Pope Leo XIV receives Catholicos Patriarch Mar Awa III

29 Oct 2025

On Monday 27 October, the Holy Father received at the Apostolic Palace His Holiness Mar Awa III, Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, and the members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East.

In his address, recalling the commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Catholicos Patriarch Mar Awa III pointed out that “we are greatly encouraged […] in the shared faith which we already enjoy, namely, our profession of the Creed of the Council of Nicaea. […] This profession of faith already unites us in the essential doctrines concerning the Holy Trinity and the dual natures of the divinity and humanity of the one Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.”

In his response, Pope Leo XIV, with reference to the current phase of the dialogue, noted that “the principal challenge lies in jointly developing a model of full communion, inspired by the first millennium, while thoughtfully responding to the challenges of our time […] such a model should not involve absorption or domination; rather, it should promote the exchange of gifts between our Churches, received from the Holy Spirit for the building up of the Body of Christ (cf. Eph 4:12).” Also referring to the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Pope Leo quoted Pope Francis’s words during Catholicos Patriarch Mar Awa III’s 2022 visit: “The journey of synodality undertaken by the Catholic Church is and must be ecumenical, just as the ecumenical journey is synodal.”

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.