09/11/2026
May all be One again
𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡
“That they may all be one.” — John 17:21
For more than a thousand years, Christians of East and West have carried the pain of separation.
The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches share so much of the same ancient Christian heritage: the apostolic faith, the Sacraments, Apostolic succession, the Nicene Creed, the teachings of the Fathers, the first seven Ecumenical Councils, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the ancient Christian liturgical traditions.
Yet we remain separated from one another at the Eucharistic table.
But perhaps the Holy Spirit is slowly preparing the way for something beautiful.
☦️✝️ 𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇
In Budapest this September 2026, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I once again expressed his hope for the restoration of full communion between the Orthodox Churches and the Church of Rome.
His words are extraordinary:
“𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦, 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺, 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 ‘𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦-𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘺𝘳𝘦’ 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘺.”
Think about what he is saying.
He did not speak merely of better relations.
He spoke of FULL COMMUNION.
He spoke of Rome and the Orthodox Churches being reunited within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
And he placed this hope in the hands of God:
“by grace and help from on high.”
Because Christian unity cannot simply be manufactured by human diplomacy.
It must ultimately be a work of the Holy Spirit.
🎻 THE FIVE-STRINGED LYRE
Patriarch Bartholomew referred to the ancient Pentarchy—the five great apostolic sees of the early Church:
🇮🇹 Rome
🇹🇷 Constantinople
🇪🇬 Alexandria
🇸🇾 Antioch
🇮🇱 Jerusalem
These ancient Churches once belonged to the same Christian communion.
Their traditions, liturgies, theology, bishops and faithful formed part of one universal Christian family.
The Patriarch beautifully compared this to a five-stringed lyre.
When the strings are together, the instrument produces harmony.
But when one string is separated, the music is incomplete.
And so the Christian world continues to wait for the day when the ancient harmony of East and West may once again resound.
❤️ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓
Something remarkable has happened during the past decades.
Catholics and Orthodox have increasingly moved from confrontation toward dialogue, friendship and mutual respect.
The historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I in Jerusalem in 1964 was an important turning point.
The mutual excommunications of 1054 were lifted in 1965.
Since then, Catholic and Orthodox leaders have continued meeting, praying, speaking together and engaging in theological dialogue.
Pope St. John Paul II repeatedly called Catholics and Orthodox to rediscover their shared inheritance.
Pope Benedict XVI continued this effort.
Pope Francis developed a close relationship with Patriarch Bartholomew and repeatedly prayed for Christian unity.
And today, Pope Leo XIV continues to express the Catholic Church's desire for the restoration of full visible communion between Catholics and Orthodox.
This is not merely the dream of bishops and theologians.
Many ordinary Catholics and Orthodox Christians desire the same thing.
🫁 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐒, 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘
Pope St. John Paul II gave Christianity one of its most beautiful images.
He spoke of the Church breathing with “two lungs” — East and West.
For centuries, the Christian East and Christian West developed different traditions, spiritualities, theological expressions and liturgical forms.
And this diversity does not necessarily have to disappear.
Unity does not mean uniformity.
The Byzantine Divine Liturgy does not need to become the Roman Mass.
The Roman tradition does not need to become Byzantine.
The ancient Eastern Churches can preserve their beautiful traditions.
The Latin Church can preserve hers.
Different expressions.
Different spiritual traditions.
Different liturgical families.
But ultimately:
ONE CHRIST.
ONE FAITH.
ONE BAPTISM.
ONE APOSTOLIC CHURCH.
🙏 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒?
Imagine the day when Catholic and Orthodox Christians can once again approach the Eucharistic altar in full communion.
Imagine Eastern and Western Christians standing together—not as enemies, not as competitors, but as brothers and sisters.
Imagine the ancient apostolic Churches once again recognizing their communion with one another.
Imagine Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem contributing their gifts to the harmony of the universal Church.
Imagine the ancient Christian East and West once again breathing together.
Two lungs.
One Body.
One Lord.
One Church.
We should not pretend that the theological differences are insignificant.
They are real.
Questions concerning the papacy, authority, ecclesiology, the Filioque and other matters still require serious theological dialogue.
But we should also never forget how much Catholics and Orthodox already share.
And above everything else, we share Jesus Christ.
🕊️ LET US PRAY
Jesus Himself prayed for His disciples:
«“That they may all be one.”
— John 17:21»
So perhaps instead of constantly reminding each other why we are separated, we should also begin reminding one another why we hope to be reunited.
Let Catholics pray for Orthodox Christians.
Let Orthodox Christians pray for Catholics.
Let us ask forgiveness for the sins, hatred and misunderstandings that have deepened our divisions.
Let us study the Fathers.
Let us rediscover the Christianity of the first millennium.
Let us listen to one another.
Let us defend truth without hatred.
And above all, let us ask the Holy Spirit to heal what humanity has divided.
Because the goal is not for Catholics to “defeat” the Orthodox.
Nor is it for Orthodox Christians to “defeat” Catholics.
The goal is communion in Christ.
☦️❤️✝️
Perhaps one day, by the grace of God, the five-stringed lyre will sound again.
Perhaps one day the Christian East and West will once again worship in full communion.
And perhaps the Church will once again breathe deeply with both lungs.
East and West.
Together again.
One Body in Christ.
🕊️ UT UNUM SINT.
“That they may be one.”
