News from the Orient - May 22, 2025

In this week's News from the Eastern Churches:

1700th anniversary of Council of Nicaea 

Tuesday, May 20, was the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council in Church history, convened in the year 325. In commemoration, numerous ecumenical celebrations are being held throughout 2025. Pope Francis had planned a joint visit to Nicaea, in modern-day Turkey, with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. On May 19, the Patriarch was received in Rome by Pope Leo XIV, and it was announced that the new Pope intends to make the visit to Turkey by the end of the year.

Eastern Churches Welcome Pope Leo XIV 

On Sunday, May 18, numerous patriarchs and bishops from the Eastern Churches attended Pope Leo XIV’s installation Mass. In Rome, they expressed their hope that the new pontiff will continue Pope Francis’ care for churches in the East. Many are anticipating a papal visit to Lebanon. They say that Pope Leo XIV will not only be the pope of Latin Catholics, but of all Catholic Churches.

Monsignor Gollnisch Honored in Armenia

On Tuesday, May 20, Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch, Director General of L’Œuvre d’Orient, was awarded an honorary doctorate from Yerevan University in Armenia. He later laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial, alongside the French Ambassador to Armenia and an Armenian Catholic Archbishop. He also planted a tree on behalf of L’Œuvre d’Orient. Mgr Gollnisch reaffirmed the organisation’s unwavering support for the Armenian people and repeated his condemnation of genocide denial.