Pope Leo XIV is set to begin his first international apostolic journey, visiting Turkey and Lebanon from November 27 to December 3. The trip commemorates the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. The Pope's visit aims to promote Christian unity, peace, and offer encouragement in a region facing various challenges. His itinerary includes visits to the Atatürk Mausoleum and meetings with religious leaders and communities. This journey marks a significant step in his papacy, focusing on interfaith relations and pastoral care.
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Pope Leo XIV began his first international apostolic journey on November 27, 2025, departing Rome for Turkey and Lebanon, a six-day trip spanning November 27 to December 2 or 3.1 2 3 The visit fulfills plans originally set by Pope Francis to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea while promoting peace amid global and regional conflicts.1 3 Leo emphasized unity and harmony across religions during his flight to Ankara, hoping to inspire worldwide brotherhood despite differences.1
The itinerary starts in Ankara with official welcomes, then moves to Istanbul for ecumenical and interfaith events, before heading to Lebanon for pastoral outreach.3 6 This marks the first trip abroad for the American-born pope, elected in May 2025, and highlights his priorities of Christian unity, dialogue with Islam, and support for suffering communities.2 3
Pope Leo XIV landed at Esenboga International Airport in Ankara on November 27, greeted by a military honor guard, Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, and church leaders.1 He laid a wreath at the Atatürk Mausoleum honoring Turkey's founder, then met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Palace and addressed diplomats, civil society, and authorities.3 6 Later that day, he flew to Istanbul for three days of engagements, bypassing an overnight in Ankara.1 3
Turkey, with its 85 million mostly Sunni Muslim population, positions itself as a mediator in Ukraine-Russia talks and Gaza ceasefire efforts, roles Leo may endorse in speeches.1 Public reaction in Turkey remains muted amid a cost-of-living crisis and political turmoil, with some viewing the visit skeptically as advancing U.S. interests or pushing for religious freedoms like reopening a Greek Orthodox seminary.1
The trip's core is the 1,700th anniversary of the 325 A.D. Council of Nicaea in Iznik, where Leo will join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I for prayer at the historic site and sign a joint declaration symbolizing Catholic-Orthodox unity.1 3 6 The council defined Christ's divinity, set Easter's date, and issued church norms, bridging Eastern and Western traditions divided since the 1054 Great Schism.1 3
The visit's motto, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism," underscores reconciliation during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.3 A Maronite bishop called it a summons for Christians to heal divisions, echoing Nicaea's legacy.2 Leo's prudence contrasts with Francis's bolder style, avoiding potential flashpoints like Hagia Sophia, reconverted to a mosque in 2020.3 6
In Istanbul, Leo will visit the Blue Mosque for interfaith reflection and meet Muslim leaders, aiming to dispel prejudices and showcase Islam's hospitality.1 3 This builds on Erdogan's reforms since 2002, like returning church properties, though Christians—numbering about 33,000 Catholics—face registration hurdles and lack formal recognition.1
Turkey's tiny Christian minority has endured attacks, including a 2024 Islamic State-claimed church assault killing one, plus the 2023 earthquake and inflation woes.3 6 A delicate moment involves visiting Istanbul's Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, a tradition for popes, but Leo is expected to avoid genocide references that strained ties under Francis in 2015.1 Local imams see the trip as advancing Christian-Muslim bonds.1
Shifting to Lebanon, Leo seeks to deliver a peace message to a nation scarred by the 2019 economic collapse, 2020 Beirut port explosion (over 236 dead), and Israel-Hezbollah clashes since October 2023.3 5 6 He will pray silently at the blast site, visit St. Charbel's tomb in Annaya—a Maronite icon—and meet youth near the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke.3 6
Lebanon's Christians, vital to its power-sharing system (Maronites hold key posts like president), face emigration and division in a triply split society.3 4 A border priest described Lebanon as "wounded," with villages like Rmeich enduring bombings yet refusing to abandon their homes.4 5 Past papal visits by John Paul II (1997) and Benedict XVI (2012) are recalled as beacons of resilience.4 5
Excitement builds among Turkey's Christians, who view Leo's presence as vital support amid persecution history, like the 2006 and 2010 murders of clergy.3 4 In Lebanon, the visit offers hope during crises, with preparations evoking prior papal milestones.4 5 Nine historic sites, from Iznik's ruins to Beirut's explosion memorial, underscore the journey's spiritual depth.2 4
Overall, the trip reinforces Leo's call for global peace, including Ukraine and Mideast tensions, while navigating diplomacy in intermediary nations.1 3 It signals continuity with Francis but with Leo's measured approach, potentially easing Vatican ties strained by past controversies.1 6
Papal interfaith diplomacy: Catholic‑Islamic relations and Christian unity
Papal interfaith diplomacy has long served as a cornerstone of the Catholic Church's mission to foster peace, human dignity, and mutual respect in a divided world. Under successive popes, this outreach emphasizes dialogue rooted in the Gospel, recognizing shared human values while upholding the uniqueness of Christian faith. Recent addresses by Pope Leo XIV build on the legacy of his predecessors, particularly in advancing Catholic-Islamic relations and pursuing Christian unity. These efforts highlight religion not as a source of conflict but as a pathway to reconciliation, addressing contemporary challenges like persecution, migration, and secularism. By engaging with Muslim leaders and Christian communities alike, the Holy See promotes a "synergy for peace" that unites believers in service to the common good.
The Catholic Church's engagement with Islam traces back to the Second Vatican Council's Nostra Aetate (1965), which affirmed respect for Muslims' faith in one God, their reverence for prayer, and moral life, calling for collaboration in promoting justice, peace, and liberty. This foundation has evolved into active diplomacy, exemplified by historical encounters like St. Francis of Assisi's meeting with Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil in 1219, where mutual courtesy and recognition of holiness transcended differences. Such moments underscore a tradition of interfaith majalis—courtly dialogues—that emphasize kindness, as in hadiths praising gentleness over harshness.
Pope John Paul II advanced this vision through personal outreach, such as his 1985 address to young Muslims in Casablanca, urging believers to favor friendship amid global tensions, given their shared origin in and destiny toward God. He stressed that the Church seeks collaboration without discrimination, highlighting Islam's spiritual values to build harmony. Similarly, in 1993, during his apostolic journey to Spain, John Paul II praised initiatives like the Christian-Islamic dialogue convened by the Spanish Episcopal Conference, inspired by Nostra Aetate. He called for mutual respect to avoid injustice, especially in regions of minority-majority coexistence, and condemned using religion to justify violence—a "terrible abuse" decried by all true believers. In 1999, addressing bishops of the Central African Republic, he emphasized training experts for genuine dialogue with Muslims, based on knowledge of their values and a commitment to religious freedom, to foster understanding in pluralistic societies.
Pope Leo XIV continues this trajectory with a focus on practical solidarity. In his September 2025 message to the 8th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana, he envisions a future of peace through religious leaders' united defense of the vulnerable, care for the environment, and advocacy for dignity—proving that "faith unites more than it divides." He portrays religion as a "wellspring of healing and reconciliation," calling for side-by-side prayer, service, and advocacy where dignity is at risk. This echoes John Paul II's Assisi prayer days (1986 and 2002), which Leo XIV implicitly builds upon by promoting "unarmed and disarming" peace.
In contexts of persecution, Leo XIV ties Islamic relations to religious freedom. His October 2025 address to Aid to the Church in Need underscores that denying this right erodes communal bonds, leading to fear and violence. Drawing from Dignitatis Humanae, he affirms the Church's defense of freedom for all, including Muslims, as essential for reconciliation. This is particularly relevant in regions like the Middle East or Africa, where shared Abrahamic roots can counter extremism. Leo XIV's diplomacy thus integrates evangelization with dialogue, viewing the latter as part of the Church's mission without compromising truth.
Challenges persist, such as cultural misunderstandings or geopolitical tensions, yet papal efforts prioritize "healthy secularism"—affirming religion's value while distinguishing it from politics—as seen in Leo XIV's September 2025 address to the European Parliament's Working Group on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue. Here, he roots dialogue in Gospel values, openness, and human dignity, citing exemplars like Robert Schuman to model integration in diverse Europe. This approach counters secular isolation by emphasizing religion's role in enhancing relationships and community.
Parallel to interfaith outreach, papal diplomacy has intensified efforts toward Christian unity, viewing ecumenism as essential for credible witness in a fragmented world. The Second Vatican Council's Unitatis Redintegratio called for dialogue in "humble and loving fraternity," grounded in common baptism and mission. Leo XIV, in his addresses, portrays unity as growing through theological exchange, shared worship, and joint service, especially amid global scars like conflict and inequality.
With Eastern Churches, progress is notable. In July 2025, Leo XIV greeted an Orthodox-Catholic ecumenical pilgrimage from the U.S., linking it to the 1700th anniversary of Nicaea (325 AD), where the Creed became "common patrimony." He highlighted shared Easter celebrations and hope in the Risen Christ, asking pilgrims to convey peace to Patriarch Bartholomew. This builds on the 1994 Joint Declaration resolving Christological disputes with the Assyrian Church of the East, enabling sacramental recognition. In October 2025, Leo XIV welcomed Mar Awa III and the Joint Commission, praising 30 years of dialogue on faith, sacraments, and Church structure. He advocates a first-millennium-inspired model of communion—exchange of gifts without absorption—framed by synodality, quoting Pope Francis: "The journey of synodality... is and must be ecumenical." The Nicaea anniversary inspires "ecumenical synodal practices" for unity.
For Protestant and Anglican communities, Leo XIV's August 2025 message to the Ecumenical Week in Stockholm commemorates the 1925 Life and Work Conference, echoing Archbishop Söderblom's call to "practical Christianity" for peace and justice. Though Catholics were absent then, Leo XIV affirms shared discipleship, citing milestones like John Paul II's 1989 Sweden visit and the 2016 Lund commemoration of the Reformation—"from conflict to communion." The theme "Time for God’s Peace" summons Christians as "artisans of reconciliation," confronting division with courage.
These ecumenical initiatives interconnect with broader diplomacy. Leo XIV's emphasis on hope, as in the Jubilee motto Peregrinantes in Spes, unites efforts: pilgrims return to apostolic roots, fostering visible unity that strengthens interfaith witness.
Catholic-Islamic relations and Christian unity are intertwined in papal diplomacy, both serving human dignity and peace. Ecumenical progress enhances interfaith credibility, as united Christians model dialogue. Leo XIV's addresses reveal no tension; rather, both stem from the Church's sacrament of unity, promoting religious freedom amid persecution. In pluralistic societies, as John Paul II noted, dialogue with Muslims requires discernment, prioritizing unity over division. Leo XIV extends this to global forums, like Astana, where religious synergy counters violence.
Controversies, such as historical schisms or modern fundamentalism, are addressed cautiously: dialogue acknowledges differences while celebrating shared creeds and values. Recent sources, like Leo XIV's 2025 speeches, take precedence, emphasizing synodality and hope over past conflicts.
Papal interfaith diplomacy, exemplified by Pope Leo XIV's engagements, renews the Church's call to unity and peace. In Catholic-Islamic relations, it builds bridges through mutual respect and shared service; in Christian unity, it pursues visible communion via dialogue and synodality. Together, these efforts witness to hope, affirming that faith heals divisions and upholds dignity. As Leo XIV urges, may believers pray, serve, and speak as one for humanity's good.