From November 27 to December 2, Pope Leo XIV will make the first apostolic journey abroad of his pontificate, traveling to Turkey and Lebanon.
The trip carries both historical and spiritual weight. Pope Leo has chosen to complete a journey originally envisioned by Pope Francis, who had hoped to visit Turkey to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.
Pope Leo XIV’s first stop is Turkey, beginning with meetings with national leaders in Ankara on November 27. From there, he will spend three days with Christian communities and religious leaders. He will meet the local community at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, pray with Catholic and Orthodox leaders in Iznik near the ancient underwater basilica associated with the Council of Nicaea, visit Istanbul’s 17th-century Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and meet Christian leaders at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem. On November 30, the Feast of St. Andrew, he will attend a Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.
Later that day, the Pope will fly from Turkey to Lebanon, the Middle Eastern nation with the highest share of Christians in the Arab world. His decision to proceed with the visit despite ongoing instability has drawn international attention.
In a brief but telling exchange, Queen Rania of Jordan asked him: “Your Holiness, do you think it’s safe to go to Lebanon?”
Pope Leo XIV responded with “Well, we’re going.”
The Pope’s visit includes a prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, which killed more than 200 people and devastated the capital. He will also pray at the tomb of St. Charbel at the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya. On December 1, he will make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, a major Marian site beloved by both Christians and Muslims. That same day, he will visit Bkerké, the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate led by Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Ra‘i.
The apostolic journey concludes on December 2.
Adapted by Jacob Stein. Produced by Alexey Gotovskiy; Camera by Fabio Gonnella.
