Ecumenical Patriarch sends message of support to Pope Leo XIV

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has sent a warm letter of fraternal support to Pope Leo XIV, expressing his heartfelt wishes for a swift and complete recovery following the Pontiff’s recent surgery.

In the letter, sent before the Pope underwent surgery at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday, October 13, the Ecumenical Patriarch assured him of his spiritual closeness during this period.

“May your strength be renewed for the benefit of the high ministry entrusted to you,” Patriarch Bartholomew wrote, expressing his hope that he would be able to convey his wishes in person, depending on the progress of the Pope’s recovery.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is scheduled to depart for Rome on October 23 to attend several events following honorary invitations, including one from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), where Pope Leo XIV studied.

During his visit, Patriarch Bartholomew is expected to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.

The two Church leaders are also scheduled to travel together to Assisi, where the Roman Catholic Church is organizing celebrations and events at the Basilica of St. Francis to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the saint’s…