WCC Leadership visits the Vatican and meets Pope Leo XIV

A delegation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) visited the Vatican on 27–28 February 2026 for a series of encounters highlighting the long-standing collaboration between the Catholic Church and the world’s largest ecumenical organisation.

The delegation included Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria), Moderator of the WCC Central Committee; H.E. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian (Armenian Apostolic Church) and Revd Merlyn Hyde Riley (Jamaica Baptist Union), Vice-Moderators of the Central Committee; and Revd Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay (Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa), WCC General Secretary.

On the morning of Friday 27 February, the delegation visited the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity for a working meeting. In the afternoon, they travelled to Castel Gandolfo to visit the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center, where they were welcomed by its Director, Mons. Manuel Dorantes, and staff. The visit offered an opportunity to learn about the Holy See’s initiatives in ecological education and formation inspired by the vision of integral ecology articulated in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ (2015).

The highlight of the visit was the private audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on Saturday 28 February in the Library of the Apostolic Palace. During the cordial conversation, participants reflected on the importance of strengthening Christian unity and offering a common witness to the Gospel in a world marked by conflict, polarisation, and environmental challenges. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to continue the journey towards visible unity, faithful witness to the Gospel, and service to humanity.

Although not a formal member of the WCC, since the Second Vatican Council the Catholic Church has maintained a close and fraternal relationship with the organisation, which has intensified in recent decades. Bishop Bedford-Strohm and Revd Prof. Dr Pillay represented the WCC at the funeral of Pope Francis and at the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV. It has become a well-established tradition for WCC leaders to visit a newly elected pope as a sign of mutual respect and shared commitment to the ecumenical movement. Such encounters foster what is described in ecumenical language as a “dialogue of love”: nurturing fraternal relationships among Christian leaders and churches through gestures of charity, friendship, and mutual visits.