Pope Leo will meet Christian leaders from across the Middle East in Turkey on Friday, using his first overseas trip as head of the global Catholic Church to press for greater unity among denominations divided for centuries.
The gathering coincides with the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the early Church meeting that produced the Nicene Creed. The text remains a core statement of belief for most of the world’s 2.6 billion Christians and is the central reason for Leo’s four day visit to the country.
The visit marks the first time the American born pope has addressed crowds outside Italy since his election in May. His remarks on Thursday signalled that the global rise in conflict will be one of the dominant themes of the trip.
During a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Leo said the world was facing an alarming number of violent crises. He told officials that a third world war was already being “fought piecemeal”, and said humanity’s future stood at risk if nations failed to pursue peace.
His comments echoed warnings issued by earlier popes and came as he began a series of appearances that will be closely watched for clues to his diplomatic priorities.
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The pope will travel on Friday to Iznik, a city southeast of Istanbul once known as Nicaea. There he will join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, alongside senior figures from Egypt, Syria, Israel and Turkey.
Relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches were ruptured by the East–West split in ten fifty four, though recent decades have seen efforts to improve ties. The symbolism of returning to the birthplace of the Nicene Creed is expected to be a focal point of Friday’s event, according to Reuters.
Turkey was once a major center of early Christianity, home to figures such as the apostles Paul, John and Philip. Today, about thirty three thousand Catholics live in a country of roughly eighty five million people, Vatican figures show.
Earlier on Friday, Leo met members of Turkey’s small Catholic community at Istanbul’s Holy Spirit Cathedral. Greeted with chants of “Viva il papa”, he urged them not to pursue political influence and instead concentrate on supporting people in need, especially migrants.
Turkey hosts nearly four million foreigners, including about two point four million Syrians as well as significant numbers from Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.
Leo has made care for migrants one of the hallmarks of his six month leadership, publicly challenging restrictive immigration policies in the United States and Europe.
The pope’s trip to Turkey will set the tone for his upcoming visit to Lebanon, a country deeply affected by the Gaza conflict and ongoing regional tension. His calls for unity and peace in Turkey are expected to shape his message there as well.
Leo’s appearances in Iznik and Istanbul will continue through the weekend, with Church officials saying his outreach to Christian leaders is aimed at building long term cooperation across the region.
