His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has confirmed he will attend the enthronement of newly elected Pope Leo XIV, expressing hope that the new pontiff’s leadership will open “a new era” in relations between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.
“We look at the new pontiff with Christian hope. I intend to come to his enthronement and propose developing dialogue between the East and the West,” the Patriarch announced during an event in Athens on May 8, just hours after Leo XIV’s election.
He also extended an invitation for Pope Leo to visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, suggesting it coincide with the Feast of Saint Andrew on November 30.
In response, Pope Leo XIV confirmed preparations were underway for a meeting, stating: “The meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will take place, we are preparing it,” though a date has not yet been set.
Bartholomew voiced hopes that the new papacy would bring “answers to the existential questions that continue to trouble humanity” and contribute to global peace, particularly regarding conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and rising tensions in South Asia.
This move continues a long-standing effort to heal the schism between the two churches, which has persisted since 1054. Past milestones include joint peace prayers and visits between Popes and Patriarchs, most recently Pope Francis and Bartholomew walking in the footsteps of their predecessors’ historic 1964 meeting in Jerusalem.
Source: tovima.com
