A day after the Solemn Mass for the inauguration of his Petrine Ministry, Pope Leo XIV welcomed ecumenical and interreligious delegations for a special audience, emphasizing his commitment to unity, dialogue, and human fraternity on May 19.
In his address, the Holy Father highlighted the legacy of Pope Francis—“the Pope of Fratelli tutti”—and his tireless efforts to foster ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. “May God help us to treasure his witness,” Leo said, calling for continued efforts to build bridges among diverse religious traditions.
Marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the pope reaffirmed that true unity among Christians “can only be unity in faith,” while also stressing the close link between ecumenism and synodality in the Church.
To non-Christian faith leaders, Leo reiterated that “today is the time for dialogue and building bridges,” recognizing the shared responsibility of all believers to promote peace, mutual respect, and freedom of conscience.
He acknowledged the Church’s deep spiritual bond with Judaism, the growing ties with Islam based on mutual respect, and the peaceful contributions of other faiths such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Concluding his address, Leo XIV called for united efforts to reject war and injustice and to embrace peace and integral development. “The witness of our fraternity,” he said, “will certainly contribute to building a more peaceful world.”
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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