Photo Credit: Vatican News Source: Vatican News
At the General Audience held on Wednesday, May 20, at St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV warmly welcomed His Holiness Aram I as the two religious leaders renewed their commitment to peace, unity, and ecumenical dialogue.
The meeting followed an earlier encounter between the two leaders at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, where they had prayed together for peace. During the audience, Pope Leo XIV expressed his deep concern for Lebanon and the broader Middle East, stating, “I pray daily for the people of Lebanon.”
The Holy Father noted that the visit of Catholicos Aram I would further strengthen the bonds of friendship and unity between the Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church, while also contributing to the ongoing journey toward full communion between both Churches.
Invoking the blessings of the Holy Spirit upon the Catholicos’ pilgrimage to the tombs of Apostles Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the faithful gathered at St. Peter’s Square to pray fervently that the visit and meetings would serve as another important step toward Christian unity.
The Pope also appealed for continued prayers for peace in Lebanon and across the Middle East, regions currently affected by war, violence, and instability. He highlighted the significance of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, headquartered in Antelias, Lebanon, since 1930, and serving communities across Kuwait, Syria, Cyprus, the Gulf region, Iran, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, and the Americas.
Pope Leo XIV further commended Catholicos Aram I for his longstanding dedication to ecumenism, particularly his active involvement in theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Concluding his remarks, the Pope invoked the intercession of Armenian saints, including Saint Gregory the Illuminator, Saint Gregory of Narek, and Saint Nerses the Gracious, as well as the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying that they may guide Christians on the path toward the unity they all seek.
Story by:
Anita Aryeh
DEPSOCOM Accra
