| Date | November 27 – December 2, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | Turkey:Lebanon: |
Pope Leo XIV visitedTurkey from November 27 to 30, andLebanon from November 30 to December 2, 2025. The trip was this pope's firstapostolic journey abroad since hiselection in May 2025. The visit to Turkey included anecumenical commemoration of the 1,700th anniversary of theFirst Council of Nicaea.[1][2][3]
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Pope Francis had intended to return to Turkey after visiting in 2014, upon the invitation ofBartholomew I of Constantinople to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicea inİznik, but the popedied on 21 April 2025. His successor Pope Leo XIV stated from the beginning of his papacy that he intended to continue the planned visit.[4][5] Other papal visits to Turkey were byPope Paul VI in 1967,Pope John Paul II, andPope Benedict XVI.[6]
Francis also expressed his desire to visit Lebanon on multiple occasions during his papacy, but he was prevented from doing so by political instability in the nation.[4][7]John Paul II was the first pope to make an extended formal visit to the nation in 1997, and Benedict XVI travelled to the country in 2012, the last apostolic visit of his papacy.[8] In June of 2025,Joseph Aoun, thePresident of Lebanon, formally invited Leo to visit the nation.[9] The journey was announced on the anniversary of theOctober 7 attacks byHamas.[4] Pope Leo's advocacy of peace during theGaza war became more vocal following the killing of three people duringIsrael's missile strike on theHoly Family Church, Gaza.[10] Israelinvaded Lebanon in October 2024 in response toHezbollah's presence in the latter which was a consequence of the ongoing conflict in the region.[11] In an October 15 meeting withKing Abdullah II andQueen Rania ofJordan, the queen enquired about the safety of the trip, to which Leo simply responded "Well, we're going."[12][13]
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On 27 November, Pope Leo XIV departedRome early in the morning and arrived inAnkara, where his first stop wasAnıtkabir, the mausoleum ofAtatürk.[14] From there he proceeded to thePresidential Palace, where he met with PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan.[15] He spoke with Erdoğan about theRussia–Ukraine war as well as theIsrael–Gaza war.[16] He then met with Safi Arpaguş, the head of thePresidency of Religious Affairs.[17] After the formal events in the capital, he left Ankara in the early evening and flew toIstanbul, arriving atAtatürk Airport.[18]
On 28 November, he began the day in Istanbul at theCathedral of the Holy Spirit, where he met the local clergy and pastoral workers.[19] He also visited the Nursing Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor.[20] Later in the afternoon, he travelled by helicopter toİznik, where he joined Bartholomew for anecumenical prayer service held near the archaeological site of the ancientBasilica of Saint Neophytos, marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.[3][21] After the service, he returned to Istanbul for further meetings at the Apostolic Delegation.[18]
On 29 November, he remained in Istanbul, beginning with a visit to theSultan Ahmed Mosque, his first visit to a Muslim place of worship as pope.[22] He then went to theMor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church for a private meeting with leaders of the local churches and Christian communities.[23] In the afternoon, he was received at thePatriarchal Church of Saint George in thePhanar, where he took part in theDoxology, met with Bartholomew, and signed a joint declaration to work towards a common date for the celebration ofEaster.[24][25] The day concluded with Mass at theVolkswagen Arena.[26]
On 30 November, his final day in Turkey, he visited theArmenian Apostolic Cathedral.[27] He returned once more to the Patriarchal Church of Saint George for the Divine Liturgy and an ecumenical blessing, celebrating the feast ofAndrew the Apostle.[28] He remained at the Ecumenical Patriarchate for lunch with Bartholomew and then departed from Atatürk Airport in the afternoon, continuing his journey to Lebanon.[29]
After concluding his visit to Turkey, Pope Leo XIV arrived inBeirut on the afternoon of 30 November, where he was welcomed at theBeirut International Airport before he traveled toBaabda.[30] There, he paid courtesy visits to the President of the Republic,Joseph Aoun, followed by holding meetings with the Speaker of Parliament,Nabih Berri, the Prime Minister,Nawaf Salam, and the country's civil authorities, diplomatic corps, and representatives of Lebanese society.[31]
On 1 December, the pope travelled north into the mountains to visitAnnaya, where he prayed at the tomb ofSaint Charbel Makhlouf in theMonastery of Saint Maroun.[32] He then continued toHarissa, stopping at the Shrine ofOur Lady of Lebanon to meet bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers.[33] Later, at the Apostolic Nunciature in Beirut, he held a private meeting with the Catholic Patriarchs of the East.[34] In the afternoon, he took part in an ecumenical and interreligious gathering inMartyrs' Square.[35] He then headed toBkerké, the seat of theMaronite Patriarchate of Antioch, where he met with thousands of young people assembled before the patriarchal residence.[36]
The final day of his journey, 2 December, began inJal el Dib, where he visited the staff and patients of the "De la Croix" Hospital.[37] He then returned to Beirut for a moment of silent prayer at thePort of Beirut, honoring the victims of the devastating2020 explosion.[38] Afterwards, he celebratedMass on theBeirut Waterfront for 150,000 faithful from across Lebanon.[39][40] That afternoon, after a farewell ceremony at the airport, Pope Leo departed Beirut and returned to Rome, concluding his three-day visit to the country.[41]
Born Robert Francis Prevost, September 14, 1955
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