The meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I took place on Saturday, October 24, during a private audience at the Apostolic Palace.
The patriarch conveyed his wishes for the Pope’s speedy recovery following his lung surgery on October 13, and Leo XIV thanked him for his concern and support.
The two leaders discussed matters concerning their respective Churches and the international situation. The meeting continues the journey toward Christian unity that they shared in November 2025, during the commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in Turkey, where they signed a joint declaration in favor of unity.
Bartholomew I arrived in Rome on Friday, October 23, when he received an honorary doctorate in Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, known as the Angelicum, where Leo XIV studied.
His visit also includes a stop in Loreto and participation in the peace meeting organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio in Assisi. The event marks the 40th anniversary of the Day of Prayer for Peace convened by St. John Paul II in 1986.
The two leaders were scheduled to meet there on Tuesday, October 27, but Leo XIV will be unable to attend on medical advice following his surgery.
