Pope Francis met with a delegation of priests and monks from Oriental Orthodox Churches at the Vatican on Friday.
“Unity is not simply an end in itself, but is closely tied to the fruitfulness of the Christian proclamation: unity is for the mission. Jesus prayed for his disciples that they ‘may all be one … so that the world may believe,’” the Pope told the Oriental Orthodox delegation on 3 June.
“At Pentecost, the Church was born as a missionary Church. Today too, the world is waiting, however unconsciously, to hear the Gospel message of charity, freedom and peace. It is a message that we are called to bear witness to with one another, not against one another or apart from one another.”
A group of 18 priests and monks from Egypt, Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, India, Ethiopia, and Eritrea have visited the Vatican on behalf of the Oriental Orthodox Church.
Within the group, clergy from the Coptic Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, and many others were represented.
Quoting St. Irenaeus of Lyon, whom the Pope recently declared the “Doctor of Unity,” the pope said that the Church is “tõn adelphõn synodía, a caravan of brothers.”
Pope Francis also thanked the priests who have witnessed to the Gospel amid Christian persecution and violence in their countries.
“Dear brothers, may the cross of Christ be the compass that directs us on our journey towards full unity. For on that cross Christ, our peace, reconciled us and gathered us into one people,” he said.