November 27, 2025, 10:06November 27, 2025, 10:06
After more than half a year in office, Pope Leo XIV sets off on his first trip abroad: he first visits Turkey and then Lebanon.
The head of the Catholic Church is flying from Rome to Ankara, the Turkish capital, this Thursday. In the predominantly Muslim country Leo wants to express his closeness to the Christians in the region and call for unity among the Christian churches.
With a good 180,000 believers – including around 33,000 Catholics – the Christian community in the country is a small minority in a population that now numbers around 85 million. A good 100 years ago, Christians in Turkey still made up a relevant part of the population.
During the First World War, the Ottoman rulers of the time committed genocides against the Christian population, especially the Armenians, the Aramaeans and the Greeks.
Pope Leo on his departure.Image: keystone
Commemoration of the first ecumenical council 1700 years ago
Today’s Türkiye is one of the most important regions of early Christianity. In the western Turkish city of Iznik south of Istanbul took place around 1700 years ago the first ecumenical council of Nicaea instead of. It is exactly there that Leo wants to pray with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, in a celebration on the occasion of the anniversary and commemorate the council.
In 325 AD, bishops of the church, which was not yet divided at the time, met in Nicaea, today’s Iznik, to settle disputes and clarify central questions of faith – including St. Nicholas. At that time, the Council agreed, among other things, on the creed that many Christians still recite today when celebrating the Eucharist.
Religious freedom issue on the agenda
During the course of the trip, several meetings are planned with Bartholomew I, the honorary head of the Orthodox Christians. The program includes: Signing of a joint declaration as a sign of Christian unity and rapprochement.
The Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and its faithful have been suffering from restrictions imposed by the Turkish state for some time. Freedom of religion is enshrined in the country’s constitution but restricted in practice. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamic conservative AKP government are also promoting a greater presence of Islam in public life.
Bartholomew I is Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.Image: keystone
Hope for closed seminary
The fate of the seminary on the island of Heybeliada in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul is particularly bitter for the Greek Orthodox Church. In 1971 the Turkish state closed private universities. was affected by it also the seminary founded in 1844 – once one of the world’s most important universities of Orthodoxy. Since the closure of the Halki seminary Priests can no longer be trained in Turkey.
The Greek minority in Turkey kept hoping for a reopening. Hope was rekindled when US President Donald Trump raised the issue during Erdogan’s visit to Washington at the end of September and brought it to the world stage. It remains to be seen whether Leo will raise the issue when he meets Erdogan on the first day of his visit.
Leo’s first trip abroad is, in a sense, a Legacy of his predecessor Francis, who died in April. During his lifetime he had expressed the desire to travel to the countries. Leo – in office since May – is now making up for this.
Pope Francis (l.) and Bartholomew I in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, 2014.Image: keystone
On Sunday we’re going to Lebanon
It is eagerly awaited to see what accents Leo sets on his first trip and how he differs from his immediate predecessor. When traveling, Francis – known for his closeness to people – always enjoyed bathing in the crowd. Leo has so far appeared rather reserved.
What he will do on the diplomatic stage will also be closely monitored. In addition to Erdogan, Leo also meets the head of the state religious authority Diyanet in Turkeywhich was massively expanded under Erdogan’s aegis.
After arriving in Ankara, after several meetings in the afternoon, he continues to Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). Among other things, a visit to the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) is planned. There are also several visits to churches on the program. On Sunday Leo continues to Lebanon.
(rbu) with material from sda and dpa