Pope Leo XIV's first apostolic journey includes visits to Turkey and Lebanon. The visit emphasizes ecumenical commemoration, interreligious dialogue, and support for local Christian communities. The trip includes meetings with civil and religious leaders and gestures of solidarity. The visit will include a stop in İznik for the 1700th anniversary of the Council. The six-day visit is scheduled from November 27 to December 2, 2025.
16 days ago
Pope Leo XIV's first international apostolic journey, from November 27 to December 2, 2025, takes him to Türkiye and Lebanon, marking a pilgrimage rooted in ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, and solidarity with local Christian communities.1 The trip, presented by Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni, emphasizes the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea while addressing regional challenges like economic crises and violence.1 Security measures are in place for the six-day itinerary, spanning Ankara, Istanbul, İznik, and Beirut.1
The journey follows in the footsteps of predecessors like Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, who visited these lands to foster unity and peace.1 3 Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin described it as the Pope taking up the "pilgrim’s staff" to strengthen faith and serve as a messenger of harmony amid global divisions.3 In onboard remarks, Pope Leo highlighted the visit's focus on unity and peace, inviting all to promote fraternity despite differences in religion or beliefs.5
A central event is the ecumenical commemoration in İznik (ancient Nicaea), where Pope Leo will join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for a prayer at the ruins of the Basilica of St. Neophytos, symbolizing Christian unity.1 The 325 AD Council laid foundations for faith in Christ's divinity and humanity, countering heresies like Arianism and uniting traditions despite ongoing divisions.3 4 Parolin stressed its Christological core as a cornerstone for all Christians, with preparations underscoring its relevance for ecumenism today.3
Pope Leo, in pre-trip comments, linked the anniversary to the Jubilee of Hope, calling it an opportunity to witness shared faith as a source of global peace.2 The motto for the Türkiye leg, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism," reflects this emphasis on fraternity between East and West.5 Christians in Türkiye, a minority, are eager for the Pope's support against emigration and instability, viewing the visit as encouragement to remain integral to society.1 3
The journey prioritizes interreligious engagement, starting with a visit to Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and a meeting with the Chief Rabbi.1 A highlight is prayer inside Istanbul's Blue Mosque, a gesture of respect toward Muslims, rejecting fundamentalism and building on the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate.3 4 Parolin noted this as a sign that Christians and Muslims can collaborate for justice and fraternity, echoing Pope Leo's Colosseum remarks that prayer fosters dialogue over division.3
In his address to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pope Leo praised Türkiye's role as a "bridge" linking continents and cultures, urging protection of creation and appreciation of diversity.6 He invoked St. John XXIII's legacy as the "Turkish Pope" to affirm Christians' positive contribution to national unity, calling for a "culture of encounter" against polarization.6 Encounters with Muslim and Druze leaders in Beirut further this theme, alongside symbolic acts like planting a cedar in Lebanon.1
Lebanon, scarred by economic woes, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and southern violence, receives a message of hope and encouragement.1 3 Pope Leo plans a silent prayer at the port for the over 200 victims and a meeting with youth at the Maronite Patriarchate, delivering Jubilee messages of resilience.1 Parolin highlighted Lebanon's model of religious coexistence as a "message more than a country," with recent political progress needing sustained support.3
The Pope expressed personal joy in visiting Lebanon, amid concerns over Israeli strikes on Hezbollah areas, appealing for dialogue, justice, and abandonment of weapons.2 He urged respect across religions to resolve injustices fueling violence.2 For declining Middle East Christian populations, the visit aims to bolster their social and cultural roles, countering emigration and affirming their citizenship.3 4
Pope Leo's journey extends to global peace appeals, including a Ukraine ceasefire amid ongoing deaths and discussions of U.S. peace plans.2 He promoted dialogue over conflict, thanking efforts toward resolution while lamenting war's toll.2 In his Erdoğan speech, he decried a "third world war fought piecemeal," diverting resources from poverty, health, and creation care, and called for compassionate policies honoring dignity for all, including women and families.6
Parolin viewed papal travels as the Church "going forth" to meet peoples, sowing seeds of encounter for the common good.3 On International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Pope Leo advocated mindset changes through youth education, emphasizing respect and peace.2 Amid Thanksgiving, he encouraged gratitude for life's gifts, promoting unity across faiths.2 The Holy See seeks cooperation with nations like Türkiye for integral human development, trusting in divine help.6
Examine Catholic doctrine on ecumenical dialogue and peace
Catholic doctrine emphasizes ecumenical dialogue as a vital means for fostering unity among Christians, rooted in charity, truth, and fidelity to the faith, while peace is understood not merely as the absence of war but as the tranquility of order achieved through justice, fraternity, and the common good. These doctrines, drawn from Vatican II documents, papal teachings, and the Catechism, interconnect profoundly: ecumenical efforts contribute to peace by promoting reconciliation and shared witness in a divided world scarred by conflict. This examination explores each doctrine in turn and their synergy, highlighting the Church's call to active engagement without compromising doctrinal integrity.
The Second Vatican Council marked a pivotal development in Catholic teaching on ecumenism, viewing dialogue as essential for restoring Christian unity while upholding the fullness of Catholic truth. The Decree Unitatis Redintegratio (UR) underscores that divisions among Christians scandalize the world and hinder the Gospel's proclamation, urging Catholics to engage in dialogue with separated brethren through prayer, doctrinal clarity, and mutual respect. This approach avoids false irenicism—superficial unity that obscures truth—and instead promotes a "spiritual ecumenism" grounded in common prayer and docility to Christ.
Catechesis plays a key role in preparing the faithful for this dialogue by explaining the Church's doctrine fully, fostering knowledge of other confessions' agreements and differences, and presenting Catholic teaching with charity and firmness. The hierarchy of truths must be respected, prioritizing essentials like the Trinity and Incarnation while explaining doctrine in ways accessible to others, always with love for truth and humility. As the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity's Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism affirms, Catholic participants in dialogue must stand firm in Church teaching, avoiding any conciliatory approach that harms doctrinal purity.
Warnings against misinterpretations are clear: the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith critiqued efforts that foster indifferentism or pernicious irenicism, alien to the Council's intent, emphasizing initiatives that draw separated Christians to unity through charity without offending the faith's unity. Pope John Paul II, reflecting on UR's 40th anniversary, linked ecumenism to the Church's evangelizing mission, noting its necessity in a unifying yet conflict-ridden world, where divisions damage peace and Gospel witness.
Theological reflection reinforces that true ecumenism involves proclamation alongside dialogue, as seen in Dialogue and Proclamation, which recalls Nostra Aetate's stress on interreligious dialogue while affirming the Church's duty to proclaim Christ. Synthetic theology, in line with UR §11, insists that clear expression of Catholic faith—without diluting doctrines like the Eucharist or priesthood—removes obstacles to dialogue, countering views that equate ecumenism with doctrinal compromise. Ecumenical collaboration extends to social issues, where shared efforts on human dignity, peace, and poverty build awareness of Christian brotherhood.
In summary, Catholic doctrine on ecumenical dialogue balances openness with fidelity: it is a fraternal pursuit of unity, guided by the Holy Spirit, that respects differences while seeking common ground in Christ.
Catholic social teaching defines peace as more than the absence of war; it is "the tranquillity of order," the work of justice and the fruit of charity, requiring respect for human dignity, free communication, and fraternity among persons and peoples. The Catechism echoes St. Augustine, stating that peace demands safeguarding personal goods and practicing brotherhood, unattainable without justice. Similarly, the common good necessitates peace as the stability of a just order, secured by morally acceptable means, including legitimate defense.
Vatican II's Gaudium et Spes (GS) elaborates that peace is an "enterprise of justice," structured by divine order and built ceaselessly amid human sinfulness, through mastering passions, vigilance, and sharing spiritual riches. It arises from love beyond justice, symbolizing Christ's peace, and calls Christians to join peacemakers in renouncing violence where possible, while recognizing war's threat until Christ's return. Pope Pius XII rooted true peace in charity and justice, binding societies through mutual love and cooperation under God's law.
Contemporary teachings emphasize peace's active construction: Pope Francis declared war unjust in a nuclear age, urging a "no" to conflict and a "yes" to fraternity built through diplomacy, justice, and disarmament. Peace demands courage to prioritize encounter over confrontation, listening to war's victims, especially children. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (CSDC) calls for ceaseless peacebuilding via integral human development and shared values. Just war theory persists as a last resort for defense against grave evil, but the Church prioritizes prevention, reconciliation, and rejecting torture, honoring conscientious objection.
Recent documents, like Antiqua et Nova, apply this to modern threats, insisting peace tools must promote justice and fraternity, not violence. The Ukrainian Catholic Catechism reinforces peace as God's gift, requiring welfare defense and fellowship. Scholarly analysis notes continuity from Aquinas: peace as charity's work directly and justice's indirectly, with just war removing obstacles remedially, though papal discourse now emphasizes peacemaking over war. Evolution under popes like Pius IX shifted the Church toward a nonviolent witness, amplifying its role as peace minister. Pope Leo XIV echoes this, calling peace "unarmed and disarming," built from hearts through dialogue and institutions of fraternity.
Thus, doctrine portrays peace as a divine mandate, demanding proactive justice, nonviolence where feasible, and global solidarity against war's roots like inequality and nationalism.
Ecumenical and interreligious dialogue directly serves peace, as divisions among believers fuel global conflicts, and unity witnesses Christ's reconciling love. UR connects ecumenism to missionary activity and peace, countering a "Godless humanism" and bloodshed through unity as a sign of reconciliation. The CSDC highlights social teaching's role in ecumenical collaboration on peace, dignity, and poverty alleviation, easing the path to unity. Interreligious dialogue, per Dialogue and Mission, builds God's reign by promoting universal peace through shared inspirations and fraternity, excluding no one in the quest for truth via love.
Pope John Paul II's Assisi gatherings exemplified this, promoting peace via common prayer without replacing evangelization. Recent magisterium, as in Dialogue in Truth and Charity, affirms dialogue's place in the Church's mission, fostering shared values for peace. Pope Francis urged religions to counter war's logic with peace dreams, creativity, and mutual enrichment, seeing others as gifts, not threats. To the Ecumenical Patriarchate, he called for peacemaking amid conflicts, bringing Christ's peace to the marginalized.
Pope Leo XIV links dialogue to heart-purification for peaceful relations, revitalizing multilateral diplomacy and disarmament for fraternity. Popular movements embody this "from below," using nonviolence and Gospel-inspired praxis for peace institutions. COMECE echoes, proposing EU peace policy via pre-emptive building, justice, and security, inspired by solidarity. In Pacem in Terris's legacy, justice and solidarity underpin peace, demanding overcoming individualism through dialogue.
This synergy reveals dialogue as peace's instrument: ecumenism heals Christian rifts, interreligious efforts bridge faiths, all advancing fraternity against violence.
Catholic doctrine on ecumenical dialogue and peace forms a cohesive vision of the Church as unity's sacrament and peace's builder. Dialogue demands truthful charity to overcome divisions, while peace requires justice-fraternity to transcend war. Together, they call the faithful to witness Christ's peace through prayer, proclamation, and action, fostering a world of reconciled brothers and sisters. In a time of global strife, this teaching urges renewed commitment to these paths for humanity's flourishing.