Pope Leo XIV to Visit Beirut and Turkey in First Overseas Trip as Pontiff

Pope Leo XIV will embark on his first international journey next month, visiting Lebanon and Turkey on a mission that blends remembrance, reconciliation, and interfaith dialogue. The visit, scheduled for November 27 to December 2, will include a solemn prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, which claimed over 200 lives and left lasting scars on the Lebanese capital.

The Vatican released details of the itinerary on Monday, confirming that the Pontiff — the first American to lead the Catholic Church — will begin his trip in Turkey to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, regarded as a cornerstone of Christian unity.

During his stay, Pope Leo will hold several meetings focused on interfaith cooperation and the challenges facing Christian communities in the Middle East. He is expected to join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church, for moments of prayer and reflection in the city of Iznik, historically known as Nicaea.

Another key stop in Turkey will be a visit to the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul on November 30, marking a gesture of solidarity with the Armenian Christian community. The visit comes in a region where past remarks by Church leaders regarding the Armenian genocide have long been a source of diplomatic tension.

Following his engagements in Turkey, the Pope will travel to Lebanon, where he will celebrate Mass on the Beirut waterfront and meet with government leaders and Catholic representatives. The most symbolic moment of the visit is expected to be his prayer at the site of the Beirut port blast, which became a powerful symbol of loss and resilience for the Lebanese people.

The 2020 explosion, caused by improperly stored ammonium nitrate, devastated Beirut and deepened Lebanon’s political and economic crises. Five years later, families of the victims continue to demand accountability as judicial investigations remain stalled.

While the Pope’s itinerary includes several key spiritual and diplomatic stops, it notably excludes southern Lebanon, a region heavily affected by last year’s conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. In Turkey, he will not visit Hagia Sophia, which was reconverted into a mosque in 2020, but will instead pray at the nearby Blue Mosque, continuing the tradition of interfaith respect.

Pope Leo XIV’s six-day journey is expected to emphasize themes of healing, unity, and coexistence, carrying forward the mission of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who had long wished to visit both Lebanon and Turkey before his passing earlier this year.