Vatican City – This morning, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leone XIV received in audience the participants of the Plenary Assembly of ROACO (Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches). The Pope’s address was marked by powerful imagery, sharp analysis, and a heartfelt appeal not to surrender to the indifference and violence that continue to afflict the heart of Eastern Christianity.
What is ROACO?
ROACO is a committee that brings together charitable agencies from various countries, dedicated to materially supporting the Eastern Catholic Churches. Founded in 1968, it operates under the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, coordinating projects in church construction, education, healthcare, and aid to war-torn Christian communities. Members include the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, the Pontifical Mission for Palestine, and others from France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
“God loves a cheerful giver”: a mission, not a job
The Pope emphasized the spiritual and missionary nature of ROACO’s work: “It is not merely a job, but a missioncarried out in the name of the Gospel.” Giving, he said – quoting Saint Paul – is a gesture that delights the heart of God. Today, it becomes breath for the Eastern Churches, “oxygen tanks” in a context suffocated by war, hatred, and geopolitical interests.
The Pope spoke with dramatic tone about the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, describing lands “drained by self-interest, wrapped in a shroud of hatred.” In this darkness, ROACO is “a light that shines in the shadows of hatred.”
Violence and its roots
The Pope reviewed the historical suffering of the Eastern Catholic Churches, with self-criticism toward the West: “Sadly, there have also been abuses and misunderstandings within the Catholic fold.” But today, a new, diabolicalaggression seems to afflict these lands. He lamented the absence of participants from the Holy Land, due to ongoing war.
Striking were his words on the collapse of international law: “It no longer seems to bind, replaced by a supposed right to impose by force.” He called this a reality “unworthy of humanity, shameful for world leaders.” He denounced rearmament, calling it “false propaganda,” and condemned the enrichment of merchants of death responsible for the destruction of schools and hospitals.
Prayer, help, and witness: the Christian’s threefold path
What can Christians do? The Pope outlined three responses: prayer, concrete help, and above all, witness. “Turn every tragic headline into a cry of intercession to God,” he urged. The heart of the Christian path is faithfulness to Christ, resisting the logic of power: to imitate Christ who conquered evil by loving from the cross, not Herod or Pilate – symbols of fear and irresponsibility.
Key line: “Let us look to Jesus, who calls us to heal the wounds of history with the meekness of His glorious cross,” whose power is in forgiveness, hope, and transparency, even in a sea of corruption.
The beauty of the Eastern Churches: a treasure to rediscover
The Pope celebrated the beauty of Eastern Christianity: liturgies that allow God to dwell in time and space, ancient chants, mystical spirituality.
“In the night of conflict, you are witnesses to the light of the East.”
He warned this light is still ignored, even within the Catholic Church. He renewed the appeal of Saint John Paul II: “The Church must learn again to breathe with both lungs.” This requires knowledge, love, and closeness, not just theoretical respect. Hence, a concrete proposal: introduce introductory courses on the Eastern Churches in Catholic Seminaries and Universities, as called for by the Magisterium.
Prevost reflections promoted unity and openness, affirming that liturgical diversity expresses the Church’s universality, not division. If problems arise in groups tied to specific rites, the issue is human behavior, not the liturgy itself. “Authentic liturgy educates, converts, elevates – it never divides.”
Brothers, not cousins
Eastern Catholics must no longer be seen as “distant cousins,” but as brothers. Forced migration has brought them among us, and their sense of the sacred and faith forged in trial are gifts to a Western Church often spiritually dry.
A Church that knows, loves, and builds
In closing, Leone XIV entrusted the shared journey of faith to the intercession of Mary, Mother of God, and the apostles Peter and Paul – living signs of unity between East and West. With his blessing, he encouraged all to persevere “in charity, animated by the hope of Christ.”
This was no ordinary speech. It was a dense, lucid, and meaningful message – one that challenges, invites reflection, and deserves further consideration in the coming days.
s.P.A.
Silere non possum