Pope Leo XIV began his first full day in Turkey with an enthusiastic reception from the nation’s small Catholic community.
Cheers of “Papa Leo” and “Viva il Papa” greeted him at Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, marking the start of a visit aimed at bolstering Christians globally and pursuing centuries-old unity.
His Holiness met with Turkish Catholic clergy and nuns before addressing the central purpose of his trip.
He is set to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of a pivotal moment in Christian history: the 325 AD gathering of bishops that formulated the Nicaean Creed, a foundational statement of faith still recited by millions.
The Nicaean Creed holds significant ecumenical importance, accepted by Catholic, Orthodox, and most historic Protestant denominations.
Despite later doctrinal schisms, Nicaea remains a crucial point of consensus and the most universally embraced creed within Christendom.
As a result, celebrating its foundations is an important marker in the centuries-old quest to unite all Christians.
The anniversary commemoration will take place in Iznik, site of the Council of Nicaea gathering, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Istanbul. Presiding with Leo will be Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians.
Leo arrived in Turkey on Thursday, emphasising a message of peace as he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
His Holiness will travel to Lebanon where he will try to boost a long-suffering Christian community as well as Lebanese of all faiths who are still demanding justice over the 2020 Beirut port blast.
On his last day on 2 December, he will spend time in silent prayer at the site of the 4 August, 2020, Beirut port blast.
The explosion tore through the Lebanese capital, killing at least 218 people, wounding more than 6,000 and devastating large swaths of Beirut. Sparked when hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in a warehouse, the blast caused billions of dollars in damage.
Lebanese citizens were enraged by the blast, which appeared to be the result of government negligence, coming on top of an economic crisis spurred by decades of corruption and financial crimes.
But an investigation has repeatedly stalled, and five years on, no official has been convicted.
