ISTANBUL, Turkiye: Pope Leo XIV joins the leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians Friday to celebrate 1,700 years since one of the early Church’s most important gatherings, on the second day of his visit to Turkiye.
The American pope began his four-day visit on Thursday, flying into Ankara where he held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urging him to embrace Turkiye’s role as mediator in a world gripped by conflict.
“Mr President, may Turkiye be a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace,” the pontiff told the Turkish leader as he kicked off the first overseas trip of his papacy.
Tight security meant the papal convoy swept through nearly empty streets in Ankara on a visit that has drawn little attention in this Muslim-majority nation of 86 million, whose Christian community numbers only around 100,000.
“This land is inextricably linked to the origins of Christianity, and today it beckons the children of Abraham and all humanity to a fraternity that recognizes and appreciates differences,” he said, before being flown to Istanbul where he will stay until Sunday when he travels to Lebanon.
