Pope Leo XIV Plans First Overseas Visit to Turkiye and Lebanon in Late November

VATICAN CITY, Sept 16 (VoM): Preparations are underway for Pope Leo XIV to embark on his first overseas journey since becoming pontiff, with visits planned to Türkiye and Lebanon at the end of November, Vatican sources told AFP.

The trip, expected to last just under a week, will mark the US-born pope’s first international mission since assuming leadership of the Catholic Church in May. The Vatican traditionally confirms papal visits only closer to the date.

In July, Pope Leo expressed his desire to travel to the Turkish city of Iznik to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a landmark event in Church history. The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, confirmed that he has invited the pontiff to Istanbul for an event on November 29. The two leaders are then expected to travel together to Iznik on November 30, Saint Andrew’s Day, for the anniversary.

Convened by Emperor Constantine in 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council, bringing together bishops from across the Roman Empire. It produced the Nicene Creed, a declaration of Christian faith affirming belief in the Holy Trinity   the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit which remains central to most Christian denominations today.

Alongside the Türkiye leg, preparations are also underway for a papal visit to Lebanon. In August, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said the pope would arrive “by December.” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, himself a Maronite Christian, extended the invitation during a visit to the Vatican in June.

The last papal trip to Lebanon was made by Benedict XVI in September 2012. Pope Francis visited Türkiye in 2014 and had hoped to return for this year’s Nicaea commemorations but was unable to due to ill health.