Pope Leo XIV has completed a historic two-nation Apostolic Visit to Turkey and Lebanon, delivering a powerful message of peace, dialogue, and steadfast hope in a region marked by conflict and humanitarian crises.
In Turkey, the Pope met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, discussing human dignity, migration, and the protection of religious minorities. Addressing the Presidential Palace, he stressed that “violence in the name of God is the greatest contradiction of faith”, urging leaders to foster reconciliation and resist extremism.
In Istanbul, Pope Leo XIV met Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Patriarchal Church of St. George. Together they led an ecumenical prayer service, calling for “renewed courage to walk together as disciples of the same Lord” and emphasising collaboration in defending persecuted Christians and caring for creation.
The Pope then travelled to Lebanon, where he was welcomed by President Joseph Aoun and local Church leaders. In a country grappling with economic hardship and political instability, he celebrated Mass in Beirut before thousands of the faithful and migrants. In his homily, he urged Christians to remain “beacons of hope in the midst of trials” and praised humanitarian workers for their service to the region’s most vulnerable countries.
During both visits, Pope Leo XIV met with local Catholic communities, offering encouragement and calling on the Church to remain “a field hospital that never abandons the wounded.” He concluded his Apostolic journey with a prayer that both Turkey and Lebanon may become“bridges of peace between peoples, religions, and cultures.”
Observers note that the Pope’s combined visits have strengthened inter-faith dialogue, fostered regional solidarity, and reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to justice, mercy, and hope.
