In a letter to Pope Leo XIV, World Council of Churches (WCC) moderator of the central committee, Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended heartfelt greetings and congratulations.
“This moment marks not only a new chapter in the leadership of the Catholic Church but also a renewed opportunity for deepening the bonds of ecumenical friendship and cooperation,” the letter reads. “In the homily you shared after your election, you focused on being a missionary church, synodality, peace, and building bridges; these resonate extremely well with the World Council of Churches.”
The letter notes that these directions are precisely what the world needs now in these times of turbulence, wars, violence, and climate, economic, and gender injustices. “The world needs justice, peace, reconciliation, and unity,” the letter reads. “The WCC cherishes the enduring ecumenical contributions of the Catholic Church, which have continually advanced the cause of Christian unity and enriched the global Christian witness.”
This shared pilgrimage reflects and affirms the vision of the WCC Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity, the letter notes.
“The WCC stands ready to continue walking alongside with you as with our Catholic sisters and brothers in this pilgrimage, confident that the Holy Spirit will guide and sustain our shared vocation toward unity in the love of Christ,” the letter reads.
WCC congratulates Pope Leo XIV (WCC news release, 8 May 2025)
Source: oikoumene.org
