Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on his first foreign journey as pontiff with a highly symbolic and diplomatically significant visit to Turkey and Lebanon. He will be in Turkey from November 27 to 30, followed by three days in Lebanon, from November 30 to December 2.
The decision to begin his overseas travel with these two Muslim-majority nations is widely seen as a clear indication of his commitment to promoting peace, fostering Christian unity, and supporting the region’s historically rooted yet increasingly marginalised Christian communities.
The Pope described the journey as a historic opportunity to advance dialogue and proclaim a message of peace in the Middle East. He also expressed a desire to fulfil travel plans that his predecessor, Pope Francis, had hoped to carry out before his death. In choosing Turkey and Lebanon, Leo is not only highlighting urgent geopolitical concerns but also reaffirming the Vatican’s long-standing desire to strengthen ecumenical and interfaith relationships.
The Turkish leg of the trip will centre on ecumenical dialogue. The Pope is scheduled to visit Iznik, the modern site of ancient Nicaea, where the first ecumenical council of the Church was held in 325 CE. Both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches acknowledge the Council, and this year marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. While in Turkey, Pope Leo is expected to meet with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of the world’s Orthodox Christians, whose numbers are estimated to be between 260 and 300 million. The meeting is seen as an important gesture towards renewed Catholic-Orthodox cooperation.
Leo is expected to bring a message of peace and hope to Lebanon, which has faced prolonged economic and political instability. The invitation to visit Lebanon came in June from President Joseph Aoun, a Maronite Christian, during a meeting at the Vatican. By accepting, Leo is placing particular emphasis on Lebanon’s complex religious fabric and its historical role as a space for coexistence between different faiths. Benedict XVI was the last pope to visit Lebanon. While Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, expressed his desire to visit Lebanon several times, it never materialised.
The diplomatic and religious importance of the trip is unmistakable. It signals the Pope’s desire to press for a renewed effort at dialogue and conflict resolution across the Middle East. Leo also wants to draw attention to the pressing need to preserve the ancient Christian presence in the Middle East, especially since Turkey and Lebanon host some of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Lebanon remains particularly significant due to its large Christian population, the highest proportion in the region, and its tradition of religious plurality. The country officially recognises 18 religious groups, including 12 Christian denominations. By convention, the Lebanese president must always be a Maronite Christian. A spokesman for the Maronite Church remarked that the Pope’s visit sends a clear message of support to Christians facing extreme danger in places like Syria and Iraq. President Aoun emphasised that the trip reaffirms Lebanon’s identity as a land of freedom and shared living and offers a renewed call to protect and strengthen the Christian presence.
The Turkey visit has been described as deeply symbolic, reflecting Leo’s belief in the need for all people, regardless of religion or ethnicity, to live together with mutual respect. He has made peace and dialogue central to his papacy and is using this journey to actively promote unity, reconciliation, and the rights of Eastern Christians. The Pope has been particularly outspoken about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, especially following an Israeli strike in July that damaged Gaza’s only Catholic church. He condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7 as acts of terrorism, but also lamented the heavy civilian toll among Palestinians in Gaza, which he saw as evidence of the depth of hatred in the world. He expressed support for his Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin’s view that Israel’s response amounted to a disproportionate massacre. As Israel and Hamas continue their negotiations in Egypt, the Pope is calling for peaceful solutions, hoping to end the cycle of violence that has engulfed the Middle East.
Leo has also voiced his intention to promote the liturgical traditions and spiritual identity of the Eastern Rite churches. He praised both Eastern and Latin Christians who continue to live in the Middle East despite the risks, stating that they must be given the real opportunity to remain in their ancestral homelands with all the rights necessary for a safe and dignified existence.
