Logo of the Conference of European Churches
Pope Leo XIV has been continuing to make ecumenical moves:
Pope Leo receives European Christian leaders after the signing of new Ecumenical Charter
November 14, 2025
The presidents of the Conference of European Churches and the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences have presented a revised Charta Œcumenica to Pope Leo XIV, a new document cementing church and continental unity.
They did so during a private audience at the Vatican on Nov. 6, according to the CEC, a Brussels-based body representing mainly Protestant and Orthodox traditions, which worked with the CCEE, a body that brings together 39 Catholic episcopal conferences.
This audience took place a day after the signing of the revised Charta Œcumenica in Rome, marking a significant milestone for churches across Europe.
First adopted in 2001, the Charta sets out commitments by Europe’s churches to closer fellowship, common witness, dialogue, and shared responsibility for the continent’s future. https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/pope-leo-receives-european-christian-leaders-after-the-signing-of-new-ecumenical-charter/61319.htm
CEC and CCEE presidents present revised Charta Œcumenica to Pope Leo
The presidents of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) presented the revised Charta Œcumenica to His Holiness Pope LEO XIV during a private audience at the Vatican on 6 November 2025. H.E. Msgr. Gintaras GRUŠAS, Archbishop of Vilnius and President of CCEE, and H. Em. Archbishop NIKITAS of Thyateira and Great Britain, President of CEC, shared the document with the Pope in what they described as a deeply touching moment on the common path of Christian unity in Europe.
This audience took place a day after the signing of the revised Charta Œcumenica in Rome, marking a significant milestone for churches across Europe. First adopted in 2001, the Charta sets out commitments by Europe’s churches to closer fellowship, common witness, dialogue, and shared responsibility for the future of the continent.
Several members of CCEE and CEC, along with other representatives of various Christian denominations were present in the audience, demonstrating the shared ownership of the Charta and the desire to deepen cooperation between Christian traditions in Europe.
Pope Leo welcomed the delegation with the words, “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord,” recalling the responsibility to continue the work of Christian unity. He underlined the importance of revisiting the Charta twenty-five years after its first signing, stating, “Certainly, the challenges Christians face on the ecumenical journey are constantly evolving.”
The Holy Father pointed to the changing context in which churches now serve, noting that many Christian communities in Europe “sense themselves increasingly to be in a minority” in societies marked by diversity and new cultural expressions. He stressed the need for openness and welcome, saying, “There are… many new voices to be heard and stories that must be welcomed through daily encounters and closer relationships, not to mention the urgency of promoting dialogue, concord and fraternity amidst the din of violence and war.”
Pope Leo affirmed the spirit of the renewed document, recognising the Charta Œcumenica as a sign of commitment by the churches. …
Looking to the future, the Pope shared his desire to continue strengthening Christian unity at a global level. He recalled his planned visit to the site of the Council of Nicaea to meet and pray with Heads of Churches, saying it is his wish in the Jubilee Year “to proclaim to all the people of Europe that ‘Jesus Christ is our Hope’, …
By presenting the revised Charta Œcumenica to Pope Leo, CCEE and CEC reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepen fellowship, strengthen Christian witness, and work together for peace, justice, and reconciliation in Europe. 11/07/25 https://ceceurope.org/cec-and-ccee-presidents-present-revised-charta-cumenica-pope-leo-xiv
A few days after this, Pope Leo XIV pushed the idea that the Archcathedral of his church is “the Mother of All Churches” (see Pope Leo XIV asserts the Basilica of St. John Lateran is “in fact, the ‘Mother of all Churches’”).
The idea of the Church of Rome pushing for unity in Europe is not a new one. It has been a goal for centuries. Notice that even when Europe was still recovering from being devastated in World War II, after attending a conference related to the start of the UN, in the December 1948 issue of The Plain Truth Herbert W. Armstrong predicted a coming “United States of Europe” when he wrote:
It was the SERMON that shot forth that spark, impregnating the minds of world leaders in attendance. This amazing sermon was delivered by a foremost radio speaker of the Catholic Church, Bishop Duane G. Hunt of Salt Lake City … Without the guidance, supervision, authority of the Catholic Church, he told these men, they were laboring in vain …
This was the Roman Catholic bid to resurrect the so-called “HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE” ! And PROPHECY says they will succeed! … At the psychological time, the pope will step in … Thru this political movement, he will UNIFY … nations in Europe. It will be a “The UNITED STATES OF EUROPE,” but that probably will never become its official name. (Armstrong HW. Now It Can Be Told…The Plain Truth, December 1948, pp. 2,5).
In the past few years, Europe took significant steps to do what the Church of God warned about decades ago. Notice a later COG warning/report:
Just as the Church once imposed her order upon nations and peoples, she is again seeking to establish a “Christian order which [she says] alone is able to guarantee peace. …
On February 10, 1952, in his pontifical exhortation, the late Pope Pius XII said, “THE WHOLE WORLD MUST BE REBUILT FROM ITS FOUNDATIONS.”
Secretly, the Vatican diplomats are laying the foundations of a program that will remake Western civilization! It has to be planned secretly so it will not be discovered until it is too late to stop it!
The Vatican contends that “peace” can be maintained only by a Catholic-dominated international organization which has iron teeth to crush opposition!
“This organization,” said Pope Pius in his Christmas message of 1944, “will be vested… with supreme authority and power to smother… aggression.”
Note that the organization which the pope will invest with this power will have military might enough to quell resistance. This is where German military might comes in to CRUSH OPPOSITION to the Catholic Church …
The church wants more power in world affairs. But to have more power, its hierarchy first wants to revive and more solidly unite its own church body. That is why the church is presently stepping up a program of world evangelism and striving to bring Protestants back into the “fold.”
In his written message to the 37th Eucharistic World Congress of the Roman Catholic Church held in Munich, Germany, in 1960; the late Pope John XXIII said that Catholics must pray “that Christ’s religion [supposedly Catholicism], after the OBSTACLES are removed, can spread to the entire round earth.”
One of these obstacles preventing world evangelism of Catholicism is Protestantism! The Protestants are now being increasingly encouraged by the Catholics to voluntarily unite with the church. And if this fails, the Catholic Church will later resort to force! (Lesson 32 – “Mark of the Beast” To Be Enforced Again! 58 Lesson: Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, 1967 https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getbstudy&InfoID=1496580609&InfoType=Study58&SearchWhat=KeyWord&SearchFor=Sermon%20on%20mount%205&NoShow=&page=99&return=search)
Yes, the Church of Rome has long wanted the Protestants back in the fold. And now it looks like perhaps most of the European Protestants are moving much closer to the Church of Rome. I believe that when we see more of the signs and lying wonders of 2 Thessalonians 2, the process of ecumenical unity will be basically complete in Europe.
A cross looks to be a unifying symbol as the logo of the Conference of European Churches includes one–early Christians did NOT use a cross as a symbol (see What is the Origin of the Cross as a Claimed ‘Christian’ Symbol?).
What about Pope Leo XIV himself?
In my free eBook titled, The Last Pope of the Malachy Prophecies: Do Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Leo XIV?, I have the following:
Leo XIV will be ecumenical. …
From May 20, 325 A.D./C.E. to August 325, the Roman Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicea. One of his political objectives was to get ecumenical unity in certain matters. In 2025, there are meetings to mark the 1700th anniversary of this, which are expected to include ecumenical discussions.
Pope Francis had expected to participate. So we would expect that his replacement, Pope Leo XIV, to get involved somehow in this. Actually, before the conclave to elect Pope Leo XIV was called, Patriarch Barthlomew of Constantinople extended an invitation for the next pope to attend the 1700th anniversary of Nicea. Like Emperor Constantine, Pope Leo XIV would like to ecumenical reconciliation for religious and political reasons.
Pope Leo has taken steps such as meeting with eastern Catholic churches (see Pope Leo XIV met with ‘Churches of the East’–what did 1st century Christians believe?) and others (e.g. Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican pushing ecumenical unity with the Eastern Orthodox, Pentecostals, and Others: Syriac Orthodox want to be in communion with Rome), including the King of England (see King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV prayed together, gave each other titles, and exchanged gifts in ecumenical unity moves–and a Cottrell was involved!) to push his version of unity.
And there are many groups that he wants and that want to be more ecumenical with him.
Notice some other statements in my book The Last Pope of the Malachy Prophecies: Do Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Leo XIV?:
Abbott Joachim (died 1202): A remarkable Pope will be seated on the pontifical throne, under special protection of the angels … he shall recover the states of the Church, and reunite the exiled temporal powers. As the only Pastor, he shall reunite the Eastern to the Western Church … Through him the East and West shall be in ever lasting concord. The city of Babylon shall then be the head and guide of the world …
Even though the Bible warns against end time Babylon (cf. Revelation 18:4; Jeremiah 50,51), Abbot Joachim is trying to teach that it is good. …
Here are some Roman Catholic warnings about the type of unification that some look forward to:
Michal Semin: Our Lady spoke of the annihilation of nations…The European Union is intent on destroying nation states, suppressing national identities and borders, so that we can happily live in an always progressing supra-national community of EU faithful.
Priest O’Connor (20th century?): This final false prophet will be a bishop of the church and will lead all religions into becoming one.
Priest H. Kramer (20th century): In the vision of the Seer now appears a second beast rising out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb but speaking like a dragon…In other places he is called the false prophet … This prophet may re-establish the pagan Roman Empire and build the “Great Harlot”, Babylon … The False Prophet … will persuade all infidels, apostates and apostate nations to worship and adore him … Antichrist “sitteth in the temple of God” (2 Thes. II. 4). This is not the ancient Temple in Jerusalem … this temple is shown to be a Catholic Church … The False Prophet will proclaim the resurrection of the Roman Empire.
Thus, while some Roman Catholic prophecies praise a new religious order, many others indicate that a new type of ‘Catholicism’ will be false to that religion and not be good for Europe. This also seems to be consistent with an Eastern Orthodox understanding of the last false religious power coming from Rome:
Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos (20th century): The army of Antichrist is made up of the worldly powers, mainly the Roman Empire, symbolized by the two beasts and the harlot woman (Rev. 11:7; 13:1-17; cf. Dan. 7:11-12) … The final confrontation with evil is presented in chapters 19 and 20…The war is waged by the beast and the false prophet. Both of these are organs of Satan, representing the political and religious authority of Rome (Rev. 13:1-18).
Whatever new order that the Great Monarch (who is to be crowned the leader of the Roman Empire according to other writings) implements with Rome will not be faithful to the teachings of Christ or His original faithful followers.
Therefore a “false pope” is expected, and a great loss of Catholic members to his religion is prophesied. Might this be in the works now? Could Pope Leo XIV work for this?
While Pope Francis took ecumenical steps, could Pope Leo XIV be the one that will seal unity with the Eastern Orthodox Catholics and the Protestants of Europe?
He may well be.
What I wish he would do, is to heed the following scripture–which is shown below from two Roman Catholic translations of the Bible:
3 Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your common salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. (Jude 3, DRB)
3 My dear friends, at a time when I was eagerly looking forward to writing to you about the salvation that we all share, I felt that I must write to you encouraging you to fight hard for the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people. (Jude 3, NJB)
If Pope Leo XIV would really do that, it would be an exciting and great course of action.
Earlier this year he hinted that the churches of the east, that are in communion with Rome, should do that–and they should.
But the Church of Rome, as well as all other churches, should do so as well.
Some items of related interest may include:
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
What is the Origin of the Cross as a Claimed ‘Christian’ Symbol? Was the cross used as a venerated symbol by the early Church? Three related YouTube videos would be Beware of the ‘Ecumenical Cross’, The Chrislam Cross and the Interfaith Movement, and Origin of the Cross.
Early Christianity in Edessa and the Church of the East Could there have been Christian leaders there? Might Judas of Jerusalem went there? Could Macarius have been a faithful Christian?Here is a link to a related sermon video: Original Church of the East.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
The Last Pope of the Malachy Prophecies: Do Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Leo XIV? This 154 page book has biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies related to the last pope, an antipope who will be the final Antichrist.