Ecumenism and today’s wounds: Leo XIV's visits to Istanbul and Beirut
The schedule and logos of the pope’s first international apostolic journey have been made public. In Iznik, a prayer will be held at the site of the ancient Basilica of Nicaea, where archaeological work is currently underway; in Istanbul, the pope will visit the Blue Mosque, but not Hagia Sophia (which Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI visited). In Lebanon, the pontiff will join an interfaith meeting in Martyrs' Square and stop at the port devastated by the 2020 explosion.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The Vatican Press Office today released the schedule of Pope Leo XIV's apostolic visit to Turkey and Lebanon, the first international trip of his pontificate, exactly one month before his departure.
In addition to the logos and mottos for the two distinct legs of the journey, the agenda includes 16 speeches over six days and a series of stops at major historical sites as well as places wounded by the present.
As previously announced, the pontiff will be in Turkey from 27 to 30 November, in Ankara, Istanbul, and Iznik, to mark, together with Patriarch Bartholomew, the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. These three days of intense ecumenical significance will be marked by the theme "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph 4:5).
In the afternoon of 30 November, Leo will travel to Lebanon. In Beirut and other places, he will bring a message of dialogue and reconciliation between different communities, centred on the words of the Gospel of Matthew, "Blessed are the peacemakers”.
Leo XIV will depart Rome on the morning of 27 November for Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Upon arrival he will visit the Atatürk Mausoleum, meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and address the government authorities, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps.
That evening, he will travel to Istanbul. The next morning, he will meet with bishops, priests, and pastoral workers at the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and visit a nursing home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor.
In the afternoon, he will travel to Iznik, ancient Nicaea, site of ongoing archaeological work, scene of the historic Council of Nicaea in AD 325, which defined the profession of faith that still unites Christians of all denominations. Here, near the ruins of the ancient basilica, a large ecumenical prayer meeting will be held.
Returning to Istanbul on the morning of Saturday, 29 November, Leo XIV will visit the monumental Sultan Ahmet Mosque (known as the Blue Mosque).
Unlike his predecessors, Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI, he will not visit Hagia Sophia, the historic Christian basilica built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian. First converted into a mosque, it became a museum under Atatürk, and repurposed as a mosque by Erdoğan in 2020.
The remainder of the visit in Turkey will be dedicated to meetings with other Churches and Christian communities. On the afternoon of Saturday, 29 November, the pontiff will sign a joint declaration with the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I before Mass with the Catholic community at the Volkswagen Arena.
Finally, on the morning of Sunday, 30 November, Pope Leo XIV will attend the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St George on the feast day of the Apostle Andrew, after which he will impart a blessing together with Patriarch Bartholomew.
From Istanbul, he will travel in the afternoon to Beirut, where he will meet in the evening with President Joseph Aoun (Maronite), National Assembly Speaker Nabih Berri (Shiite), and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (Sunni) before addressing the authorities, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps.
On Monday morning, 1 December, the pontiff will visit the tomb of Saint Charbel in Annaya, before meeting with bishops, clergy, women religious, and pastoral workers at the Marian shrine in Harissa.
An ecumenical and interfaith meeting is planned for the afternoon, in Beirut's Martyrs' Square, followed by a meeting with young people in the square in front of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerké.
Finally, on the final day, 2 December, after visiting De la Croix Hospital in Jal ed Dib, Leo XIV will take part in a very poignant event, a silent prayer at the site of the massive explosion in the Port of Beirut that killed 218 people and injured 7,000 others on 4 August 2020.
Afterwards, he will lead a Mass at the Beirut Waterfront before the farewell ceremony and departure for Rome.
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12/05/2025 20:14
