemned to live in perennial conflict and can embody the dream of a reconciled, peaceful and harmonious humanity. It is a dream that has a foundation: Jesus, his prayer to the Father for the unity of his own. And if Jesus prayed to the Father, then even more must we pray to him, so that he may grant us the gift of a world at peace. And finally, from Christ and communion, peace, which is not the fruit of the abuse of power or of violence, and is not linked to hatred or vengeance. It is Christ who with the wounds of his Passion encounters his disciples, saying, “Peace be with you”. Saints have witnessed that love defeats war, that only goodness disarms treachery and that non-violence can destroy the abuse of power. We must look at our world, directly: we can no longer tolerate structural injustices in which those who have more always have more, and, conversely, those who have less become increasingly poor. There is the risk that hatred and violence will overflow, spreading misery among people: the desire for communion, recognizing that we are brothers and sisters, is the antidote to all extremism. Father Christian de Chergé, prior of the Tibhirine Monastery, who was beatified with 18 religious men and women martyred in Algeria, after a close encounter with terrorists, received from Christ, in his communion with Him and with all God’s children, the gift of writing words that still speak to us today because they come from God. Asking himself which prayer he could address to the Lord after such a difficult trial, speaking of those who had violently invaded the monastery, he wrote the following: “Do I have the right to ask, disarm him, if I do not begin by asking: disarm me and disarm us in the community? Now this is my prayer which I confide to you in all simplicity”. Some 1,600 years earlier, in the same country in North Africa, Saint Augustine stated: “Let our lives be good; and the times are good. We make our times”. (6) We can make our own time, with our witness, with prayers to the Holy Spirit, that he may make us men and women who are contagious with peace, welcoming Christ’s grace and spreading the fragrance of his charity and mercy throughout the world. “We make our times”: Let us not be overcome by discouragement before the violence that we see. Let us ask God the Father every day for the power of the Holy Spirit to make the living flame of peace shine in the darkness of history." Vatican City, 16 October 2025 The Pope's Agenda Copyright © 2017-2025 Dicasterium pro Communicatione - All rights reserved.