Pope Francis received a delegation from the Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople, who travelled to Rome to attend the celebrations for the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul.
“Dialogue between our churches does not entail any risk to the integrity of the faith; indeed, it is a requirement born of fidelity to the Lord and leads us to the whole truth,” said Pope Francis.
During that meeting, the pope stated that he wholeheartedly wishes to travel to Turkey in 2025 to celebrate an important ecumenical event: the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
It is tradition for the Orthodox Church and Catholic Church to send delegations on the days of their patron saints. The Vatican will send its own delegation to Istanbul on November 30 for the Feast of St Andrew.