Pope Leo XIV Begins First Overseas Trip

Pope Leo XIV will embark on his first overseas trip on Thursday, visiting Turkey and Lebanon, to promote Christian unity and call for peace amid rising tensions in the Middle East.

The six-day journey marks the first major international test for the US-born Pope, elected in May, whose understated style contrasts with the charismatic and impulsive approach of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

In Turkey, Pope Leo will celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where the Creed, a foundational declaration of the Christian faith, was adopted. He will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara and visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, underscoring the Church’s commitment to inter-faith dialogue with Islam.

On the shores of Lake Iznik, the modern site of Nicaea, he will join dignitaries from various Orthodox churches for a commemorative prayer, an important gesture for promoting Christian unity across denominations. Notably absent from the event will be Russian Patriarch Kirill, reflecting ongoing tensions between Moscow and Constantinople over the war in Ukraine.

While Turkey’s Christian population is small, accounting for just 0.2 per cent of 86 million residents, the Pope’s visit is eagerly anticipated in Lebanon.

The country, long seen as a model of religious coexistence, has been hit by a series of crises in recent years, including economic collapse, widespread poverty, the devastating Beirut port explosion in 2020, and recent conflict with Israel. Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday killed five people and wounded 25, following Israel’s claim that Hezbollah’s chief of staff had been targeted.

Preparations were underway at sites the Pope will visit in Lebanon, with banners reading “Lebanon wants peace” along restored roads.

The trip highlights include an open-air mass expected to draw 100,000 worshippers, a meeting with the country’s youth, and a prayer at the site of the Beirut port explosion, which killed more than 220 people. The visit will also spotlight the role of religious organisations in healthcare and education, such as the psychiatric hospital run by Franciscan nuns that Pope Leo will visit.

“The Lebanese are tired,” said Vincent Gelot, director of the Lebanon and Syria office for L’Oeuvre d’Orient, a Catholic organisation supporting Christians in the Middle East. “They expect a frank word to the Lebanese elite, as well as strong and concrete actions.”

Lebanon’s ambassador to the Holy See, Fadi Assaf, called the visit “exceptional,” highlighting its potential to draw attention to the country’s political and economic challenges while reaffirming Lebanon’s role as a bridge between East and West.

Pope Leo’s debut foreign trip combines ceremonial, pastoral, and diplomatic elements, signalling his commitment to unity, peace, and interreligious dialogue at a time when the region faces both internal and external pressures.