Pope Leo XIV's Historic Pilgrimage: Bridging Faiths and Remembering Tragedies

Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on his inaugural foreign trip, visiting Lebanon and Turkiye to engage in interfaith dialogue and honor Christian history. His visit includes a prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut port blast, a tragedy that compounded Lebanon's economic and political crises.

The Vatican released Pope Leo's itinerary, which includes addressing interfaith relations and the challenges facing Middle Eastern Christians. The visit to Turkiye marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, with planned prayers alongside Orthodox spiritual leader Patriarch Bartholomew I.

A poignant moment is scheduled at Istanbul's Armenian Apostolic Cathedral. While avoiding polemics, Leo will recall the sensitive history of Armenian massacres by Ottoman Turks. His visit also sparks discussions on sites omitted from the itinerary, such as southern Lebanon and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.