Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on his first apostolic journey outside Italy, a trip that will carry him to Turkey and Lebanon from November 27 to December 2, 2025. The Vatican’s official program, released earlier this week, details a schedule packed with moments of prayer, historical commemoration, interfaith dialogue, and gestures of solidarity with communities still reeling from tragedy. The journey will commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea in Turkey and feature a poignant visit to the site of the 2020 Beirut Port explosion in Lebanon—a tragedy that continues to cast a long shadow over the country.
The trip begins on Thursday, November 27, when Pope Leo XIV departs from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, landing in Ankara, Turkey, just after midday. According to ACI Prensa, the Pope’s first official act will be to visit the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. Later that day, he’s scheduled to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, civil society leaders, and the diplomatic corps. These events underscore the Vatican’s ongoing commitment to maintain open channels of communication with the Turkish state and to foster broader dialogue between cultures and faiths.
That evening, the Pope will travel to Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, setting the stage for a series of encounters focused on Christian unity and service. On Friday, November 28, the Holy Father will begin the day with prayer at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit alongside bishops, priests, deacons, and pastoral workers. He will then visit a home for the elderly run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, a gesture highlighting the Church’s enduring commitment to the vulnerable and marginalized.
The heart of Friday’s schedule is an ecumenical prayer gathering in İznik—ancient Nicaea—near the ruins of the Basilica of St. Neophytus. As reported by Vatican News, this event marks the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, a pivotal moment in Christian history that produced the original Nicene Creed and sought to unify the date of Easter across the Church. The Council, convened in 325 by Emperor Constantine, remains a touchstone for both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians.
Returning to Istanbul that evening, Pope Leo XIV will meet privately with the country’s bishops, reinforcing the Vatican’s support for Turkey’s Christian minorities. Saturday, November 29, brings a focus on interreligious dialogue and Christian heritage. The Pope will visit the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia—monuments that have long symbolized the interplay of faiths in Istanbul. Later, he will meet with leaders of other Christian Churches at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem, before joining Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I for a doxology and the signing of a joint declaration at the Patriarchal Church of St. George. The day will conclude with Mass at the Volkswagen Arena, where the Pope is expected to address the faithful gathered from across the region.
On Sunday, November 30, the Pope will visit the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul and attend a Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Church of St. George. These moments with Orthodox and Armenian Christian leaders are designed to reinforce bonds across ancient divides. After a farewell ceremony at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport, the Pope will depart for Beirut, Lebanon, in the afternoon.
Upon arrival in Beirut, Pope Leo XIV will be welcomed by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who was elected earlier this year after years of political stalemate. According to Catholic News Agency, the Pope will also meet with the President of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister, reflecting Lebanon’s unique confessional political system, which divides leadership roles among Maronite Christians, Sunni Muslims, and Shiite Muslims. The Pope’s address to Lebanese authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps will likely touch on the nation’s ongoing political and economic crisis—a reality deepened by the 2020 Beirut Port explosion.
The next day, Monday, December 1, will see the Pope traveling to Annaya to pray at the tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf, a 19th-century Maronite monk revered for his holiness and miracles. He will then visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa to meet clergy and pastoral workers, followed by a private meeting with Catholic patriarchs at the apostolic nunciature. In the afternoon, Pope Leo will join an ecumenical and interreligious gathering in Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square and meet with young people outside the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerké, signaling the Vatican’s hope for a new generation of Lebanese Christians committed to peace and coexistence.
Tuesday, December 2, the final day of the journey, will begin with a visit to De la Croix Hospital in Jal ed Dib, where the Pope will meet staff and patients. The most emotionally charged moment of the visit is expected to be his silent prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, which killed more than 200 people and devastated large parts of the city. As Vatican News notes, this act of remembrance is intended as a gesture of solidarity with all those affected by the disaster and a call for renewed hope and national unity.
The journey will conclude with a closing Mass at the Beirut Waterfront, before Pope Leo XIV returns to Rome, scheduled to arrive at 4:10 p.m. local time. The Vatican has emphasized that this trip is not only a fulfillment of the late Pope Francis’s unfulfilled wish to visit Lebanon and Turkey—Francis passed away earlier this year before he could make the journey—but also an expression of Pope Leo XIV’s commitment to Christian unity, interfaith dialogue, and support for suffering communities in the Middle East.
Throughout his journey, Pope Leo XIV will share several moments of joint prayer with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians. These encounters, according to the Holy See Press Office, are meant to underscore the Vatican’s desire for deeper collaboration and mutual understanding among Christian denominations—especially in a region where religious tensions too often fuel conflict.
For many in Turkey and Lebanon, the Pope’s visit is more than a diplomatic event; it’s a sign of hope and a reminder of the Church’s enduring presence in a region marked by both ancient faith and modern challenges. As the world watches, Pope Leo XIV’s journey stands as a testament to the power of prayer, memory, and dialogue to bridge divides and heal wounds that, for now, still run deep.
