Rediscovering the Primacy of God: Wisdom from Pope Leo XIV's Address to Oriental Churches
A reflection on the Holy Father's call to rediscover Eastern spirituality and its resonance with the teachings of Don Dolindo Ruotolo
I remember the first time I held one of Don Dolindo Ruotolo's writings in my hands. The yellowed pages carried the scent of history, but the words—oh, the words were alive with a timeless fire that seemed to leap from the page directly into my heart. There was something about his humble yet profound way of expressing the deepest truths of our faith that felt like a gentle hand guiding me back to what really matters.
On May 14, 2025, as I listened to our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV address the participants in the Jubilee of Oriental Churches, I experienced that same stirring in my soul. His words echoed across the audience with an urgency and tenderness that reminded me so much of Don Dolindo's writings from nearly a century ago.
“The Church needs you,” the Pope declared to our Eastern brothers and sisters. “The contribution that the Christian East can offer us today is immense!”
As his address continued, I found myself transported back to those moments spent with Don Dolindo's biblical commentaries, recognizing the same eternal truths being proclaimed anew for our troubled times.
In his address on May 14, 2025, Pope Leo XIV made a powerful appeal that caught my attention and has not left my thoughts since:
“It is likewise important to rediscover, especially in the Christian West, a sense of the primacy of God, the importance of mystagogy and the values so typical of Eastern spirituality: constant intercession, penance, fasting, and weeping for one's own sins and for those of all humanity (penthos)!” (Address of the Holy Father Leo XIV to Participants in the Jubilee of Oriental Churches, May 14, 2025)
These words struck me like a bell ringing through a silent valley. How often in our busy Western lives do we allow the “primacy of God” to be overshadowed by the primacy of our schedules, our comforts, our technologies? How frequently do we reduce our faith to a mere appendage of our lives rather than the central axis around which everything else revolves?
The Holy Father's profound message finds remarkable support in Don Dolindo Ruotolo's earlier spiritual insights. In his commentary on Chapter 34 of Ecclesiasticus, he wrote:
“To know, love, and serve God is not some negligible appendix to the book of human life - it is its center. It is not the timid occupation of small-minded people, but the glorious life of the strong. It is not some fanciful diversion or poetic refuge in times of anguish, but true elevation and greatness. The apostasy of the world and ignorance of spiritual values have conditioned us too much to regard as powerful, wise, and active those who mire themselves in material things, while viewing the activities of Faith and piety almost as shameful functions of life - necessary, yes, but bringing almost a sense of shame when displayed.” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on Chapter 34 of Ecclesiasticus)
Reading these words today, I am struck by their prophetic quality. Don Dolindo saw with piercing clarity the creeping materialism that has only intensified in our digital age, where the tangible so often eclipses the eternal.
Pope Leo XIV's appeal to preserve Eastern traditions “without attenuating them” speaks to a spiritual richness that the West desperately needs. This call for a return to a sense of the sacred, of mystery, of wholehearted dedication to God finds a profound echo in Don Dolindo's reflections on the Christian life.
In his commentary on Chapter 12 of the Letter to the Romans, Don Dolindo describes the Christian's dedication to God with words that could easily have been part of the Pope's recent address:
“It is a total orientation that admits no half-measures and condemns any acquiescence to the spirit of the world. It is the Christian's complete dedication to God as a victim of love in his very bodily life, a perfect union with His will, and a constant striving toward greater perfection. ... To offer one's body to God with all its strength, activities, and sufferings is a profound act of worship, for it means offering oneself as a host, as a victim... The Christian thus gives his body to the Lord as a living host, because his consecration consists in first dying to himself and to sin through Baptism, and then rising with Christ to a new life, entirely dedicated to God's glory.” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on Chapter 12 of the Letter to the Romans)
I find myself wondering: is this not precisely what our Holy Father is calling us back to? This “total orientation” that Don Dolindo describes is no less than the lived spirituality of our Eastern brothers and sisters, who have preserved in their liturgies and practices a sense of the all-encompassing nature of Christian dedication.
When Pope Leo XIV specifically mentioned “constant intercession, penance, fasting, and weeping for one's own sins and for those of all humanity,” I couldn't help but think of how these very practices have been marginalized in much of Western Christianity. We have become uncomfortable with the language of sacrifice, with the concept of penance, with the spiritual discipline of fasting.
And yet, Don Dolindo spoke of these very practices with conviction and clarity. On the topic of fasting, he wrote:
“The Church prohibits eating meat on Friday, in honor of the Passion of Jesus Christ, and on days of fasting for salutary penance. These are holy and most praiseworthy practices, ridiculed or violated only by those who abdicate their reason and their love. Those who remember that on Friday the Blood of Jesus Christ was shed for our salvation, unable to give their own blood in thanksgiving, at least offer Him the homage of deprivation; those who know they have sinned by taking many illicit satisfactions feel the need to offer in compensation the renunciation of licit satisfactions. It is a loving and reasonable act that honors God, benefits the soul, and is also a sign of dignity and nobility.” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 9)
There is something deeply moving about this perspective, which sees our small acts of self-denial not as burdensome obligations but as intimate gestures of love toward the One who gave everything for us.
Don Dolindo goes further in his commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, addressing the very neglect of these practices that our Holy Father now calls us to reconsider:
“It was in prayer and fasting that the Holy Spirit manifested Himself, and desired that Barnabas and Saul be set apart for the apostolate to the Gentiles. These are the two great means for knowing and fulfilling the divine Will in our life - means which were employed by the early Christians, Priests, Bishops, and the Pope. We, instead, prefer to rely on the devices of human prudence and political resources, and we disregard the light of the Holy Spirit so much that it seems almost like a caricature to resort to prayer when action is needed, and nearly foolish to turn to penance. Above all, the concept of penance, and particularly of fasting, has become so foreign to our habits that we consider even the mildest ecclesiastical fast unbearable and intolerable. We do not understand that denying the body a satisfaction is like unclogging that wonderful capillary network of interior humility, which allows grace to rise, like vital sap in a tree, to the summit of our activities.” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on chapter 13 of the Acts of the Apostles)
How these words resonate today! We have indeed become a people who find “even the mildest ecclesiastical fast unbearable,” and who often place more faith in “human prudence and political resources” than in the transformative power of prayer and penance.
The Eastern concept of penthos—that deep, spiritual sorrow for sin that Pope Leo XIV specifically mentioned—is beautifully articulated in Don Dolindo's reflection on the Second Letter of St. Peter:
“And who, when contradicted, betrayed, or condemned, could lose his way in the Christian or religious life while contemplating the suffering Jesus? Or who could desire the world, its riches, its revelries and its illusions, while contemplating Jesus born poor and living entirely for the Father's glory? This is the great example that St. Peter points out to Christians, which is the true direction and true strength of our Christian and religious life.” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on chapter 4 of Second Letter of St. Peter the Apostle)
This spiritual practice of contemplating Christ's suffering as a means of deepening our own sorrow for sin and detachment from worldly desires is precisely the penthos that remains so vital in Eastern spirituality.
Another key element in Pope Leo XIV's address was the importance of mystagogy—that sacred initiation into the mysteries of faith that goes beyond intellectual knowledge to embrace the experiential dimension of our relationship with God. The Holy Father spoke of “the sense of mystery that remains alive in your liturgies, liturgies that engage the human person in his or her entirety.“
Here again, Don Dolindo was profoundly attuned to this need for a liturgical life that engages the whole person and initiates us into the sacred mysteries. In his commentary on Exodus, he wrote:
“The spiritual resurrection of souls does not lie in externalities, in associations, in pompous parades, or in all those forms of human activity that are more superficial than profound. Resurrection lies in the worship of God, offered to Him according to the laws He Himself has given - that is, primarily in the sacred Liturgy. The Church of Jesus Christ has sprung from His Blood, from His divine prayer, from His Eucharistic Sacrifice, and it cannot prosper in any other way.” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on chapter 35 of Exodus)
This emphasis on authentic liturgical life as the wellspring of spiritual renewal mirrors Pope Leo XIV's call to embrace the rich liturgical traditions of the East. Don Dolindo saw clearly that external forms of religiosity without a deep liturgical foundation could not sustain the Church's mission or the individual believer's spiritual growth.
Even more remarkably, in his commentary on Ezekiel, Don Dolindo seemed to prophetically envision the very renewal from the East that our Holy Father now explicitly calls for when he declared to the Oriental Churches: "The Church needs you. The contribution that the Christian East can offer us today is immense!" and affirmed them as "precious in God's eyes." Drawing on the biblical vision in Ezekiel 43:1-5, where the prophet sees the glory of God returning to the Temple through the eastern gate, Don Dolindo wrote:
“In the restoration of Church life, God's glory will return to the Temple, returning amid the very tumult of the punishment that will purify it, and in the splendor of the light of wisdom and love that will illuminate it. Life, previously entirely naturalized, will be transformed into activity for divine glory, and this transformation will occur when the Priesthood is sanctified. The renewal of life in God's glory will come from the Eastern gate...” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on chapter 43 of Ezekiel)
How providential that nearly a century before Pope Leo XIV's address to the Oriental Churches, Don Dolindo would write of renewal coming “from the Eastern gate”! This remarkable consonance between the Holy Father's vision and Don Dolindo's writings is surely no coincidence, but rather a testament to the enduring truth of these spiritual principles.
The final element I wish to highlight from Pope Leo XIV's address is his mention of “constant intercession” as characteristic of Eastern spirituality. In an age of activism and constant doing, the practice of sustained intercessory prayer is perhaps one of the most countercultural aspects of authentic Christian life.
Don Dolindo's writings reveal his deep appreciation for this dimension of Christian spirituality. Commenting on St. Paul's letter to the Romans, he wrote:
“From the Romans, St. Paul asks for only one form of help: that of prayer... He wants only one assistance, the spiritual kind, and he implores them for it in the name of Jesus Christ and through the charity that the Holy Spirit has poured into their hearts; he asks to be helped through their prayers, and as the strong expression in the Greek text indicates, he asks that through their prayers they fight for him, and obtain for him deliverance from the unbelievers who were in Judea...” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on chapter 15 of the letter to the Romans)
This vision of prayer as spiritual combat, as a powerful means of assistance that transcends material help, reminds us of the true efficacy of intercession. In our efficiency-obsessed culture, prayer is often the last resort when it should be our first response.
Don Dolindo reinforces this priority in his commentary on the Gospel of Luke:
“The common good is not achieved through idle talk, but by raising supplicating hands to God and imploring His mercy.” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on chapter 21 on the Gospel of St Luke)
How simple yet profound! Our Holy Father's call to rediscover “constant intercession” echoes this wisdom, reminding us that our most effective contribution to the Church and the world may well be our persevering prayer.
As I reflect on Pope Leo XIV's recent address alongside Don Dolindo's biblical commentaries, I feel a personal invitation that I want to extend to you, dear reader. Perhaps we are being called, each in our own way, to embrace something of this Eastern spirituality that both Don Dolindo and our Holy Father have recognized as essential for the Church's life.
What might it look like for us to restore the “primacy of God” in our daily lives? How could we incorporate more moments of penance, fasting, and prayerful sorrow for sin (penthos) into our spiritual practice? How might we enter more fully into the mysteries celebrated in our liturgy?
Don Dolindo reminds us in his commentary on Ecclesiasticus that authentic spirituality must transform us from within:
“External works of piety and worship must be a reflection of the soul's sentiments - they should be like flowers from a vigorous plant, harmonies from a delicate musical instrument, rays from a dazzling light, intense at its source. Soulless piety is what is commonly called bigotry - it is an appearance meant to satisfy oneself and deceive others, a natural religious sentiment that is not truly supernatural life which transforms the creature into another and shapes it under the action of grace.” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on chapter 35 of Ecclesiasticus)
This transformation under the action of grace is the heart of what both Pope Leo XIV and Don Dolindo are calling us to. It is not about adopting external practices for their own sake, but about allowing these practices to become channels through which God's grace can more fully permeate our lives.
As we conclude this reflection on Pope Leo XIV's words to the Oriental Churches and their remarkable resonance with Don Dolindo Ruotolo's biblical commentaries, I am struck by the timelessness of this invitation to return to the foundations of our faith.
The Holy Father's plea that Eastern Churches preserve their traditions “without attenuating them, for the sake perhaps of practicality or convenience, lest they be corrupted by the mentality of consumerism and utilitarianism” is not merely addressed to our Eastern brothers and sisters. It is a call to all of us to resist the temptation to dilute our faith, to make it more “practical” or “convenient” at the expense of its depth and transformative power.
Don Dolindo understood this challenge, and his words remain a beacon for us today:
“We must never lose this spirit of our mystical body, just as an army never loses the spirit of its corps in order to remain firm and united in battle.” (Don Dolindo Ruotolo, Commentary on chapter 6 on the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians)
This “spirit of our mystical body” is precisely what Pope Leo XIV is calling us to rediscover through the wisdom of Eastern spirituality: a sense of the primacy of God, a reverence for sacred mystery, a commitment to prayer and penance, and a heartfelt sorrow for sin that moves us to greater love.
May we respond to this call with the same humility and fervor that characterized Don Dolindo's life and writings, trusting that in returning to these timeless practices, we will find not constraints but the liberating embrace of God's love.
In our own time, we have witnessed the growing global devotion to a saint who perfectly embodied these Eastern spiritual values: St. Charbel Makhlouf. It seems providential that Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8, the very birthday of St. Charbel—a beautiful sign that perhaps points to the Holy Father's special mission to highlight Eastern spirituality. This humble Lebanese monk, whose life was marked by extraordinary commitment to prayer, fasting, and self-denial, now draws pilgrims from around the world seeking healing and spiritual renewal. In his hermitage on the mountainside of Annaya, St. Charbel lived the primacy of God with absolute dedication—spending hours in Eucharistic adoration, observing rigorous fasts, and maintaining an almost constant state of prayerful recollection. His life of penthos—weeping for his sins and those of humanity—was not one of despair but of profound love and trust in Divine Mercy. The countless miracles attributed to his intercession since his death in 1898 remind us that a life devoted entirely to God, following the spiritual practices so treasured in Eastern Christianity, bears fruit not only for the individual soul but for the entire Body of Christ. St. Charbel stands as a living testament to the truth taught by Pope Leo XIV teaches and meditated by Don Dolindo: when we surrender completely to God through prayer, penance, and liturgical devotion, we become powerful channels of grace for the whole world.
May the intercession of Our Lady, St. Charbel, Don Dolindo, and all the saints of East and West accompany us on this journey of rediscovery.
This “spirit of our mystical body” is precisely what Pope Leo XIV is calling us to rediscover through the wisdom of Eastern spirituality: a sense of the primacy of God, a reverence for sacred mystery, a commitment to prayer and penance, and a heartfelt sorrow for sin that moves us to greater love.
May we respond to this call with the same humility and fervor that characterized Don Dolindo's life and writings, trusting that in returning to these timeless practices, we will find not constraints but the liberating embrace of God's love.
Maria Regina Cordium, ora pro nobis!
References:
Leo XIV. (2025, May 14). Address to Participants in the Jubilee of Oriental Churches [Speech]. Audience Hall, Vatican City. https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/may/documents/20250514-giubileo-chiese-orientali.html
Ruotolo, D. D. (1939). Commento alla Sacra Scrittura. Apostolato Stampa, 33.
Author’s Note: If you would like to read more about Don Dolindo’s spirituality, check out those books: Don Dolindo’s Books.
This is so glorious, such a message of hope in this Jubilee of Hope. I pray this will bear the fruit of union and communion for the glory of God! Fiat!
Will Don Dolindo’s Biblical commentaries ever be translated into English? Thank you!