Pope Leo XIV Delivers Historic Public Homily in Istanbul

On the third day of his visit to Turkey, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass and delivered a homily to thousands at Maslak Volkswagen Arena. The event, the first Mass he has held outside a church, drew around 4,000 attendees from around the world, ranging from children to the elderly.

Clergy from various Christian communities joined the Pope on stage, including Syriac, Armenian, and Greek Orthodox patriarchs, metropolitans, priests, and monks. A 200-member universal choir, led by a nun, performed hymns in multiple languages throughout the Mass.

In his homily, Pope Leo XIV said, “Faith in the same Savior, Jesus, unites not only those within the Catholic Church but all our brothers and sisters in other Christian Churches. We experienced this yesterday in our prayer in Nicaea—a path we have long walked together.”

The ceremony featured the Gospel and cross on the stage table, an Act of Contrition, and prayers for forgiveness, followed by the Pope ascending to his elevated seat as the choir continued. The homily was projected in Turkish alongside the original English text on a large screen.