A Pope on a Tightrope: Leo XIV Lands in Turkey and War-Scarred Lebanon to ‘Build Bridges’
As the first overseas tour of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV is traveling to Lebanon and Turkey, where he will spend six days. The overall theme of his journey is establishing bridges, a priority that he has embraced since he was elected in May. In Iznik, Turkey, Francis will commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which was a momentous meeting of over 200 bishops that acknowledged the divinity of Jesus and led to the Nicene Creed, as well as promoted themes of Christian unity and the healing of ancient divides. He is going to meet with other religious leaders and go to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque in order to promote dialogue amongst different religions. Despite the recent bombings conducted by Israel on Beirut, the Pope will still make his way to Lebanon, where he will meet with religious leaders, interact with the youth, and celebrate Mass along the Beirut shoreline, the location of the 2020 port explosion, while offering a prayer for the victims. The pope, Leo, has so far maintained a measured and diplomatic approach, combining modern aspirations with respect for orthodox beliefs, according to observers. Even though he has called for an end to war, he has done so less blatantly than his predecessor, Pope Francis. He is going to have a meeting with the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and leaders of Lebanon’s civil society. It is anticipated that he would provide views on his journey at the traditional press conference that takes place at the conclusion of the trip. It is important to note that Pope Leo will speak to audiences in English while he is in Turkey and in French when he is in Lebanon, in addition to his ability to speak Italian fluently. This is a change from his typical habit of giving public statements largely in Italian.
