Pope Leo XIV to Visit Turkey and Lebanon

The Vatican announced Pope Leo XIV will make his first foreign trip as pontiff to Turkey (Nov. 27–30) and Lebanon (Nov. 30–Dec. 2). The visit will include a pilgrimage to Iznik to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea and is being framed as a symbolically rich gesture to Christians and Muslims. Reuters notes Leo — the first U.S. pope — is expected to speak about the plight of Christians in the Middle East and to appeal for peace across the region. The trip is the fifth papal visit to Turkey and follows the last papal visit to Lebanon by Benedict XVI in 2012. Catholic News Agency and UNHCR reporting highlight Lebanon’s humanitarian strain, with the country hosting roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees.