His Holiness the Pope: I Pray Daily for Lebanon

At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV received Aram I Keshishian, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Addressing his guest and the accompanying delegation, the Pope opened his remarks with the words of the Apostle Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” He recalled that Saint Paul expresses the bond between the two Churches, especially since he was born in Tarsus, Cilicia, the city where the Armenian Apostolic Church has its seat, and at the end of his life received the crown of martyrdom in Rome.

The Pope said he entrusts to the intercession of the Apostle to the Nations the pilgrimage his guests are making to the Eternal City, noting that he cannot but recall the great saints who worked for Christian unity, especially Saint Nerses, Catholicos of Cilicia, who may be regarded as a pioneer of the ecumenical movement and who has been included in the Roman Catholic Church’s Martyrology. If this signifies anything, he said, it points to the ecumenism of the martyrs that unites the two Churches.

The Supreme Pontiff then stressed that the Catholicosate of the House of Cilicia stands at the crossroads of different peoples and cultures and has long been marked by its ecumenical vocation, particularly in relation to the Church of Rome. He noted that the special relationship between the two Churches, which was strong in the Middle Ages, underwent new developments in the twentieth century, especially after the work of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.

In this context, he explained that the predecessor of his guest, Catholicos Khoren I, was the first head of an Oriental Orthodox Church to visit Rome after the council, in May 1967. The current Catholicos, Aram I, the Pope continued, is known for his tireless ecumenical zeal at both the local and international levels. He is among the founders of the Middle East Council of Churches and is committed within the World Council of Churches, where he has held several prominent positions. The Pope then expressed his deep gratitude for the efforts his guest has made to strengthen relations with the Catholic Church and for his closeness to the Church of Rome, which he first visited after his election during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January 1997, with visits continuing since then.

The Pope also thanked Catholicos Aram I for his personal commitment to laying the foundations of theological dialogue between the two Churches since 2003 within the framework of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. He explained that this dialogue has benefited from the valuable contribution of delegations from the Armenian Apostolic Church, leading to the publication of three important documents on the nature and mission of the Church, as well as communion in the Church of the early centuries and the sacraments. In this regard, the Pope expressed hope that this dialogue would continue with renewed momentum despite current difficulties, because communion between the two Churches will not be restored unless unity in faith is first achieved.

The Pope’s remarks also touched on the country where Catholicos Aram I was born, namely Lebanon, recalling that he had the opportunity to visit it last December. He said that this country, so dear to his heart, which showed the whole world the possibility that communities of different cultures and religions can live within a single state, is still facing harsh trials today.

He stressed that at a time when the country’s unity and sovereignty are under threat, the two Churches must strive to strengthen the bond of fraternity that unites Christians among themselves and with their brothers and sisters from other communities. The Pope added that he prays daily for the people of Lebanon and for the Churches of the Middle East, to which Aram I wished to dedicate a conference during his stay in Rome.

At the conclusion of his remarks, the Supreme Pontiff affirmed that as preparations are under way to celebrate Pentecost and live the mystery of the miracle of the Holy Spirit descending upon the nascent Church, he is pleased to offer a common prayer with the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church following the meeting, that the Lord, the giver of life, may grant us the gift of unity, bestow lasting peace upon us, and renew the face of the earth.