Pope Leo XIV in Turkey: “This country is a bridge between East and West”

Mr President,
Distinguished Authorities,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you very much for your kind welcome! I am pleased to begin the Apostolic Journeys of my Pontificate with a visit to your country, for this land is inextricably linked to the origins of Christianity, and today it beckons the children of Abraham and all humanity to a fraternity that recognizes and appreciates differences.

The natural beauty of your country urges us to protect God’s creation. Moreover, the cultural, artistic and spiritual richness of the places you inhabit reminds us that when different generations, traditions and ideas meet, great civilizations are forged in which development and wisdom are drawn together into a unity. On the one hand, it is true that human history has centuries of conflict behind it, and that the world around us is still destabilized by ambitions and choices that trample on justice and peace. At the same time, when faced with challenges, being a people with such a great past is both a gift and a responsibility.

The image of the bridge over the Dardanelles Strait, chosen as the logo for my journey, eloquently expresses your country’s special role. You have an important place in both the present and future of the Mediterranean, and of the whole world, above all by valuing your internal diversity. Even before linking Asia with Europe, East with West, this bridge connects Türkiye to itself. It combines different parts of the country, making it from within, as it were, a “crossroads of sensibilities.” In such a case, uniformity would be an impoverishment. Indeed, a society is alive if it has a plurality, for what makes it a civil society are the bridges that link its people together. Yet today, human communities are increasingly polarized and torn apart by extreme positions that fragment them.

I willingly assure you that Christians desire to contribute positively to the unity of your country. They are, and feel part of, Turkish identity, which was highly esteemed Saint John XXIII, whom you remember as the “Turkish Pope” for the deep friendship that always bound him to your people. He was Administrator of the Latin Vicariate of Istanbul and Apostolic Delegate in Türkiye and Greece from 1935 to 1945, and worked tirelessly to ensure that Catholics did not exclude themselves from the ongoing development of your new Republic. He wrote during those years, that here in this Nation, “we Latin Catholics of Istanbul, and Catholics of other rites, Armenian, Greek, Chaldean, Syrian etc., are a modest minority living on the surface of a vast world with which we have only limited contact. We like to distinguish ourselves from those who do not profess our faith: our Orthodox brothers, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, believers and non-believers of other religions… It seems logical that everyone should mind their own business, their own family or national traditions, keeping within the limited circle of their own community… My dear brothers and sisters, my dear children, I must tell you that in the light of the Gospel and of Catholic principles, this is a false logic.”[1] Since then, great strides have undoubtedly been made within the Church and in your society, yet those words still resonate strongly in our day, and continue to inspire a more evangelical and genuine way of thinking, which Pope Francis called the “culture of encounter.”

Indeed, from the very heart of the Mediterranean, my venerable Predecessor opposed the “globalization of indifference,” by inviting us to feel the pain of others and to listen to the cry of the poor and of the earth. He thus encouraged us to compassionate action, which is a reflection of the one God who is merciful and compassionate, “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Ps 103:8). The image of your great bridge is also helpful in this sense, for God, in revealing himself, established a bridge between heaven and earth. He did so in order that our hearts might change, becoming like his. It is a vast suspension bridge, almost defying the laws of physics. Likewise, in addition to its intimate and private aspects, love too has a visible and public dimension.

Furthermore, justice and mercy challenge the mentality of “might is right,” and dare to ask that compassion and solidarity be considered as the authentic criteria for development. For this reason, in a society like the one here in Türkiye, where religion plays a visible role, it is essential to honor the dignity and freedom of all God’s children, both men and women, fellow nationals and foreigners, poor and rich. We are all children of God, and this has personal, social and political implications. Those with hearts docile to the will of God always promote the common good and respect for all. Today, this is a great challenge, which must reshape local policies and international relations, especially in the face of technological developments that could otherwise exacerbate injustice instead of helping to overcome it. Even artificial intelligence simply reproduces our own preferences and accelerates processes that, on closer inspection, are not the work of machines, but of humanity itself. Let us work together, therefore, to change the trajectory of development and repair the damage already done to the unity of our human family.

Ladies and gentlemen, I just mentioned the human family. This metaphor invites us to establish a connection – once again, a bridge – between our common destiny and the experiences of each individual. Indeed, for each one of us, the family was the first nucleus of social life, in which we learned that without the “other” there is no “I.” More so than in other countries, the family retains great importance in Turkish culture, and there is no shortage of initiatives to support its centrality. Indeed, attitudes essential for civil coexistence, plus the initial and fundamental sensitivity to the common good, mature precisely within the family. Of course, every family can also close in on itself, cultivate hostility, or prevent some of its members from expressing themselves to the point of hindering the development of their talents. Nevertheless, people do not obtain greater opportunities or happiness from an individualistic culture, nor by showing contempt for marriage or shunning openness to life.

Moreover, consumerist economies are deceptive in that loneliness becomes a business. We should respond to this with a culture that appreciates affection and personal connection. For it is only together that we can become our authentic selves. Only through love does our inner life become profound and our identity strong. Those who scorn fundamental human ties, and fail to learn how to bear even their limitations and fragility, more easily become intolerant and incapable of interacting with our complex world. At the same time, it is within family life that the value of conjugal love and the contribution of women emerge in a very specific way. Women, in particular, through their studies and active participation in professional, cultural and political life, are increasingly placing themselves at the service of your country and its positive influence on the international scene. We must greatly value, then, the important initiatives in this regard, which support the family and the contribution that women make toward the full flowering of social life.

Mr President, may Türkiye be a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace. The visits to Türkiye by four Popes – Paul VI in 1967, John Paul II in 1979, Benedict XVI in 2006 and Francis in 2014 – show that the Holy See not only maintains good relations with the Republic of Türkiye, but also desires to cooperate in building a better world with the contribution of this country, which is a bridge between East and West, between Asia and Europe, and a crossroads of cultures and religions. The particular occasion of my own visit, the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, speaks to us of encounter and dialogue, as does the fact that the first eight ecumenical councils were held in the lands of present-day Türkiye.

Today, more than ever, we need people who will promote dialogue and practice it with firm will and patient resolve. In the aftermath of the tragedies of two world wars, which saw the building of large international organizations, we are now experiencing a phase marked by a heightened level of conflict on the global level, fueled by prevailing strategies of economic and military power. This is enabling what Pope Francis called “a third world war fought piecemeal.” We must in no way give in to this! The future of humanity is at stake. The energies and resources absorbed by this destructive dynamic are being diverted from the real challenges that the human family should instead be facing together today, namely peace, the fight against hunger and poverty, health and education, and the protection of creation.

The Holy See, with only its spiritual and moral strength, wishes to cooperate with all nations that have at heart the integral development of each and every person. Let us walk together, then, in truth and in friendship, humbly trusting in the help of God.

Thank you.

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[1] Angelo G. Roncalli (John XXIII), La predicazione a Istanbul. Omelie, discorsi e note pastorali (1935-1944), Olschki, Firenze 1993, 367-368.