Apostolic Journey to Türkiye and Lebanon

Itinerary

1. Leg 1 Rome (Vatican) → Ankara → Istanbul
2. Leg 2 Istanbul → İznik → Istanbul
3. Leg 3 Istanbul → Beirut
4. Leg 4 Beirut → Annaya → Harissa → Bkerké
5. Leg 5 Beirut → Jal ed Dib → Rome (Vatican)

Countries: Türkiye, Lebanon. Places: Ankara (Türkiye), Istanbul (Türkiye), İznik (Türkiye), Beirut (Lebanon), Annaya (Lebanon), Harissa (Lebanon), Bkerké (Lebanon), Jal ed Dib (Lebanon).

Key events

• Ankara: visit to the Atatürk Mausoleum and meeting with authorities
• İznik: ecumenical prayer near the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos
• Istanbul: Joint Declaration with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and Holy Mass at the Volkswagen Arena
• Lebanon: prayer at the tomb of Saint Charbel in Annaya
• Beirut: visit to the De La Croix Hospital before flying home

Pope Leo’s first journey abroad. He went on pilgrimage to İznik, ancient Nicaea, for the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, where the Creed we pray at Sunday Mass took shape. He prayed with other Christian leaders, visited the Little Sisters of the Poor, and celebrated Mass in Istanbul before continuing to Lebanon.

Worth reading: His words at İznik on Christian unity and the Creed, and his Masses with local Catholic communities.