In a powerful moment of ecumenical outreach, Pope Leo XIV welcomed a joint pilgrimage of Greek Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, and Latin Catholic faithful to Castel Gandolfo, calling their journey a visible sign of hope and healing in the Body of Christ.
This unique pilgrimage, titled From Rome to New Rome, brings together fifty pilgrims from the United States on a sacred journey through Rome, Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), and Nicea—the three spiritual centers of ancient Christianity. The group is led by Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark. Their shared path is not simply geographical, but deeply spiritual—tracing the roots of division with the hope of restored communion.
Pope Leo described the pilgrimage as “one of the abundant fruits of the ecumenical movement aimed at restoring full unity among all Christ’s disciples,” according to Vatican News reporter Christopher Wells. The Holy Father emphasized the importance of “returning to the sources,” naming Rome as the site of the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul, Constantinople as the city of Saint Andrew, and Nicea, where the First Ecumenical Council was held 1700 years ago this year.
This moment is especially significant as 2025 will mark a rare occasion when both Western and Eastern Christians celebrate Easter on the same date. Pope Leo saw in this convergence a sign of hope, noting that it allowed “all Christians to proclaim together the Easter Alleluia, ‘Christ is risen! He is truly risen!’” According to the Pope, these words “proclaim the passion and resurrection of Jesus, ‘the Lamb that was slain’ to redeem us from ‘the darkness of sin and death.’”
Yet Pope Leo made clear that this joy comes with a call—to be active witnesses. He reminded the pilgrims that the redemption won by Christ “inspires us with great hope” and also compels us “to be witnesses and bearers of hope,” tying this pilgrimage to the broader mission of the 2025 Jubilee Year: to be “pilgrims of hope.”
As the group prepares to visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Pope Leo asked them to bring his personal greetings to Patriarch Bartholomew, expressing his own hope “to meet him again in person during the ecumenical commemoration of the anniversary of the Council of Nicea.”
The Pope also reflected on how far the Catholic and Orthodox Churches have come in recent decades. Citing the 1965 Joint Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, which famously lifted the mutual excommunications of 1054, Pope Leo said the current pilgrimage is one of many “signs that already manifest the theological progress and the dialogue of charity that mark recent decades.”
To continue that journey toward unity, Pope Leo urged the faithful to seek divine help: “We too must continue to implore from the Paraclete, the Consoler, the grace to pursue the path of unity and fraternal charity.”
Looking ahead to the two-thousandth anniversary of Christ’s Redemption in 2033, the Pope concluded with a vision of renewal rooted in grace and mercy. “Spiritually, we must all return to Jerusalem, the City of Peace,” he said, reminding the faithful that it was from Jerusalem that the Apostles first received the Holy Spirit and went forth to proclaim the Gospel.
Finally, he offered a prayer fitting for our divided world: “May our return to the roots of our faith make all of us experience the gift of God’s consolation and make us capable, like the Good Samaritan, of pouring out the oil of consolation and the wine of gladness on today’s humanity.”
As the Church prepares for a common Easter and the upcoming Jubilee Year, Pope Leo’s words offer a timely invitation to all Catholics: to walk in unity, to remember our roots, and to love with the heart of Christ.
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