Your Eminence,
Dear brothers in Christ,

I am very pleased to meet you, following our celebration yesterday of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the patron saints of this Church in Rome. Your presence amongst us expresses the fraternal closeness of our sister Church in Constantinople and of its shepherd and guide, His All Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch. I am deeply grateful to him and to all the members of the Holy Synod for having sent you to Rome to continue the traditional exchange of visits on the feasts of the patron saints of our respective Churches.

In a particular way, I vividly remember participating last year in the Feast of Saint Andrew, at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George at the Phanar. I recall with joy and gratitude the meetings I had with His All Holiness Bartholomew, during which we were able to deepen our mutual friendship and share our views on numerous issues, above all our common desire to make progress on the path towards full unity amongst all Christians.

In this regard, the commemoration of the 1700^th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea was held on the eve of the Feast of Saint Andrew in İznik, at the invitation of Patriarch Bartholomew and in the presence of representatives of other Churches and ecclesial communities. This celebration offered an eloquent testimony to the communion that already exists amongst those who share faith in God, the Father of all, and who believe in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Son of God, and in the Holy Spirit, who inspires us and leads us to the fullness of truth and unity. That commemorative event made clear that the Nicene Creed must be the foundation and guiding principle of this ecumenical journey, offering the model of true unity within legitimate diversity: Unity in the Trinity, Trinity in Unity (cf. Apostolic Letter In Unitate Fidei, 12). May the journey towards the celebration of the second millennium of the Redemption, in 2033, be undertaken together by all the Christian denominations of the world, rediscovering the gift and the call to be witnesses to the Risen One.

In an age marked by wars and growing polarization, as well as cultural and social divisions, Christians — reconciled amongst themselves and united in their profession of the one faith — are called to be a credible sign of peace, making a decisive contribution to the efforts of all men and women of good will to build peace. Moreover, in the current situation, it is not only the credibility of the Christian message that is at stake, but the very future of humanity. The need for greater cooperation amongst Christians in the face of today’s challenges — which include peace, the proper use of new technologies and care for creation — stems from the Gospel of Jesus Christ itself. Indeed, our responsibility for the life and dignity of every human being, beginning with the youngest and most needy, is the criterion that will determine our present and eternal destiny (cf. Mt 25:31–46).

Your Eminence, dear brothers, I once again express my heartfelt gratitude for this visit, as well as for your personal commitment and that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to promoting the holy cause of Christian unity. I assure you of my prayers. Through the intercession of the holy Apostles Peter and Andrew, brothers in the flesh and in faith, may God our Father accompany us always with his blessing. Thank you!