Pope Leo speaks with Coptic patriarch on Day of Friendship

Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Tawadros II, the Coptic patriarch of Alexandria, on May 15. The conversation marked the 13th annual Day of Friendship between Copts and Catholics.

The Vatican said that the discussion between the two took place in a “cordial and fraternal atmosphere,” and that they expressed the mutual desire to “overcome any potential obstacles to the dialogue of faith and charity” between Catholics and Coptic Orthodox.

They also discussed the need to continue promoting peace efforts in the Middle East. In a letter to Tawadros to mark the anniversary, Leo stressed the importance of continued collaboration among Christians to promote peace in the Holy Land.

“At a time when our world is afflicted by so many conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, Christians must, more than ever, strive for full unity so that we may bear witness together to the Prince of Peace,” Leo wrote. “In doing so, we can be confident in the powerful intercession and example of the countless martyrs who have suffered for the name of Christ.”

Expressing hope for visible unity

The pope also praised the friendship between the Catholic and Coptic churches, which began over 50 years ago with the meeting of St. Pope Paul VI and Shenouda III. In his letter, he expressed his hope that ecumenical efforts would eventually lead to visible unity, recalling last year’s celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the first Council of Nicaea.

“I am confident that the reflections undertaken on the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council will rekindle our desire to achieve the visible unity of the Church — a unity rooted in the one baptism that we profess in the Nicene Creed, and which, I sincerely pray, we shall attain,” Leo said.

This article was written by Ishmael Adibuah for EWTN News.

Featured image: Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, Egypt, precedes Pope Francis as they leave the Redemptoris Mater Chapel of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican May 11, 2023. Before the prayer service, Pope Francis announced he was adding to the Roman Martyrology, the list of saints’ feast days, the 21 Coptic martyrs murdered by Islamic State terrorists in 2015. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)