Pope Leo Looks East
Within the first 10 days of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV communicated unequivocally the importance of the Christian East, his concern about the crises in the regions where CNEWA works, and his commitment to advance Christian unity.
Pope Leo held an audience with thousands of Eastern Catholics on pilgrimage to Rome for the jubilee year on 14 May. He thanked them for their perseverance and witness and pledged the Holy See’s commitment to promote peace and reconciliation.
Later that day, he met privately with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and, on 18 May after his inauguration Mass, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife. The Vatican press office did not release a statement about the latter. However, Catholic News Service reported Mr. Zelensky thanked the pope for the meeting in a social media post on his X account and “the Vatican for its willingness to serve as a platform for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.”
“We are ready for dialogue in any format for the sake of tangible results. We appreciate the support for Ukraine and the clear voice in defense of a just and lasting peace,” he wrote.
The Vatican confirmed plans are underway for Pope Leo to travel to Iznik, Turkey — a trip Pope Francis had planned — the site of the ancient city of Nicaea, to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.
On 19 May, Pope Leo affirmed his commitment to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue at a meeting with leaders of other churches and religions who attended his inauguration, including the ecumenical patriarch, Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Mar Awa III, catholicos-patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, Anglican, Methodist and Lutheran leaders, and representatives of the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain communities.
“I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the re-establishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” he said.
CNEWA in Rome
CNEWA hosted a series of events in Rome this spring, including a reception at the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, cohosted by CNEWA board member Marina C. Perna. Guests from throughout Italy and the European Union were introduced to CNEWA’s mission and work, with emphasis placed on the close partnership between this agency of the Holy See and the dicastery, whose secretary, Archbishop Michel Jalakh, O.A.M., and undersecretary, Bishop Filippo Ciampanelli, spoke to the guests and led them through the dicastery’s historic offices, including its renowned chapel.
On 31 March, CNEWA cosponsored a presentation at the Pontifical Oriental Institute (PIO) of the book “Eastern Catholic Theology in Action,” organized by the PIO and the Toronto-based Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute. The book is the first volume in a new series by The Catholic University of America Press, titled “Eastern Catholic Studies and Texts.” This series is the first in the English language on contemporary Eastern Catholic theology.
On 28 April, CNEWA hosted a panel of journalists covering the Holy See, which included John and Elise Ann Allen of Crux, Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service, Margherita Stancati of The Wall Street Journal, and William Cash, formerly of The Catholic Herald, and was moderated by CNEWA board member Amanda Bowman. They discussed the changing priorities of the church and how the pastoral vision of Pope Francis positioned the conclave (that later elected Leo XIV) differently from the previous one.
At a reception afterward, Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, CNEWA president, presented CNEWA’s Faith & Culture Award to Mr. Allen “for his maddening ability to report on all things Catholic in the pursuit of truth, clarity and accountability.” Mr. Allen is the editor of the Catholic news website Crux. He has served as a senior Vatican analyst for CNN and had worked as the Vatican correspondent for National Catholic Reporter. He authored several books and conversations in book form, including one with CNEWA’s board chair, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York.
CNEWA President Honored
Armenian Catholic Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian honored Msgr. Vaccari with the “highest Armenian Catholic decoration of the Great House of Cilicia” for his unwavering commitment in service to the poor and vulnerable.
The patriarch presented the award during a luncheon on 1 May at the Armenian Pontifical College in Rome. Thomas Varghese, CNEWA’s director of programs, and Brian McGinley, CNEWA’s director of development, were present, as were the ambassadors of Armenia and Lebanon to the Holy See, and priests and seminarians of the Armenian College.
Gala to Launch Centennial
CNEWA will kick off its 100th anniversary with its fourth annual Healing & Hope Gala on 1 December at The University Club on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The guest of honor will be Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. CNEWA’s Faith & Culture Award recipient will be announced at a later date. For information or tickets, call 212-826-1480, visit cnewa.org/events or email gala@cnewa.org.
Caritas Ukraine Update
The 2025 response plan of the United Nations for Ukraine, originally aimed at helping 6.5 million people, will be reduced due to the recent cuts to U.S. foreign aid, said Tetiana Stawnychy, Caritas Ukraine president, during a meeting at CNEWA’s administrative center in New York in March.
Caritas Ukraine, the charity of the Greek Catholic churches, is a main partner for CNEWA in the country, which has been at war since Russia commenced hostilities in 2014. More than 12.5 million people are in need, she said. Of these, 12 percent are children, 30 percent are elderly, and 14 percent have special needs.