Pope Leo XIV blesses faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Regina Caeli noon prayer on May 25, 2025. Andrew Medichini/AP Photo
Since 1054, the Great Schism has split the Christian Church into two main groups: the Western Roman Catholic Church, from which all protestant and evangelical denominations ultimately branched, and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. But on June 28, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed his commitment to finally bringing that separation to an end as he met with a delegation representing Eastern Orthodox leadership at the Vatican.
“I assure you of my desire to persevere in the effort to restore full visible communion between our Churches,” he said to a delegation representing the Church of Constantinople. “The attainment of this goal can only come about, with God’s help, through a continued commitment to respectful listening and fraternal dialogue.”
