This May 20, 2026, the Pope said that the patriarch's visit to Rome is an opportunity to "strengthen the bonds of unity that already exist between us, as we move towards full communion between our Churches."
Aram I is the head of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, which is based in Lebanon.
"I invite all those present to pray fervently to the Lord that your visit and meetings may constitute a further step on the path towards full unity," the Holy Father said.
During the past 30 years, various popes have decided to include Orthodox saints in the Roman Martyrology, and this is being called an "ecumenism of the saints." There is also the shared "ecumenism of blood" between Catholics and other Christians, meaning that faithful of both confessions have given their lives for Christ.
Speaking first in Italian and then in English, the Pope noted his gratitude for the work toward Christian unity, but he also invited prayers for the Middle East:
Let us also pray for peace in Lebanon and the Middle East, once again torn apart by violence and war.
Saints of unity
The Pope called on St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Nerses the Gracious – both Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church – St. Gregory of Narek, and the Virgin Mary “that they may enlighten our path towards the fullness of that unity we all desire."
Pope Leo XIV received Aram I in a private audience on May 18. He expressed his compassion for Lebanon, home to the Armenian Apostolic Church, and praised his "tireless ecumenical zeal."
The Armenian Patriarch is scheduled to hold a press conference this Wednesday afternoon and return to Lebanon on May 21 after a five-day stay in Rome. He was accompanied by a dozen bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church during his visit.
Aram I Keshishian has served as the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia — one of the main jurisdictions of the Armenian Apostolic Church — since 1995. While historically established in Cilicia in southern Turkey, its headquarters is now located in Antelias, Lebanon, just outside Beirut.
His jurisdiction primarily extends to Armenian diaspora communities across the Middle East, including Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, and Iran, along with several dioceses worldwide. It’s distinct from the Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin, which is based in Armenia. The Cilician see plays a crucial role in advancing ecumenical dialogue and defending Eastern Christian communities.