- Pope Leo XIV is embarking on his inaugural apostolic journey abroad from November 27 to December 2, visiting Turkey and Lebanon, a trip that holds significant historical and spiritual importance as it fulfills a journey originally planned by Pope Francis to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.
- The Turkish leg of the journey, beginning November 27, will include meetings with national leaders in Ankara, engagements with Christian communities and religious leaders at various sites including the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, a visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and a significant Divine Liturgy with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George on November 30.
- On November 30, Pope Leo XIV will travel to Lebanon, a Middle Eastern nation with the highest proportion of Christians in the Arab world, a decision that has garnered international attention due to ongoing instability, including a notable exchange with Queen Rania of Jordan regarding safety concerns.
- During his time in Lebanon, the Pope will offer prayers at the site of the devastating 2020 Beirut port explosion, which claimed over 200 lives, and will also visit the tomb of St. Charbel at the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, demonstrating solidarity with the affected communities.
- The Lebanese visit will also include a pilgrimage on December 1 to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, a revered Marian site for both Christians and Muslims, and a stop at Bkerké, the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate, before the apostolic journey concludes on December 2.
Pope Leo XIV’s Historic First Apostolic Journey to Turkey and Lebanon
