Pope Leo XIV held prayers at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul on Sunday (November 30, 2025) in a gesture of support for Christian unity and Christian minorities in Turkiye.
Beyond its ecumenical symbolism, the visit signals quiet support of ongoing efforts to heal century-old wounds between Turkiye and Armenia, long scarred by mass killings and decades of mistrust, observers note.
An estimated 1.5 million Armenians died in massacres, deportations and forced marches that began in 1915 in Ottoman Turkiye. Historians widely view the event as genocide.
Turkiye denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and those killed were victims of civil war and unrest. It has lobbied to prevent countries from officially recognising the massacres as genocide.
Influence of Pope Francis lingers
