On Wednesday, Pope Leon XIV announced that he would make "all efforts" to advance peace in the mediate East and Ukraine, as well as actively support the spirituality and traditions of the east Churches, namely those Catholic communities that have their roots in the mediate East and in east Europe, and which have been decimated over the years by war and persecution.
– The Church needs you! – said the Pope to the pilgrims of the east rites gathered in the Vatican for the Jubilee Year.
Eastern Churches – A Unique Identity and Faithfulness to Rome
Catholics of east rites admit the pope's sovereignty, but hold their own rituals, liturgy, and structures. Among them are Coptic Churches, Chaldean Churches, Maronite Churches, Erytrean Churches, Syro-Malabarian Churches in India and Greek Catholic Communities present in east Europe and both Americas. Unlike Orthodox ones, these Churches stay in full communion with Rome while preserving their heritage and liturgical distinctness.
Leon XIV pointed out that many of these faithful communities were forced to leave their homelands due to “war and persecution, instability and poverty”. He thus referred to the mass exodus of Christians from the mediate East, especially from Iraq and Syria, where full communities were destroyed by years of force by muslim extremists.
In the northern Iraq region, there were any of the oldest Christian communities in the world. To this day, it is spoken in Aramaic dialects—the language that Jesus used. For Pope Leon XIV, protecting these traditions is not only a historical issue, but the spiritual work of the full Catholic Church.
Request for Peace: mediate East, Ukraine and Not Only
The Pope emphasized that the Holy See is ready to "help bring enemies to a common table, face to face." In particular, he listed regions with the most severe conflicts: the Holy Land, Ukraine, Lebanon, Syria, Tigray in Ethiopia and the Caucasus.
– Who better than you can sing a song of hope in the face of the abyss of violence? – he asked. – From Holy Land to Ukraine, from Lebanon to Syria, from the mediate East to Tigray and the Caucasus – how much force we inactive see!
One of the Pope's first gestures after the election was a telephone conversation with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenski. The Ukrainian leader invited the Pope to visit Ukraine and thanked him for his support. Pope Leon XIV does not avoid strong words: he has already described the Russian invasion as "an imperialist invasion aimed at gaining territory for strategical and geopolitical reasons".
While the Holy See for Francis' pontificate was mostly removed from the main peace talks, she continued to participate in humanitarian activities – the exchange of prisoners and attempts to bring Ukrainian children back to Russia to their families.
Zelenski, who had previously met with president Donald Trump in St Peter's Basilica during the ceremony of Pope Francis, is to arrive in Rome for the solemn inauguration of the pontificate of Leon XIV next Sunday.
Maintain identity, support diaspora
The Pope thanked these Christians – both east and Latin – who, despite persecution, do not leave their lands.
– I thank God for those Christians who, especially in the mediate East, proceed and stay in their homelands, based on the temptation to leave them, the Pope said. – Christians must have a real opportunity, not just a verbal promise to stay in their countries, with all the rights essential for a safe life.
During the audience, among the Lebanese and Ukrainian flags and the loud shouts of joy, Leon XIV besides referred to his namesake – Pope Leon XIII (a pontificate from 1878 to 1903), who was the first pope to deal in item with the position of the east Churches. It was he who issued the paper confirming the dignity of the east rites and the request to preserve them in the diaspora. He even threatened to release any Latin priest who would effort to get the east Catholic to convert to the Latin rite.
Heritage That Disappears in Silence
Former Cardinal Robert Prevost, who is liable for the east Churches in the Vatican today, lamented that Catholics of these rites who scope the West frequently encounter indifference from Latin communities.
– They hazard losing not only their homelands, but besides their spiritual identity – he warned.
The Pope added:
– With the passing of generations, we lose the priceless heritage of the East Churches.
Leon XIV called on the East Churches Dicastery to make clear guidelines for Latin bishops in host countries to better support the east communities in the diaspora.
– Your contribution to the Western Church is huge," he said.
“Liturgy That Amuses”
Finally, the pope recalled the spiritual wealth of the east liturgy:
We request to rediscover the meaning of the mystery your liturgians keep. Liturgy, which affect the full man, sing about the beauty of salvation and delight in how God’s majesty embraces human fragility.
At a time erstwhile the planet is falling apart into conflicts, and spiritual diversity can be marginalized, Pope Leon XIV gives a fresh speech to the Church – a speech not only of concern for peace but besides of deep appreciation for spiritual diversity, which can be the origin of renewal of all Christianity.
