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By Shane Croucher
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Pope Leo XIV will travel to Turkey and Lebanon on the first foreign trip of his papacy, the Vatican said, due to take place at the end of November. His predecessor, Pope Francis, had planned the pilgrimage to the two majority-Muslim countries before he died.
"The pope will visit Turkey from November 27 to 30, and Lebanon from November 30 to December 2. In Turkey, Pope Leo is "going on pilgrimage to İznik on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea," Director of the Holy See Press Office Matteo Bruni said in a statement. "The program of the Trip will be announced in due course."<
The anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea is an important moment in Catholic-Orthodox relations. Francis had planned to mark it with his own trip to Turkey in May at the invitation of Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians. Francis died in April, and Leo said from the start of his papacy that he intended to complete Francis' plans.
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The trip will give history’s first American pope a chance to speak in broad terms about peace in the Middle East and the plight of Christians there. Leo, like his predecessor Francis, has consistently called for peace and dialogue in the Middle East, especially amid Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
The last pope to visit Lebanon was Pope Benedict XVI in September 2012 on what was the final foreign trip of his papacy. Francis, who died on April 21, had long hoped to visit Lebanon, but the country’s political and economic instability prevented a visit during his lifetime.
"In recent hours, in the dramatic situation in the Middle East, some significant steps forward have been taken in peace negotiations, which I hope will achieve the desired results as soon as possible," Leo said during Mass at St. Peter's Square on Sunday, as the possibility of a peace deal in Gaza came into view.
"I ask all those in positions of responsibility to commit themselves to this path, to bring about a ceasefire and to release the hostages. At the same time, I urge everyone to remain united in prayer, so that the ongoing efforts may put an end to the war and lead us towards a just and lasting peace."
Update 10/7/25, 7:10 a.m. ET: This article was updated with more information.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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