OCA Delegation attends Inauguration of Pope Leo XIV
With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, a delegation of the Orthodox Church in America traveled to Rome to attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, May 18, 2025. The delegation, appointed by His Beatitude, consisted of His Grace Bishop Andrei of Cleveland, Auxiliary to the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Acting Chancellor and Secretary of the Orthodox Church in America.
Upon their arrival on May 17, His Grace and Father Alessandro were formally received by an official of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.
Representatives from all Orthodox Churches were present, including His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, along with numerous ecumenical and interreligious delegations.
On Sunday, May 18, the OCA delegation participated in the Solemn Mass of Inauguration in St. Peter’s Square, attended by over 250,000 people, including many political and religious dignitaries. Among them was Vice President of the United States, JD Vance.
Following the liturgy, official religious delegations were invited to a luncheon hosted by Kurt Cardinal Koch, President of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.
On Monday morning, May 19, Bishop Andrei and Fr. Alessandro attended a special audience with Pope Leo XIV, held for the ecumenical and interreligious delegations that participated in the inauguration. At the conclusion of the audience, each delegation had the opportunity to greet the Pope personally and extend their congratulations.
Fr. Alessandro remarked: “We were grateful for the opportunity to attend the inauguration of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV and to offer in-person congratulations on behalf of Metropolitan Tikhon. We were also thankful for the chance to connect with the official delegations of the other Orthodox autocephalous Churches who were also present.”
The Orthodox Church in America has been represented at papal inaugurations and funerals for many decades. In September 1978, His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius and Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann attended the inauguration of Pope John Paul I. Just weeks later, in October 1978, His Eminence Archbishop Sylvester and Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky were present for the inauguration of Pope John Paul II. OCA representatives also attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II and the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005. Most recently, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon represented the Orthodox Church in America at the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in January 2023.
As His Beatitude has already noted in his letter to Pope Leo at the time of his election, the Orthodox Church in America extends its congratulations for a fruitful pontificate.