Pope Francis reiterated his desire for "full unity" with other Christian confessions when he received in audience young priests and monks of the Oriental Orthodox churches.

Oriental Orthodox churches, as differentiated from the Eastern Orthodox churches, only accept the first three ecumenical councils.

"The proclamation of the common faith requires, first of all, that we love one another," the Holy Father said. As on Feb. 5, during his general audience, the pontiff did not read the speech he had prepared because he is suffering from a "bad cold."

However, those in attendance received a copy of the text during the meeting that took place in the Casa Santa Marta.

The Holy Father told the group of young priests and monks of the Oriental Orthodox churches, including Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Malankar, and Syriac, that "Christians who remain divided are like fragments that must find unity in the confession of the one faith."

"We need each other to be able to confess the faith," he added.

This audience was part of a curriculum for young Oriental Orthodox priests and monks organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. This was the fifth time such a meeting has taken place.

Previously, similar study trips have been made for Catholic priests prepared by the Armenian Patriarchate of Etchmiadzin.

Pope Francis emphasized the "special relevance" of this visit in the year that marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council (A.D. 325) in which the symbol (Greek: symbolon/summary) of faith common to all Christians was professed.

The pontiff expressed his gratitude for the "exchange of gifts" promoted by the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox churches and noted that "it allows the dialogue of charity to go hand in hand with the dialogue of truth."

The ecumenical dimension of the 'symbol of faith'

He then reflected on the ecumenical dimension of the term "symbol," noting that in the theological sense, the concept is understood as "the set of the principal truths of the Christian faith, which complement and harmonize with each other."

"In this sense, the Nicene Creed, which succinctly sets forth the mystery of our salvation, is undeniable and incomparable," the pontiff said.

From an ecclesiological point of view, he said the creed also "unites believers."

"In ancient times, the Greek word 'symbolon' indicated one half of a tile split in two to be presented as a sign of recognition [by perfectly fitting with the other half]. The symbol is therefore a sign of recognition and communion between believers," he said.

For this reason, he pointed out that faith is a "symbol" that only finds "its full unity together with others."

"Therefore, we need each other to be able to confess the faith, which is why the Nicene Creed, in its original version, uses the plural 'we believe,'" he said.

Pope Francis referred to a third meaning of the creed on the spiritual level and asked his listeners not to forget that the creed is above all "a prayer of praise that unites us to God: Union with God necessarily passes through unity among us, we Christians, who proclaim the same faith."

"If the devil divides, the creed unites!" the pope said. He added: "How beautiful it would be if, every time we proclaim the creed, we felt united with Christians of all traditions!" Finally, everyone prayed the Nicene Creed together, each in his own language.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.