It’s now official: Pope Leo XIV will make his first apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon. There had been talk for months about the possibility of him visiting both countries. Now, the Vatican has confirmed it with a statement released by the press office.
The dates are as follows: he will first go to Turkey from November 27 to 30. The visit is meant to carry on the legacy of Francis. His predecessor had been invited to the country to celebrate a major ecumenical event: the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea — even though the Argentine pope had already visited in 2014.
This visit had originally been scheduled for May 2025, but Francis's hospitalization and subsequent death changed all the plans. Nevertheless, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople reiterated the invitation during his first visit with Leo XIV.
BARTHOLOMEW I
Patriarch of Constantinople
Now I’m looking forward to going to Rome to greet the new Pope, attend his enthronement, and invite him to come celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, as we had planned with the late Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV has accepted, and furthermore, the date will carry great significance, as this Church has St. Andrew as its patron, whose feast day is November 30. This moment will be a key opportunity to strengthen ecumenical ties.
That won’t be his only destination. He will also travel from November 30 to December 2 to Lebanon, a country that had already been discussed. Specifically, it was Maronite Cardinal Boutros Raï who mentioned it. In August, he stated that Pope Leo XIV would visit the country before December.
The visit to Lebanon will have a more political context. Within the Middle Eastern region, this nation borders Israel, so the Pope’s messages in a country that has also been affected at times by the conflict will be focused primarily on peace.
Pope Francis had intended to make this trip to Lebanon. In fact, he reportedly wanted to go in 2022. Those who did manage to visit were Pope Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II — and also Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, during which he delivered strong messages advocating for peace.
As for the Catholics in Lebanon, they are mostly Maronites, and they represent about 30% of the population — a group that continues to suffer the effects of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
CA
Trans. CRT
