Pope Leo XIV received a delegation from the Patriarchate of Constantinople at the Vatican

On June 30, at the Vatican Pope Leo XIV received a delegation from the Patriarchate of Constantinople, led by Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon. The visit traditionally took place as part of an exchange of delegations on the occasion of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, according to Vatican News.

During the audience, the pontiff expressed his sincere gratitude for the visit and recalled his own visit to Istanbul on November 30, 2025, where he participated, together with Patriarch Bartholomew, in the celebration of the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. Pope Leo XIV emphasized that that meeting was an important step in the “shared aspiration to walk the path toward full unity among all Christians.”

Special attention during the dialogue was given to the historical significance of commemorating the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. The Pope noted that their joint participation in the commemorative events in Iznik, which took place on November 28, 2025, at the invitation of Patriarch Bartholomew, served as an “eloquent testimony to unity” between the two Churches.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Leo XIV thanked the representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople for their dedication to the cause of ecumenism and to strengthening ties between Christian denominations.