"Pope Leo embarks on first foreign visit to Turkey and Lebanon"

Pope Leo’s First Foreign Visit Will Be to Turkey and Lebanon

Pope Leo will travel to Turkey and Lebanon later this year, where he is expected to call for peace in the Middle East, according to an announcement from the Vatican.

Elected in May following the death of Pope Francis, Leo will be in Turkey from 27 to 30 November and in Lebanon from 30 November to 2 December.

The Vatican’s spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, stated on Tuesday that the pope had "accepted the invitation of the heads of state and religious leaders" in both countries.

Leo, the first pontiff from North America, is likely to address the challenges faced by Christians in the region and emphasize the need for peace. On Sunday, he expressed hope that efforts to resolve the conflict in Gaza would soon achieve their intended goals. His advocacy for peace in Gaza gained attention after an Israeli strike in July on the territory’s sole Catholic church, which resulted in three deaths and 10 injuries, including the local priest.

Bruni noted that during the trip to Turkey, Leo will meet with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of the world’s 260 million Orthodox Christians, to mark 1,700 years since an important early church council held in Nicaea, now known as İznik.

Details of the pope’s visit to Lebanon will be released later, Bruni added.

Pope Francis, who died earlier this year, had intended to visit both countries but was unable to due to health concerns. During his 12-year papacy, he undertook more than 40 international trips, with his last being to Corsica in December of last year—the first papal visit to the French island.

One of his most notable journeys was to Iraq in March 2021, where, as he later disclosed, plans for a double suicide bombing targeting him were thwarted by British intelligence and Iraqi police. Despite warnings over COVID-19 risks and security threats, particularly in Mosul, a city heavily affected by Islamic State militants, Francis insisted on making the trip.

Shortly after his election, Pope Leo received an invitation to the White House from then-US President Donald Trump, delivered by Vice President JD Vance during a meeting at the Vatican. In footage of the encounter, the pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, placed the invitation on his desk and remarked, "at some point."