The Pope at Yeşilköy Syriac Church

Pope Leo XIV arrived at Mor Efrem Syriac Ancient Orthodox Church in Yeşilköy, his next stop in Istanbul. At the church, he was welcomed by Yusuf Çetin, the spiritual leader of the Syriac Orthodox community in Istanbul and Ankara, ahead of a gathering with the Syriac congregation.

NTV reporter Deniz Tüysüz, covering the visit live, reported from in front of the church. According to the schedule, the Pope was expected to remain there for approximately two hours, until 11:45 a.m., meeting with members of the clergy. Mor Efrem Syriac Ancient Orthodox Church stands out as the first church built during the Republican era. Construction began in 2019, was completed in four years; the church was inaugurated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Pope’s first stop on Saturday morning was Sultanahmet Mosque, followed by Mor Efrem Syriac Ancient Orthodox Church in Yeşilköy. At the church, he met with representatives of the church and members of the Christian communities.

On Saturday, November 29, at Mor Efrem Syriac Orthodox Church in Istanbul, Pope Leo XIV attended a special ecumenical meeting marking the First Council of Nicaea. The meeting included church leaders and Christian representatives who had participated in the ecumenical prayer ceremony in Nicaea two days earlier.

The Pope was welcomed by Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and Metropolitan Filüksinos Yusuf Çetin of the Istanbul Syriac Orthodox Church. He met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, representatives of Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches, members of global Christian communities, and representatives of ecumenical organizations.

A choir then sang a hymn invoking the Holy Spirit, after which the representatives took their seats around a round table. The meeting continued behind closed doors, with brief statements from each representative followed by a speech by Pope Leo XIV. Before departing, Metropolitan Filüksinos Yusuf Çetin invited the group to recite the Lord’s Prayer together.