Pope Leo XIV Begins First Overseas Tour To Turkey And Lebanon, Calls For Christian Unity And Middle East Peace

Pope Leo XIV departs Thursday on his first international journey, a six-day visit to Turkey and Lebanon aimed at promoting Christian unity and urging renewed peace efforts amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.

The trip represents the inaugural major diplomatic test for the U.S.-born pontiff, elected in May. Known for his calm and understated style, Leo stands in contrast to his charismatic predecessor, Pope Francis. In Turkey, he will join celebrations marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where the foundational Christian Creed was drafted. While the visit has drawn limited attention in the predominantly Muslim nation—where Christians make up just 0.2% of the population—it is being eagerly anticipated in Lebanon.

Once a symbol of religious coexistence, Lebanon has been battered by crises since 2019, including a devastating economic collapse, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and its recent war with Israel. “The Lebanese are tired,” said Vincent Gelot of l’Oeuvre d’Orient, stressing that the population hopes the pope will deliver both “a frank word” to political leaders and “strong and concrete actions.”

Preparations are well underway, with banners reading “Lebanon wants peace” lining the pope’s route. Lebanon’s ambassador to the Vatican, Fadi Assaf, called the visit “exceptional,” saying it will spotlight the country’s immense challenges while raising hopes for political and economic renewal.

Despite knowing the visit cannot resolve their many crises, many Lebanese view it as a chance to highlight the role of private and religious institutions, including a Franciscan-run psychiatric hospital the pope will tour. Other key events include a meeting with youth, an open-air Mass expected to draw 100,000 attendees, and a prayer service at the port blast site that killed more than 220 people.

Pope Leo will also participate in an interfaith meeting in Beirut, seeking to reaffirm Lebanon’s historic role as a bridge between East and West.

In Turkey, the pope will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara and visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The central purpose of the Turkish leg, however, is the commemoration of the Council of Nicaea. Invited by Patriarch Bartholomew I—spiritual leader of the Orthodox world—Leo will join Orthodox dignitaries for a major ecumenical prayer service on the shores of Lake Iznik.

The gathering highlights ongoing efforts to heal divisions between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, whose split dates back centuries. One major absentee will be Russian Patriarch Kirill, excluded amid deepening tensions between Moscow and Constantinople exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

The Vatican is expected to tread carefully to avoid provoking Moscow, which fears strengthened ties between Rome and Constantinople could diminish Russian influence within global Orthodoxy.