Yesterday, with a moment of fraternity and dialogue, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta welcomed United States participants in the Orthodox-Catholic ecumenical pilgrimage “From Rome to New Rome”, currently underway. Led by Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, 50 Greek Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic and Latin Catholic faithful gathered in the splendid setting of the Magistral Villa on the Aventine Hill in Rome.
“This year we commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a pivotal moment in history where unity and shared faith triumphed over divisions,” said Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap in his greeting. “It reminds us of the enduring importance of ecumenical collaboration, of coming together across different traditions and beliefs to strengthen our shared commitment to peace, understanding, and mutual respect.” The pilgrimage commemorates the Jubilee of the Church of Rome and the 1700 years of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, which in 325 AD gave form to the Nicene Creed.
In the context of the Jubilee of Hope, the Grand Master also invited those present to reflect on the pain and suffering in our world: “It is in our shared gatherings, our collective prayers and our unwavering commitment to justice and compassion that we find the strength to move forward”.
Yesterday morning, the pilgrims were received in audience by Pope Leo XIV at Castel Gandolfo. During the meeting, the pontiff welcomed them by recalling the origins of the Church, on those he himself called ‘sources’: “You have set out from the United States, which as you know, is also my native country, and this journey is meant to be a return to the roots, the sources, the places, the memorials of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, and of the Apostle Andrew in Constantinople. It is also a way to experience anew and in a concrete way the faith that comes from listening to the Gospel, hearing the Gospel handed down to us by the Apostles”.
After Rome the pilgrimage will also stop in Constantinople and Nicaea, now Istanbul and Iznik.
