The pontiff said Christians grow closer when they deepen their shared faith in Christ, \u201cthe ultimate source of our peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday called on Christians to remove prejudices and \u201cdisarm\u201d their hearts in order to strengthen bonds of unity in Christ and advance the cause of Christian communion.<\/p>\n
The pope made the appeal while receiving priests and monks from the Oriental Orthodox Churches who are participating in a study visit to Rome organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.<\/p>\n
Greeting representatives of the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Malankara, and Syriac Orthodox Churches in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo said the historic and cultural differences among the churches form \u201ca wonderful mosaic of our shared Christian heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, he emphasized the need for a concrete commitment to communion, saying: \u201cWe should continue to support each other, so that we may grow in our shared faith in Christ, who is the ultimate source of our peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pope recalled that the Church recently celebrated the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, whose theme was taken from St. Paul\u2019s Letter to the Ephesians. Citing the apostle\u2019s words, he noted the biblical foundation of Christian unity: \u201cThere is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the missionary activity of St. Paul, Pope Leo said the apostle became aware of the particularities of each Christian community, including \u201ctheir ethnicity, customs, as well as the challenges and concerns.\u201d At the same time, Paul recognized the risk that communities could become too inward-looking.<\/p>\n
As a result, the pope said, St. Paul consistently reminded believers that they were part of \u201cthe one mystical body of Christ,\u201d encouraging them \u201cto support one another and maintain the unity of faith and teachings that reflect the transcendent nature and oneness of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo stressed that authentic ecumenical progress requires an inner conversion, invoking Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, a pioneer of the ecumenical movement. Quoting his prayer, the pope said: \u201cI am disarmed of the need to be right, to justify myself by judging others,\u201d by waging \u201cthe hardest war, the war against myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we remove the prejudices we carry within ourselves and disarm our hearts, we grow in charity, work more closely together, and strengthen our bonds of unity in Christ,\u201d the pope said.<\/p>\n
He added that in this way, Christian unity becomes \u201ca leaven for peace on earth and reconciliation of all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo also noted that the study visit had been mutually enriching, saying it had been \u201ca blessing to all those who have met you here, enabling them to learn more about your churches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Renewing his gratitude for the visit, the pope assured the participants of his prayers and invoked the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon them and their communities.<\/p>\n
This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n