Pope Francis meets Catholicos Patriarch Mar Awa III

On Saturday, 9 November, the Holy Father Francis and His Holiness Mar Awa III, Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, together celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the Common Christological Declaration between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, as well as the fortieth anniversary of the first visit to Rome by an Assyrian Patriarch. The Catholicos Patriarch was accompanied by members of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, which was established thirty years ago.

In his address, Catholicos Patriarch Mar Awa III remarked, "Today, as heirs of that holy work of the Spirit founded by our venerable predecessors forty years ago and brought to fruition by them now thirty years ago, we too pledge ourselves to pray and work for the restoration of the communion of our holy Churches founded by the apostles of our Lord, concerning which He prayed to the Father with great earnest." He expressed his deep gratitude for the work of the theological dialogue and hoped that the members of the Commission would "continue to conduct [it] by their in-depth theological research and discussions, for without their preparatory work our journey together could not prove fruitful."

In his response, Pope Francis also thanked the members of the Commission, stating, "Theological dialogue is indispensable in our journey towards unity, since the unity we yearn for is unity in faith, while the dialogue of truth must never be separated from the dialogue of charity and the dialogue of life." He affirmed that "That unity in faith has already been achieved by the saints of our Churches" and announced the inclusion of Saint Isaac of Nineveh in the Roman Martyrology, noting that he is one of the most venerated fathers of the East Syriac tradition.

During his visit to Rome, the Catholicos-Patriarch was also received by Cardinal Kurt Koch. Together, they met with the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East during its annual plenary session.