Pope Leo embarks on first foreign trip to Turkey and Lebanon, calls for peace in the Middle East

International Desk, PNN

The newly elected head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo, is undertaking his first foreign trip to Turkey and Lebanon. The primary purpose of this visit is to promote peace in the conflict-ridden Middle East and spread a message of unity among historically divided Christian churches.

Pope Leo will spend three busy days, first visiting Ankara, Turkey, and then proceeding to Lebanon. His first foreign speech and visits to religious and culturally significant sites have generated widespread international interest.

The 70-year-old Pope departed Rome’s main airport on Thursday morning aboard a special plane for Ankara. He will meet Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other political leaders there.

Turkey was chosen as the first destination due to its historical significance: about 1,700 years ago, the famous Council of Nicaea took place there, which established the Nicene Creed, still a foundational belief for most Christians today.

Pope Leo was elected as Pope in May of this year, succeeding the late Pope Francis. Prior to that, he served for many years as a missionary in Peru and took charge of the Vatican in 2023.

After the Ankara visit, Pope Leo will arrive in Istanbul on Thursday evening. Preparations are underway to welcome him at Istanbul’s largest Catholic church, St. Anthony of Padua Parish. He is only the fifth Pope to visit Turkey.

Istanbul is also home to the spiritual leader of millions of Orthodox Christians worldwide, Patriarch Bartholomew. Although the two sides have attempted reconciliation in recent decades since the 1054 East-West Christian schism, full coordination has not yet been achieved. On Friday, the two religious leaders will tour the city together, the birthplace of early Christian councils and the Nicene Creed.

Pope Leo will not address the audience in Bengali during this foreign visit; however, he will deliver speeches in a foreign language, as confirmed by the Vatican.

On Sunday, Pope Leo will travel to Lebanon. Lebanon, home to people of multiple religions, has faced severe economic crises and political instability since 2019. The situation has been exacerbated by almost daily Israeli airstrikes. Despite a year-long ceasefire, more than 330 Lebanese civilians were killed in these strikes last year.

Recently, in southern Beirut, Israeli airstrikes killed Haytham Ali Tabatabai, the deputy of Hezbollah’s leader. Pope Leo’s visit has been ensured to proceed safely, despite the extremely risky situation, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni, who declined to provide detailed security plans.