Pope Leo XIV has called on Eastern Christians to deepen their commitment to unity by overcoming prejudice, mutual estrangement, and inner judgment, during a meeting at the Vatican with young priests and monks from Eastern Orthodox Churches.

According to Vatican News, the audience brought together representatives of the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Malankara, and Syriac Orthodox Churches. The participants were visiting Rome as part of an educational program organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.

Addressing the group, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that historical and cultural differences among Christian churches should not be viewed as obstacles. Instead, he described them as forming a “rich mosaic of a shared Christian heritage.” At the same time, he noted that such diversity requires ongoing dialogue and a genuine willingness to cooperate.

The pontiff recalled the words of the Apostle Paul on the Church as the one Body of Christ, warning that isolation and excessive focus on internal concerns weaken the Christian witness in the world. He urged churches to support one another, saying that mutual encouragement allows Christians to grow together in their shared faith in Christ as the source of peace.

A central theme of the pope’s remarks was what he called “inner disarmament” — the rejection of the need to always be right and the habit of judging others. In this context, he quoted Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople, a leading figure of the 20th-century ecumenical movement, who taught that the greatest spiritual struggle is the struggle with oneself.

Pope Leo XIV said that freeing oneself from inner prejudices and “disarming the heart” fosters love, strengthens ties between churches, and transforms Christian unity into a force for peace and reconciliation in the world.

Concluding the meeting, the pope thanked the guests for their visit and invited them to join him in prayer, reciting the Lord’s Prayer together.