Pope Leo XIV will visit Turkey and Lebanon in the first apostolic journey of his pontificate, to take place from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2, the Vatican announced Tuesday.
Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said the pope accepted the invitations of the “Head of State and Ecclesiastical Authorities” of both countries in an Oct. 7 statement released by the Vatican.
During the six-day papal trip, the Holy Father will visit the Turkish city of Iznek to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, an ecumenical milestone in Church history that led to the formulation of the Nicene Creed.
According to a media release published by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Tuesday, Pope Leo will undertake a joint pilgrimage with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople to Nicaea on Nov. 28 before spending two days in the Phanar, the headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, where he and Bartholomew will celebrate the feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle on Nov. 30.
Leo will be the fifth pope to visit Turkey. Early in his pontificate, Pope Francis visited the Middle Eastern nation in 2014 to strengthen the Church’s interreligious dialogue with Orthodox and Muslim leaders.
The last papal visit to Lebanon was made by Pope Benedict XVI from Sept. 14–16, 2012, more than one year after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.
The Assembly of the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon issued a statement on Tuesday expressing their gratitude to Pope Leo for his “fatherly love and special concern” for the Lebanese people.
“We receive this historic event with great joy and renewed hope, praying this apostolic visit may bring Lebanon peace and stability, and that it may be a sign of unity for all Lebanese Christians and Muslims alike, in this delicate phase of our nation’s history,” the statement read.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the pope’s visit will deepen the “unwavering trust” between Lebanon and the Vatican and a sign of peace in a country of diverse religions and cultures.
“All Lebanese — Christians and Muslims alike, from every sect and community — are preparing to receive him with sincere joy and rare national unity that reflects the true image of Lebanon,” Aoun said on Tuesday.
“Lebanon — its leadership and its people — looks to this visit with great hope at a time when challenges are growing on every level,” he added.
According to a 2024 UNHCR (U.N. refugee agency) report, Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometer in the world, including approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees.
