The inaugural visit of Pope Leo XIV to Türkiye began on Thursday as the pontiff arrived in the capital, Ankara.
He was welcomed by high-ranking Turkish officials, including Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, and is scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Prior to the meeting, he visited Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of the Republic of Türkiye’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
On Friday, the pope will meet with Christian clerics at St. Esprit Cathedral in Istanbul, visit the French Poorhouse Nursing Home and travel by helicopter to Iznik for a religious service.
Saturday will see the pope visiting Sultanahmet Mosque and the Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church, where he will meet with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew. The day will conclude with a service at Volkswagen Arena.
The visit will wrap up with a final service at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral and a return to the Fener Greek Patriarchate to commemorate its founding anniversary.
Speaking to journalists at the beginning of his flight, Leo told them he was grateful this year for the work they do in covering the Church and the first months of his papacy. He said he was very pleased to undertake the trip, noting that he had eagerly anticipated it due to its significance for all Christians and the wider world. Referring to his upcoming engagements in Türkiye and Lebanon, the pope reiterated his intention to stress the importance of peace for everyone in the world. He also called on all people to unite in pursuing peace, noting that despite differences in religion and beliefs, humanity is fundamentally connected, and he hopes to contribute to efforts promoting peace and global unity.
While the first American pope may not have a chance to enjoy a meal with turkey, stuffing and the other traditional dishes this year, several journalists aboard his papal flight from Rome tried to make sure he had a taste of the annual feast.
As Leo greeted journalists aboard his three-hour flight to Ankara, two members of the press handed him pumpkin pies, home-made and carried through the airport and on to the plane just for the leader of the 1.4 billion-member Church.
The journalists, Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service and Elise Allen of Catholic website Crux, suggested Leo could share the desserts with his traveling entourage.
The pope, smiling, responded: "I'll share some."
