Pope Leo XIV: I Pray Daily for the People of Lebanon
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church – See of Cilicia, visited Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican on Monday.
The private meeting marking the first official visit of the Catholicos to Pope Leo was followed by a moment of prayer in the Urban VIII Chapel of the Apostolic Palace.
The jurisdiction of the Catholicosate of Cilicia covers Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, the Gulf region, Iran, Greece and the Americas. Since 1930, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia has been headquartered in Antelias, Lebanon.
During this morning's meeting in the Vatican, Pope Leo addressed the Catholicos about the importance of the faith, the shared bonds among Christians, and the need for followers of Christ to witness unity together.
Unity in faith required for restoration of communion
The Holy Father expressed to the Catholicos of Cilicia his gratitude for his efforts to foster relations with the Catholic Church and for his closeness to the Church of Rome.
The Pope thanked Catholicos Aram I for his personal commitment to promoting theological dialogue between their Churches, which he recalled has been taking place since 2003 within the framework of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Pope Leo said he sincerely hopes that, despite recent difficulties, this dialogue will continue with renewed vigour, noting, for there can be no restoration of communion between our Churches without unity in faith.
