International Day of Eastern Christians – 25 May 2025
The Synthesis Report of the Synod on Synodality strongly reminds us — especially in paragraph 38:
“The unity of the Church is enriched by the diversity of its traditions and expressions. Synodality is the way to live this unity without uniformity, by welcoming the gifts and the wounds of each.”
This powerful affirmation sheds light on our reflection today concerning the relationship between Eastern and Western Christians.
No, the unity of the Church is not uniformity. It is a living communion that embraces the richness of different traditions, languages, rites, and cultures — all called to listen to one another and to recognise each other as gifts from God.
The Synthesis Report of the Synod on Synodality strongly reminds us — especially in paragraph 38:
“The unity of the Church is enriched by the diversity of its traditions and expressions. Synodality is the way to live this unity without uniformity, by welcoming the gifts and the wounds of each.”
This powerful affirmation sheds light on our reflection today concerning the relationship between Eastern and Western Christians.
No, the unity of the Church is not uniformity. It is a living communion that embraces the richness of different traditions, languages, rites, and cultures — all called to listen to one another and to recognise each other as gifts from God.
From the earliest centuries, Eastern Christianity has offered immense spiritual treasures to the universal Church: ancient liturgies, profound theological insights, and schools of spirituality deeply rooted in Scripture. From these biblical lands, the first witnesses carried the Good News of Christ to the ends of the earth.
And yet, through the centuries, wounds, misunderstandings and divisions have sometimes torn the visible unity of the Church, weakening its common witness to the Gospel.
Still today, Eastern Christians — often a minority and exposed to violence or persecution — remain a powerful sign of fidelity to Christ and hope in suffering. Their presence is precious for the whole Church.
At the Congregation of Our Lady of the Cenacle, our apostolic mission — to accompany each person in their personal encounter with the living Christ, to help discern one’s vocation, and to support spiritual growth — draws us close to the path of our brothers and sisters in the Eastern Churches.
Like them, we are called to be witnesses of God’s patience, of perseverance in hope, and of the joy of faith, even in the midst of fragility.
The recent election of Pope Leo XIV marks a new chapter for the universal Church. We give thanks for this shepherd given by the Spirit, at a time when the Church is being called to deepen synodality, to care for its unity, and to embrace the richness of all its traditions.
And already, signs of a possible communion are becoming visible.
During the Synodal Assembly in Rome, several Eucharistic celebrations were held according to Eastern rites: Byzantine, Syro-Malabar, Coptic… Each liturgy offered participants a living experience of diversity received as a gift, not as a challenge.
More recently, at the funeral of Pope Francis, the deep connection between East and West was movingly expressed.
The Eastern Patriarchs, gathered in St Peter’s Square, chanted in Greek the traditional hymn Aionia i mnimi (“Eternal Memory”), paying tribute to the successor of Peter.
It was a moment of great spiritual depth, reminding us that despite differences in culture or form, we are one people united in faith in the crucified and risen Christ.
Yes, unity in diversity is not a distant ideal: it is already taking shape, humbly, in gestures, liturgies, and encounters lived in the Spirit.
And each of us is invited to take part — through prayer, encounter, and openness of heart.
In this Easter season, as we prepare to receive the gift of the Spirit anew at Pentecost, let us pray together:
- for deep unity between East and West,
- for the renewal of the whole Church in the love of Christ,
- and for Pope Leo XIV, that he may be a sign of hope, attentive to the Spirit’s voice in all the Church’s traditions.
May Mary, Our Lady of the Cenacle, intercede for us and keep us rooted in fidelity, communion, and the joy of the Risen Lord!