The pope met with the chief bishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia headquartered in Lebanon, emphasizing his concern for that country and the role of ecumenism for Christian unity.<\/p>\n
On Monday, May 18, Pope Leo XIV received at the Vatican His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, one of the most prominent figures in Eastern Christianity. <\/p>\n
The Armenian Apostolic Church, part of the Oriental Orthodox Church, is headquartered in Antelias, Lebanon. <\/p>\n
During the audience held at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father underscored the profound bond uniting the two churches, marked in a special way by the figure of St. Paul, whom he described as the \u201capostle of communion.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to St. Paul, the pontiff cited other saints who worked for Christian unity, such as St. Nerses, considered a \u201cpioneer of ecumenism.\u201d In this context, Leo underscored \u201cthe tireless ecumenical zeal\u201d of Aram I, 79 years old and one of the founders of the Middle East Council of Churches.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV also thanked him for his closeness to the Church of Rome and especially for his personal commitment to promoting theological dialogue.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sincerely hope that, despite recent difficulties, this dialogue will continue with renewed vigor, for there can be no restoration of communion between our churches without unity in faith,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n
The pope recalled his visit last December to Lebanon, a land that continues to \u201cface severe trials\u201d and that, for so long, \u201chas shown the whole world that it is possible for people of diverse cultures and religions to live together as one nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt a time when the unity and integrity of your country are once again under threat, our churches are called to strengthen the fraternal bonds that unite not only Christians amongst themselves but also with their brothers and sisters from other communities in their shared homeland,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV assured Aram I of his prayers for the nation and conveyed his \u201cdeep concern\u201d for the people of Lebanon and for the Churches of the Middle East.<\/p>\n
The pontiff asked the Holy Spirit to grant them the gift of unity and lasting peace.<\/p>\n
At the close of the audience with the Holy Father, a moment of ecumenical prayer took place in the Urban VIII Chapel of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.<\/p>\n
This marks the first official meeting between Leo XIV and the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, who will also participate in the pope\u2019s general audience on Wednesday, May 20.<\/p>\n
During his visit to the Vatican, Aram I will also meet with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and visit the Dicasteries for Promoting Christian Unity, Interreligious Dialogue, and Eastern Churches, as well as the Pontifical Armenian College.<\/p>\n
On May 19, he is scheduled to deliver a lecture titled \u201cThe Challenges of the Churches in the Middle East\u201d at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.<\/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