Churches of the East: Pope adds Coptic Orthodox martyrs to Catholic caledar.

Churches of the East: Pope adds Coptic Orthodox martyrs to Catholic cale...: 

Pope adds Coptic Orthodox martyrs to Catholic calendar

From the US Conference of Catholic Bishops:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has continued his predecessors' serious commitment to ecumenical dialogue, but he also makes ecumenical gestures that underline that seriousness.

During his formal meeting May 11 with Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, Egypt, Pope Francis announced that he was adding to the Catholic calendar of saints the 21 Coptic martyrs killed in Libya by Islamic State fighters in 2015

Of note:

The Coptic church is one of the Oriental Orthodox churches -- Christian communities of North Africa, the Middle East and India -- that accepted the teachings adopted at the first three ecumenical councils, but rejected the Christological definition of the fourth council, held in Chalcedon in 451.

However, through theological and ecumenical dialogue, the Oriental Orthodox churches and mainline Christian communities have concluded that those differences were a matter of terminology and not substance. Between 1971 and 1996, leaders of each of the independent Oriental Orthodox churches signed declarations with either St. Paul VI or St. John Paul II affirming a common faith in Christ's humanity and divinity.

"Reconciliation and unity require a long journey," Pope Tawadros told reporters, "and this is happening after 15 centuries of separation."

Truly remarkable, and a great action in my view.