Pope Leo XIV mobbed and cheered as he embarks on landmark Turkey visit
Huge cheers as Pope Leo XIV arrives in Turkey for his foreign visit
- Pope Leo XIV received an enthusiastic welcome from Turkey's Catholic community on his first full day, greeted by cheers at Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
- A central purpose of his visit is to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the 325 AD Council of Nicaea, which formulated the foundational Nicaean Creed.
- The anniversary commemoration will take place in Iznik, the original site of the council, where Pope Leo will preside alongside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
- Following Turkey, Pope Leo will travel to Lebanon to bolster the Christian community and advocate for justice regarding the 2020 Beirut port blast.
- He is scheduled to spend time in silent prayer at the Beirut port blast site on 2 December, with Lebanese citizens hoping he will demand accountability for the stalled investigation.