***

Your Excellency, dear Archbishop Julio Murat, Apostolic Nuncio,

Your Eminences, Excellencies and Graces, 

Reverend Fathers, 

Honored Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with heartfelt gratitude and joy that we stand before you this evening, in this warm and fraternal setting offered by Your Excellency, dear Archbishop Julio, on the occasion of our patriarchal visit to Sweden. We thank you sincerely for your gracious hospitality and for the spirit of ecumenical fellowship that animates this gathering.

This dinner is a true sign of the enduring and ever-deepening bonds of love between the Sister Churches of Rome and Constantinople. It is a moment to give thanks to the Lord, who, through the promptings of the Holy Spirit, has guided us along the path of dialogue, understanding, and common witness to the Gospel, following the prophetic encounter in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, over 60 years ago.

Since that blessed meeting, we have sought to live faithfully the exhortation of the Saint Paul: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (“τὴν ἑνότητα τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐν τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς εἰρήνης”; Ephesians 4:3). Indeed, in recent years, our journey from a dialogue of love to a dialogue of truth has been marked by trust, mutual respect, and a shared desire to heal the wounds of division that have endured for too long. We are particularly grateful to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for sharing these concerns and for continuing the steadfast commitment of his predecessors to the sacred quest for Christian unity and for the communion of the Churches.

These bonds are the living expression of our Lord’s prayer “that they may all be one” (John 17:21). They are strengthened each time we meet, pray, and work together for the sake of a suffering world, bearing witness to peace, justice, care for creation, and the dignity of every human person.

We now look forward with great anticipation to the upcoming visit of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to Türkiye, a journey that will celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. Convened in 325 in today’s Iznik, this Council was a defining moment in the life of the entire Church, affirming our common faith in Christ, the Son of God, “true God of true God.” This anniversary is not merely a historical milestone; it is a reminder of our shared theological heritage and a call to renew our commitment to unity in truth and love, by jointly confessing the faith of Nicaea.

Your Excellency, Honored Guests,

Allow us, with these brief words, to express our gratitude once more to Archbishop Julio for his generous hospitality. May this evening’s fellowship be a foretaste of the unity to which Christ calls us, and may our Sister Churches, walking together in solidarity with the suffering world, give glory to our merciful God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.