The Vatican has announced that Pope Leo XIV will make his first Apostolic Journeys abroad, visiting Türkiye from November 27 to 30, 2025, and Lebanon until December 2.

According to Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, the Pope’s trip comes at the invitation of both the civil and ecclesiastical authorities of the two nations. The visit to Türkiye will hold special historical and spiritual importance, as the Holy Father will make a pilgrimage to İznik (ancient Nicaea) to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea—a landmark event in Christian history that defined key doctrines of the faith.

The second leg of the journey will take Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon, where details of the itinerary are still to be announced. Bishop César Essayan of Beirut described the upcoming visit as “a great sign of hope” for a region longing for peace, expressing that both Christians and Muslims await the Pope’s message of reconciliation and human dignity.

Source: Vatican News