Pope Leo XIV concludes his Apostolic Journey to Türkiye with a visit to the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of Istanbul and Divine Liturgy with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
By Christopher Wells – Istanbul
Pope Leo XIV came to Türkiye not only for a pastoral visit to the nation’s small but vibrant Catholic community, but especially to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first Ecumenical Council in the history of the Church.
The Pope’s visit to the site of the Council in modern day Iznik was one of the high points of the visit.
He was there with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, as well as other patriarchs, heads of Churches and Christian Communities representing the vast majority of Christians in the world today.
As part of the ecumenical focus of the Pope’s visit, he went to the Syriac Orthodox Church, as well as the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul.
He spent time at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, where he signed a joint statement with Bartholomew on the Feast of Saint Andrew, the traditional founder of the See of Constantinople.
As part of the interreligious element to the visit, the Pope met with the Turkish Islamic authorities in Ankara and with the Chief Rabbi of the country’s Jewish community, and he visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
Now, the Pope has arrived in Beirut, where he continues his first Apostolic Journey.