Patriarch John X of Antioch arrived at the Vatican on a visit

John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, is on an official visit to the Vatican to meet with Pope Leo XIV. The main purpose of the trip is to promote a joint peacekeeping initiative and to seek ways to overcome the large-scale humanitarian crisis engulfing the region.

The program for the visit of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Antioch includes meetings with Cardinal Kurt Koch, who is responsible for ecumenical unity, and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, who oversees the Eastern Catholic Churches. Talks are also scheduled with representatives of the influential Community of Sant’Egidio. The parties intend to discuss the current challenges facing Christian communities and reaffirm the historic, indissoluble bond between the Apostolic Sees of Antioch and Rome.

An important topic of discussion will be the protection of human rights and stability in the region, which has suffered from decades of conflict and economic upheaval. The Patriarchate of Antioch continues to actively raise the issue of the abduction of two bishops from Aleppo—Paul Yazigi and John Ibrahim—which occurred back in 2013. Their fate remains a “painful wound” for the entire Church and a central point on the patriarch’s diplomatic agenda.

The visit underscores the continuity in relations between the two churches, which seek to strengthen coordination on issues of interfaith dialogue and humanitarian aid. This visit goes beyond a mere protocol meeting, serving as a symbol of solidarity in safeguarding the future of the Christian presence in the Middle East and a call for peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the region.