Pope Leo XIV is set to make his first foreign trip to Turkey and Lebanon. The primary focus of the visit is to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in Turkey, a significant event for Christian unity. During his visit, the Pope will engage with various religious communities and meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Additionally, he will celebrate Mass in Istanbul and travel to Lebanon to meet with local authorities.
20 days ago
Pope Leo XIV embarks on his inaugural foreign trip to Türkiye and Lebanon, starting November 27, 2025, marking a significant moment in his pontificate.1 2
The journey emphasizes ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, and support for local Christian communities amid historical and contemporary challenges.2
The trip's centerpiece is the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea in İznik, where Pope Leo XIV will join about 20 Christian leaders to recite the Nicene Creed.1
This event, originally planned by Pope Francis, fulfills an invitation from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and tests Leo XIV's commitment to Christian unity through dialogue and shared heritage.1
Leo XIV's recent letter highlights Nicaea as a foundation for future reconciliation, aligning with his motto of unity without reverting to pre-division eras.1
Notably absent will be the Moscow Patriarchate, due to broken communion with Constantinople and Alexandria over geopolitical issues, including the Ukraine war.1
Rome-Moscow ties, thawed in 2016 under Francis, have strained since Russia's 2022 invasion, with Patriarch Kirill's war support drawing Vatican criticism as "heresies."1
Despite this, recent gestures like a Moscow representative at a Roman ecumenical event suggest relations are not fully severed, and the Nicaea gathering is unlikely to worsen them significantly.1
Leo XIV's canon law background and theological clarity resonate with Orthodox leaders, differing stylistically from Francis's focus on fraternal encounters.1
Following controversies like Fiducia supplicans, which paused Coptic-Catholic dialogue in 2024, resumption is eyed for 2026, signaling continued theological engagement.1
A closed-door meeting in Istanbul post-Nicaea will allow leaders to speak freely, fostering "ecumenical synodality" without resolving disputes like Easter dating.1
Arriving in Türkiye on November 27, Pope Leo XIV will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and address authorities before the İznik prayer on November 28.2
On November 29, he celebrates Mass in Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena, then travels to Lebanon for meetings with officials, church leaders, other faiths, and youth.2
The Lebanese leg includes a public Mass at Beirut Waterfront on December 2, ending with return to Rome that afternoon.2
At his November 26 General Audience, the Pope requested prayers, describing the destinations as "rich in history and spirituality."2
Cardinal Pietro Parolin highlighted Lebanon's progress with a new president and reforms but noted ongoing crises hindering recovery.2
The Pope's visit aims to deliver encouragement: "keep going, have courage," supporting a nation as a cradle of Christianity and model of coexistence.2
This aligns with broader goals of meeting Catholic communities and promoting interreligious harmony in both countries.2
Investigate Catholic ecumenical principles at the Council of Nicaea
The Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 AD, stands as a cornerstone in Christian history, not only for defining core doctrines like the divinity of Christ but also for embodying principles of unity that resonate deeply with Catholic ecumenical efforts today. From a Catholic perspective, Nicaea exemplifies how the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, fosters communion among diverse Christian communities through shared faith, synodal decision-making, and the pursuit of visible unity. This investigation draws on Catholic teachings to explore how Nicaea's principles—rooted in doctrinal clarity, conciliar authority, and the common profession of faith—inform modern ecumenism, particularly in dialogues with Orthodox and other separated brethren. These elements highlight Nicaea's role as a model for overcoming divisions, emphasizing that true unity flows from fidelity to the apostolic tradition.
The Council of Nicaea marked a pivotal moment in the early Church, establishing a framework for universal decision-making that addressed threats to unity, such as the Arian heresy, which denied the full divinity of Christ. Convened by Emperor Constantine at the request of Bishop Alexander of Alexandria, the gathering included around 300 bishops, primarily from the East, along with representatives from Rome, making it the first truly ecumenical synod. This assembly was not merely a local response to controversy but an unprecedented expression of the Church's catholicity, where bishops from across the oikoumene (the inhabited world) discerned the faith collectively under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Catholic teaching views this event as the institutional embodiment of Christ's authority delegated to the apostles and their successors, enabling the Church to resolve disputes and proclaim the Gospel universally. The council's acts, though not fully preserved, promulgated a creed and 20 canons that became normative for the entire Church, demonstrating a principle of communal discernment that prioritizes unity over regional differences. For ecumenism, this underscores the Catholic conviction that ecumenical councils are instruments of the Risen Lord's ἐξουσία (authority), fostering a visible communion that mirrors the unity brought by Christ's incarnation. In essence, Nicaea's ecumenical principle here is the synodal exercise of episcopal ministry, where diversity in representation leads to consensus in truth, a model that prefigures Vatican II's call for dialogue among separated Christians.
At the heart of Nicaea's ecumenical contribution is the Nicene Creed, which articulates the consubstantiality (homoousios) of the Son with the Father, safeguarding monotheism while affirming Christ's divinity. This profession of faith was not an innovation but a clarification of apostolic tradition, drawn from earlier baptismal creeds like that of Jerusalem, to counter Arianism's claim that the Son was a creature. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms the creed's authority, noting its origin in the first two ecumenical councils (Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381) and its enduring commonality across Eastern and Western Churches.
From a Catholic ecumenical standpoint, the creed represents a foundational principle: unity in the fides quae (the faith that is believed), which must precede and inform the fides qua (the act of believing). Nicaea's emphasis on a shared symbol of faith—beginning with "We believe" to signify ecclesial communion—invites all Christians to profess the Triune God, Christ's dual nature, baptism, the Church, and eternal life together. This common patrimony is quantitatively and qualitatively stronger than divisions, as highlighted in recent reflections for the 1700th anniversary, urging Catholics and Orthodox to draw from this source to illuminate ongoing differences like the Filioque. The principle here is that ecumenism thrives on returning to Nicaea's doctrinal core, avoiding indifferentism while promoting a "pernicious irenicism" only if it compromises truth; instead, it calls for charity that draws separated brethren toward full communion. By reciting the creed weekly in the liturgy, Catholics live this principle, witnessing to the unity Nicaea sought to restore.
Nicaea pioneered the ecumenical council as a mode of synodality, transforming local synods into universal gatherings that manifest the Church's unity. The council's canons addressed disciplinary issues—such as the Melitian schism, clerical mobility, and a uniform Easter date—revealing principles of ordered communion and mutual recognition of authority. For instance, Canon 6 affirmed the primacy of sees like Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch in a hierarchical yet collaborative structure, balancing metropolitan rights with honor for ancient sees like Jerusalem. This conciliarity, inspired by the Holy Spirit, established Nicaea as the "ideal council," shaping the Church's ongoing practice of synods for defining faith and discipline.
In Catholic ecumenism, this translates to principles of shared governance and discernment. The International Theological Commission describes Nicaea as inaugurating a "new mode of synodality or conciliarity" that endures in the Church's life, emphasizing episcopal collegiality under the Bishop of Rome. Modern applications include Vatican II's Decree on Ecumenism, which builds on Nicaea by promoting initiatives that foster charity without offending the unity of faith. Pope Leo XIV, in addressing a 2025 symposium, linked Nicaea's synodal path to contemporary ecumenism, noting how fraternal delegates from East and West enriched the Synod on Synodality and calling for "ecumenical synodal practices" on shared concerns. A key principle is the rejection of distortions—such as modalism in the West or Arianism in the East—through mutual correction, as seen in the Cappadocian Fathers' reception of Nicaea, which reconciled Eastern and Western approaches. This historical dynamic models today's Catholic-Orthodox dialogues, where synodality confronts questions of primacy and intercollegial relations without relativizing dogma. Ultimately, Nicaea teaches that true ecumenism involves co-responsibility among the baptized, ensuring evangelization through unified witness.
The 1700th anniversary of Nicaea in 2025 revitalizes its principles for today's Church, particularly in Catholic-Orthodox relations. Pope Leo XIV's Apostolic Letter In Unitate Fidei celebrates Nicaea's ecumenical value, tying it to Vatican II's goals and John Paul II's Ut Unum Sint, which updated Nicaea's foundations for unity. The council's quest for a common Easter date, though unrealized due to calendar divergences, exemplifies a principle of liturgical unity that strengthens credibility; recent proposals aim to revive this for joint celebrations, countering divisions that "weaken the credibility of our witness."
Catholic ecumenism, informed by Nicaea, prioritizes consensus on the first seven ecumenical councils' dogmas, sacraments, and ethical patrimony, while navigating differences in authority and interpretation. It avoids false unity (irenicism) but embraces dialogue as a path to visible communion, as John Paul II urged in commemorating later Nicene councils. For instance, Nicaea's role in preserving the Church's unity against heresy parallels modern efforts to address secularism and relativism through shared proclamation of Christ's kingship. In dialogues with Reformation communities, Nicaea's creed anchors discussions on Scripture, baptism, and ministry. The overarching principle is that ecumenism is a gift of the Holy Spirit, received through prayer and fidelity, as Leo XIV invoked in Eastern tradition: "O Heavenly King, the Comforter... Come and abide in us." This anniversary thus invites all Christians to deepen bonds, proclaiming salvation in Christ amid global conflicts.
The Council of Nicaea's Catholic ecumenical principles—doctrinal unity via the creed, synodal discernment, and pursuit of visible communion—remain vital for healing Christian divisions. By returning to this shared foundation, the Church advances toward the unity Christ desires, guided by the Spirit in truth and charity. As we commemorate Nicaea in 2025, may it inspire renewed commitment to ecumenical journeying, bearing witness to the Gospel's hope in a fragmented world.