This morning, Pope Leo XIV met with Patriarch Mar Awa III Royel of the Assyrian Church of the East and affirmed that the desired full communion between churches should not involve any form of assimilation or domination. Instead, it should foster the exchange of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to build up the Body of Christ.

Leo expressed hope that the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea would lead to the implementation of synodal forms among Christians of all traditions.

He wished that Middle Eastern Christians would always bear faithful witness to the risen Christ through the intercession of all the saints of both the Catholic and Assyrian churches, and that dialogue between the churches would hasten the day “when we will celebrate together at one altar, sharing the same body and blood of our Savior.”

Apostolic Roots of the Church in Iraq

In another context, the pope declared yesterday that the apostolic roots of the Church in Iraq are a sign of continuity that the brutal violence of recent decades could not extinguish. He stated that the voices of those unjustly killed in that land are still alive and that they now pray for the country and for peace in the world.

This statement came during his presiding over the episcopal ordination of Monsignor Mirosław Stanisław Wachowski, newly appointed papal ambassador to Iraq, at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

A Mosaic of Rites and Cultures

Leo noted that the Catholic Church, fully united with the Bishop of Rome, lives in Iraq through diverse traditions: Chaldean, Syriac, Armenian, Byzantine, and Latin. He described this as a mosaic of rites and cultures, of history and faith, worthy of being welcomed and preserved with love.

He emphasized that Christian presence in Mesopotamia is deeply rooted; according to tradition, Saint Thomas the Apostle brought the Gospel to that land and, along with his disciples Addai and Mari, founded the first Christian communities there.

Protecting the Buds of Hope

Leo mentioned that in that region, prayers are still offered in the Aramaic language spoken by Jesus. He recalled that Pope Francis was the first pontiff to visit Iraq in March 2021 as a pilgrim of fraternity and that in that land, God—Creator of all humans equal in dignity and rights—calls us to spread love, kindness, and harmony.

Leo asked Wachowski to continue the path laid out by Francis, to protect the buds of hope, encourage peaceful coexistence, and affirm that the diplomacy of the Holy See springs from the Gospel and is nourished by prayer.