From July 14 to 24, 2025, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey undertook an unprecedented and groundbreaking common initiative: a joint pilgrimage to Rome and Constantinople. Led by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America and His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the pilgrimage visited the Vatican, the sacred center of the Roman Catholic Church; the Phanar, the sacred center of the Orthodox Church; and Nicaea, the site of the first Ecumenical Council in 325.
At the Phanar on July 20, 2025, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew told the pilgrims: “With heartfelt joy, we welcome you today to the sacred and historic city of Constantinople – New Rome – as you continue your blessed pilgrimage, ‘From Rome to New Rome.’ Your journey, which leads from the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome to the seat of the Holy Apostle Andrew here in Constantinople, and soon to the ancient city of Nicaea, is a powerful and visible testimony to the Spirit at work in our midst, guiding us along the path of reconciliation, understanding, and unity.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch expressed gratitude for the greetings that the pilgrims conveyed from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, and added: “We, too, share this sacred desire for unity – a unity not grounded in uniformity, but in the shared truth of the Gospel, in mutual love, and in our common baptism into the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.” His All-Holiness stated that the “common celebration of Pascha this year by East and West” was a “foretaste of what our full communion will mean not only for our Churches, but for the whole world thirsting for peace, justice, and spiritual renewal.”
“Your presence here,” said His All-Holiness, “reminds us that the ecumenical journey is not only a theological endeavor, it is a spiritual calling. We must return to Jerusalem, the upper room where the Holy Spirit descended, and where fear was transformed into proclamation. In this pilgrimage of hope, may each of you be strengthened by the fire of Pentecost, bearing Christ to a world wounded by war, injustice, and despair.”
In that connection, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew condemned the recent Israeli strike against Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Gaza. He stated: “We ask Your Eminence, Cardinal Tobin, to convey our most heartfelt condolences to our brother Pope Leo. Please assure His Holiness that we raise our voice with Him for an immediate ceasefire and termination of this war and together we pray to the Prince of Peace for the repose of the souls of the innocent victims, for the swift recovery of the injured and for the consolation of their families.”
On July 23, 2025, the last night of the pilgrimage, His All-Holiness addressed the pilgrims again, saying: “I am grateful to all of you, above all, to His Eminence and to His Eminence, both my dear brothers in Christ and I sincerely tell you that your visit in the midst of summer, brought a breeze for all of us, metaphorically and essentially.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch singled out His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros for special praise, noting that his name is “bearer of hope,” and explaining: “When I ordained him several years ago to the diaconate, I chose the name Elpidophoros… because I knew his qualities, his talents, which he put to the service of the church since the very beginning, until he reached the glorious position of the Archbishop of America.”
His All-Holiness added: “He is really ‘bearer of hope’. Because we were convinced, we elected him unanimously, and we appointed him to come to the new world, the United States, to shepherd our beloved Omogenia. And of course, we were not, we are never disappointed, on the contrary, you are lucky to have such an archpastor.”
The name of the Archbishop of America is portentous. “In these days,” the Ecumenical Patriarch continued, “I read, when I have just a short time, a short free time, I read the book of the late Pope Francis, his autobiography, translated in Greek, something which is easier. The title of the book is Hope. The late Pope used to say that we are all, especially this year, when we celebrate Nicaea, we are pilgrims of hope. Our prayers and our wishes for you to be always messengers of hope, will accompany you as you return to the states tomorrow.”
As Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, dedicated to supporting and defending the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we are all called to be messengers of hope as well. Let us strive to emulate the deep and joyful faith, hope and love of His All-Holiness as we convey his wisdom to a world that is all too often bereft of all three.
