Pope Leo XIV will travel to Turkey and Lebanon from November 27 to December 2, 2025, the Vatican announced. This will be his first trip outside Italy since his election as Pope in May.
According to Vatican News, the trip will begin in Ankara, where the Pope will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and address government and civil society representatives. After that, he will travel to Istanbul, where he will celebrate a Catholic mass and visit the Blue Mosque.
The centerpiece of the visit will be the Pope’s meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew. They will sign a Joint Declaration and participate in events commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, held in ancient Iznik.
