“We hope to welcome Pope Leo as a pilgrim to the Holy Land”, - Patriarch Theophilus

The Primate of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, Patriarch Theophilus of Jerusalem, congratulated the new Pope Leo XIV on his election. The Patriarch of Jerusalem expressed hope for the resumption of the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, which will lead to unity around the “common Chalice.” The greeting was published on the website of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.

«We would like to express our congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his election and offer our prayers for his new important spiritual mission. This is a significant event not only in the life of the Roman Catholic Church, but also for the whole world. […] We also look forward to the continuation of the international theological dialogue between Orthodox and Roman Catholics, which has been so constructive and to which our Patriarchate, as a member of the Orthodox family, remains committed. We pray that this will be the way we can walk together to unity and full communion in the common Chalice,» — said the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The First Hierarch added that he is looking forward to the visit of the Pope as a pilgrim to Jerusalem, as his predecessors did.

“We very much look forward to welcoming Pope Leo as a pilgrim to the Holy Land, as we have welcomed his predecessors, and we are confident that His Holiness will continue their long and honorable tradition of supporting and encouraging the Christian presence in the Holy Land and in our region as a whole, in the face of increasing pressures and challenges,” — he added.

Earlier, we reported that on April 5, 2025, an online conversation took place between Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed), the abbot of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The First Hierarch of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church conveyed his words of support to Metropolitan Pavel and the monks of the Kyiv Cave Monastery.